Jazz Articles about John Coltrane

About John Coltrane

Album Review

John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album

by Karl Ackermann
July 1, 2018

Half a century after his passing, the music of John Coltrane continues to be studied, analyzed and enjoyed for its historical and musical exceptionality. Every few years it seems that another undiscovered collection surfaces and is met with enviable enthusiasm, much of it centered around speculating where Coltrane's music was going at a point in time, and the unanswerable question of where it may have ended up. Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album captures the saxophonist on the brink ...

Album Review

John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album

by Mike Jurkovic
June 29, 2018

The day before John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison convened at the Van Gelder studios in Englewood Cliffs, John, Paul, George and Ringo recorded “From Me To You" at Abbey Road in seven takes. That night the Coltrane quartet tore apart Birdland and the next day recorded an album with John Hartman. Music was changing everywhere and, thus, the world. Bob Thiele's voice is the first we hear, cutting through the political panic of fifty ...

Book Review

The Universe and John Coltrane: The Physics of Cosmic Vibrations

by Victor L. Schermer
January 18, 2018

The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe Stephon Alexander 272 Pages ISBN: # 13: 978-0465093571; # 10: 0465093574 Basic Books 2016 On the face of it, the premise that jazz and physics are related disciplines seems strange and remote. Because of its spontaneous nature, rhythmic pulse, and emphasis on emotion, jazz is a personal, subjective artistic means of expression which is accessible to almost ...

Album Review

John Coltrane: Trane 90

Read "Trane 90" reviewed by Stefano Merighi

by Stefano Merighi
December 19, 2017

Coltrane l'apprendista, il collaboratore di talento, il leader, il visionario. È davvero possibile suddividere la carriera di John Coltrane attraverso questi ruoli ben distinti? O piuttosto la sapienza coltraniana si affina contando tuttavia già su una forza di partenza tutta particolare, e straordinaria? A parte le incisioni dei primi anni Cinquanta, infatti, sembra che la maturità di Coltrane sia già compiuta dalle prime importanti sessioni con Miles Davis; che il sassofonista sia cioè già toccato dalla grazia ...

What is Jazz?

Jazz and Philosophy

by Douglas Groothuis
October 15, 2017

Philosophy warms to jazz, but not as much, perhaps, to rock or blues. We can talk through the night about rock and blues, and it may be fun. But just how philosophical can we get about rock and blues--even with the help of a few smart friends and a few adult beverages? Rock is the rambunctious and electrified child that came out of the blues, and the blues are a way to make pain bearable and even enjoyable, once the ...

Beauty, Love and Justice: Living A Coltranian Life

Dr. Cornel West: A Real-Life Superhero

by Christine Passarella
September 23, 2017

This column focuses on the lives of people searching for and finding a human connection inspired by the life and music of the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. Trane was a spiritual, gifted jazz musician dedicated to loving people through his heart which exquisitely came out of his instrument. I have come to discover that there are presently many people who are influenced by him even decades after his passing. This column will make an attempt at answering the question: “How ...

Film Review

Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

by Victor L. Schermer
July 4, 2017

John ColtraneChasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary Meteor 17 and Crew Neck Productions2017 Because it is poised to contribute to the image of John Coltrane in popular culture for years to come, a thoughtful appraisal of this film is very important. Promoted at major film festivals and released to theaters worldwide, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, directed by John Scheifeld (noted for The U.S. vs. Lennon (Liongate, 2006)--and other films about iconic cultural figures ...