John Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, North Carolina. This particular day had important astrological significance. It was the day of the autumn equinox, one of only two days through the year where night and day are perfectly equal (Fraim 7). Shortly after his birth, Coltrane's family moved to High Point, North Carolina. He lived in a nice neighborhood sharing a house with his mom and dad, aunt and uncle and cousin, and his grandparents, the Blairs (7). Even at an early age it was obvious that religion was important to Coltrane. He would listen to his grandfather, Reverend Blair, preach at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church on Sunday mornings (7). When Coltrane was older he also…show more content… Lateef was a part of the band for only a short time. He sparked Coltrane's interest in philosophy and religion. He also introduced him to authors like Kahlil Gibran and suggested he read the Koran (17). During this time Coltrane's heroin addiction increased. Once, while on tour with Gillespie's band, Coltrane passed out and had to be revived by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by another band member (18). He pawned items for money to buy drugs, and he would many times show up late for gigs. At a show in Canada, Coltrane didn't even show up (19). He finally left the band in May 1950 (Wild). Although John Coltrane turned to drugs and alcohol during much of the 1950s, some positive things also happened in his life (Ressner 122). He began to focus on education in the early 1950s, particularly ejoying philosophy. He played in clubs such as Cafe Society and Joe Pitt's Musical Bar to bring in some money (Fraim 21). Coltrane joined the Earl Bostic band in 1952. Bostic knew a great deal about the saxophone, and Coltrane benefited from his knowledge (21). He learned about fingering techniques and also Bostic's sound which differed from most saxophonists of that time (22). After leaving Bostic's band, Coltrane joined an old idol of his, Johnny Hodges, in 1953. Coltrane learned new styles from Hodges. He learned styles of stretching the notes, lingering, and caressing them. This was a very
search for the incorporation of his spirituality with his music. John Coltrane was not only an essential contributor to jazz, but also music itself. John Coltrane died thirty-two years ago, on July 17, 1967, at the age of forty. In the years since, his influence has only grown, and the stellar avant-garde saxophonist has become a jazz legend of a stature shared only by Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. As an instrumentalist Coltrane was technically and imaginatively equal to both;
John Coltrane: An Experimental Musician
Jazz, which evolved from African American folk music, has developed and changed over the last century to become an art form in America. It places particular importance on inventive self interpretation. Rather than relying on a written piece, the artist improvises. Jazz has taken many forms over the past seventy years; there is almost always a single person who can be credited with the evolution of that sound. From Thelonius Monk, and his bebop, to Dizzy Gillespie’s
John Coltrane is considered one of the most important figures in jazz, alongside other greats such as Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Coltrane struggled with drug addiction early on in his career, but during the late 1950’s he was able to get through it. I chose John Coltrane because I consider myself a fairly religious person, Coltrane himself was a religious person who wanted to bring positivity to people through his music. Arguably Coltrane’s most globally acclaimed record, “A Love Supreme,”
Spirituality and John Coltrane
After being fired from Miles Davis's band in 1957 for his chronic use of heroin, John Coltrane was hurt tremendously. He decided it was time he quit using heroin. He took a month off from music while he went "cold turkey." During this month in the early spring of 1957, Coltrane had a momentous religious experience (Nisenson, 40). Coltrane asked God to give him "the means and privilege to make others happy through music" (Coltrane, 1995, 2). As time
Despite a relatively short career, John Coltrane was among the most influential, and most controversial figures in jazz. He pioneered many important directions and developments in jazz in the 1950s and 1960s including hard bop, modal jazz and free jazz. Coltrane was also known for his virtuosic ability in improvising. He has such command over his instrument that many other players tried to imitate his sound on the tenor saxophone, though only a few could approach his technical mastery. Coltrane’s
John Coltrane
John Coltrane Jazz, taking its roots in African American folk music, has evolved, metamorphosed, and transposed itself over the last century to become a truly American art form. More than any other type of music, it places special emphasis on innovative individual interpretation. Instead of relying on a written score, the musician improvises. For each specific period or style through which jazz has gone through over the past seventy years, there is almost always a single person
see the light in this complicated world of ours. One of the many people in this world who have experienced this enlightenment is John Coltrane. What makes this man special is that he like many others started out life with no path he only lived in the moment not thinking about how he can leave his mark on the world. However unlike the majority of the population Coltrane midway through his life realised he needed to make a change in the world and that the way he would do it would be through his music
John Coltrane
John Coltrane is noted as a legendary saxophonist. His career was brief, controversial yet noted among the most important figure in Jazz. He grew up playing the clarinet and eventually changed to the alto and tenor saxophone. He was not only a musician, but he was also a composer. He endured the loss of several influential men at a young age. Throughout his musical career, he played in many bands including quartets, quintets and sextets. He played alongside many great musicians during
musical periods we have discussed in this course have influenced and show a strong relation to jazz music and also jazz musicians. Among these musicians, is John Coltrane, considered one of the greatest jazz saxophonists and composers of all time. He was also one of the most important and influential musicians of the twentieth century.
John
John Coltrane was born September 23, 1926 in North Carolina in the city of Hamlet. It was almost guaranteed that he was going to be a musician because music was all around him. His father played many instruments and that is what sparked his interest for music, he became focused on jazz music in particular after listening to the records of Lester Young and Count Basie. when he was a young teenager he began to play the saxophone, he was very good at it and enjoyed imitating other musicians styles.