Which jazz musician recorded the landmark album Giant Steps?

John Coltrane recorded the landmark album Giant Steps.

Released in 1960, Giant Steps was Coltrane’s first album for Atlantic Records and became famous for its demanding harmonic progressions. The title track and related compositions move through rapidly changing chord centers, creating challenges that became important to modern jazz practice.

The album features Coltrane on tenor saxophone with several notable collaborators, including Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor. Coltrane’s solos demonstrate the intense harmonic study that shaped his development during this period.

Giant Steps is sometimes mistaken for a later spiritual or avant-garde Coltrane recording such as A Love Supreme. The two albums represent different stages: Giant Steps emphasizes harmonic exploration, while A Love Supreme, released in 1965, is a four-part spiritual suite.