By David Liebman
Coltrane has always been my main man, period. His music gets better and
better over time. He played so well, so passionately, so sincerely, so
perfectly. It's more than the normal nostalgia any individual feels for
what influenced him or her at a certain crucial stage and in my case
witnessed live during the 1960s. Trane's music is eternal and for the
ages. Appreciation of what he did will grow as time goes on, as it does
for Duke and Monk and others who were so advanced for their time, for
all time.
But why should listeners and musicians, for whom Coltrane is just
another legend who has passed on, listen to him in more than a casual
way? It is precisely for the honesty and sincerity which Coltrane exuded
at all stages of his brief career- these qualities are more important
than ever as time goes on. We live in an age of fast communication and
overload. It gets harder to discern the real from pretense. With
Coltrane, no one can walk away without getting the point. It may not be
easy, especially at the beginning, to get past the intensity of his
statement, but the well runs deep and can be drawn upon forever. More
specifically for musicians who are players, the sound of Trane's horn
along with his execution of ideas, feeling of the blues and harmonic
depth are models of what we aspire towards. Can there be any greater
praise?
The All About Jazz "Giants of Jazz" John Coltrane Page is a great place
to start and to expand your knowledge of Coltrane, the man and his
music. With essays, CD reviews, scholarship, interviews, web links, and
other sources of information about every aspect of this extraordinary
musical force and personality, you'll learn things about Trane which
will deepen your listening and, if you are a musician, enhance your
playing. Dig in, or should I say, link in, and enjoy!
