Explore the life of jazz legend John Coltrane. He crosses paths with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Miles Davis (trumpet), Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), and Thelonious Monk (piano). Though his career was cut tragically short, Coltrane pushed the boundaries of jazz almost to the breaking point and changed the course of popular music forever.
Photo by Janine Robinson on Unsplash
First Impressions
For many years I had my own idea of what “good” jazz was. I have always favored the swing big bands of the World War II era, such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the music of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and the Dorsey Brothers. For a long time, I had always clung to this genre because of its nostalgic effect on me. Big band swing always reminds me of my grandparents and this formative period in each of their lives.
It is not just nostalgia that attracted me, however, but also the overall stylization of that era. The tremendous output of wartime films solidified the fashion, look, sound, and feel of the 1940s in the minds of anyone who did not happen to live in that era (aka, me). Now, almost two decades after first discovering big band swing music, I have been inspired to rediscover other artists and genres of jazz music.
I first remember hearing the name John Coltrane during a class in twentieth-century music seven or eight years ago. There was an entire section on the great jazz artists of the post-war era (ca. the 1950s-1970s). This post-war period has many “sub-genres” but three of the most discussed are bebop, hard bop, and free jazz.
Seeing Things Differently
Chasing Trane is a documentary released to Netflix in 2017. It features interviews with many of John Coltrane’s contemporaries and their views on his contribution to jazz music. His 1965 album A Love Supreme is featured as well as his various collaborations with famous names such as Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis also gives commentary on Coltrane’s musical genius.
“During the year 1957, I experienced by the grace of God, the spiritual awakening, which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music.”
John Coltrane (as voiced by Denzel Washington, Chasing Trane, 2017).
This film is one man’s story of overcoming adversity and rediscovering his gift. He overcame addictions to alcohol and heroin, which also signaled his momentous spiritual awakening in 1957 and subsequent creative successes. Coltrane died of liver cancer in 1967 at the age of 40, leaving behind an astounding collection of work.
What draws me to this film is Coltrane’s exploration of his own spiritual journey through his investigation of music. He seemed to be a man of astounding intellect and deep spiritual convictions. The result of this film is a man searching for the intangible through an often equally intangible medium.
His 1961 reimagining of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" received wide acclaim in popular circles, embuing the tune with influences from modal jazz, Indian, and African musical traditions.
Videos:
This live performance was recorded at Comblain-la-Tour, Belgium in 1965. John Coltrane (1926-1967 saxophone); McCoy Tyner (1938-2020 piano); Jimmy Garrison (1934-1976 bass); and Elvin Jones (1927-2004 drums). The song was originally written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
This is a live collaboration featuring The Sachal Jazz ensemble from Lahore, Pakistan and the Wynton Marsalis quintet at The Marciac jazz festival in July of 2013. Here the saxophone is covered on tenor instead of soprano.
“Writing has always been a secondary thing for me, but I find that lately, I’m spending more and more time at it. I’m trying to tune myself, to look to myself and to nature, and to other sounds in music, and interpret things I feel there.”
John Coltrane (as voiced by Denzel Washington, Chasing Trane, 2017).
After seeing Chasing Trane, I started to realize why I always shied away from this genre of jazz…it seemed beyond me. It is indescribable and intangible, possessing its own kind of beauty. This is true of any creative medium. They have an abstract aspect to them that is subjective and meant to be felt and experienced, not just touched, seen, or heard. Many times, listeners will dismiss jazz as “noisy” or “strange” which can be said of any new music, from the perspective of a contemporary audience.
A Lasting Legacy
So why is Coltrane’s music so important? Considering the mammoths of jazz that he worked with and his many contributions to this creatively innovative era in music, it would be surprising if John Coltrane was omitted from this pantheon of modern innovators. Although music, as a creative medium, is considered subjective in nature, its lasting influence with novices and academics is too noteworthy to be ignored. We would not write about them if they did not influence in some way.
The music of Coltrane’s time was new for his audience, but it struck a chord with them. Many times, it is a matter of timing. The right music came into being at the right time for the right people and was created by the right person. Some music, such as that of Coltrane, endures no matter what happens, sometimes with a niche audience, and sometimes with a larger audience. But it was created, and now it exists, and it found its way to me. And now my world is that much richer.
Notable Sources
Below are listed some additional sources on John Coltrane. The article on A Love Supreme by Patrick Jarenwattananon also includes some wonderful candid photos of Coltrane during his recording sessions for this landmark album.
Patrick Jarenwattananon
Chris DeVito (editor)
Additional NPR Articles mentioning John Coltrane
Scott Anderson, Gustave Adolphus College, 1996
An independent thesis project dissecting the structure and influence of “My Favorite Things”
Eric Westervelt
Love it! Keep it coming. Sometime I will tell you about my "Jazz in the Stacks" project.