The saxophonist who redefined jazz and inspired a global movement.

Legacy

John Coltrane is among the most influential figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music and culture. He was an innovator with a singular sound who constantly pushed the boundaries and whose influence decades after his death continues to stretch across musical styles and genres transcending cultural boundaries.

Early career

Born September 23rd, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, Coltrane grew up well versed in faith and music. Tragedy stuck within a span of mere months around his twelfth birthday when his father and grandfather (both leaders in local Christian circles), his grandmother and his aunt all passed away, leaving the remaining Coltranes grief-stricken and struggling. Music was a respite and his already notable dedication to practice and perfection took on a new urgency which pointed towards artistic realms beyond small-town North Carolina, and continued throughout his life and career

During the summer of 1943 he moved to Philadelphia and by early 1945 was working locally as a clarinet and alto saxophone player.Returning home after a short service in the Navy that summer, Coltrane took advantage of the G.I. Bill’s education opportunities to pursue training at Ornstein School of Music.

Philly’s jazz clubs were fertile ground for visiting musicians and provided Coltrane the opportunity to play as a sideman including the likes of Dizzie Gillespie whose music had been integral to Coltrane’s big band roots. After ten years of tireless practice and performance, Coltrane received the call that would change his life – and jazz music – forever: Miles Davis asked him to relocate to New York and join what would become his landmark quintet. John Coltrane accepted with seemingly little hesitation. Though their personal relationship was famously tumultuous, Coltrane’s time with Davis was a catalyst for his progression from local legend to international figure, and together they are responsible for some of the most iconic recordings of the jazz canon. It was also through Davis that Coltrane connected with Thelonius Monk in 1957.

In that same year, he made a profound decision to quit heroin cold turkey. His addiction had been an obstacle in his personal and professional life. From this moment he deviated himself to a deeper spiritual calling.

Transition

By the end of the 50s, and having put in years with Monk and Davis, Coltrane now boasted a significant resumé and was more than ready to break out both as bandleader and composer. He released his first recording as a leader for Atlantic Records in 1960, an album of all original compositions called Giant Steps which is regarded as one of the most influential jazz albums of all time.

Impulse! Records acquired Coltrane’s contract with Atlantic in 1961 and he remained with the label until his death. An early release was My Favorite Things, a reimagining of American standards that garnered him a broader audience. Over the next couple of years, Coltrane worked with a number of different musicians, recorded several other albums and radically altered his style igniting divisiveness among critics. Eventually what would be known as the “classic quartet” was formed featuring McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. The band produced a body of work that is considered iconic in jazz and 20th century music history.

John Coltrane met Alice Coltrane in 1963. She would become his second wife and an influential collaborator. The couple and their young children moved to Dix Hills in the quiet suburbs of Long Island which provided them with a certain serenity in which they could fervently explore and channel the depths of musical expression and spiritual expansion.

A Love Supreme

It was in the upstairs guest bedroom of the Home, tranquil and free from distraction, that John composed the seminal American masterpiece A Love Supreme. Over its four movements, the album seems to narrate Coltrane’s personal story and love for God while somehow also mirroring that of jazz and music in general via broad emotive gestures and succinct yet bravely unbounded structures. The album was recognized with abundant critical acclaim and two Grammy nominations. It continues to move and inspire each new generation of listeners.

Late Period

After A Love Supreme was released, Coltrane pushed in a more avant-garde, abstract direction, engaging alongside his wife and Pharoah Sanders, a slew of musicians who were prominent in this area, and influencing Impulse! to become a leading free jazz label. Ascension, Om, Cosmic Music, and the other albums from these final years go further in their daring tones and unfettered expressions of faith, but still land with the same exquisiteness and clarity of vision as the music that preceded it.

Then tragically, in the midst of fervent creative momentum, John Coltrane left his earthly body on July 17th, 1967 at forty years old.

Coltrane shaped a musical era. His music has since reverberated with and influenced artists, genres and cultural movements and his name has become almost synonymous with art itself.

Without John Coltrane, there’s no doubt that playing saxophone, playing jazz, making or listening to music period would all be different. Such figures leave an indelible mark and come along just a few times in a generation. John Coltrane took enormous strides in revolutionizing what an instrument can do and what a style can mean. Giant steps