Jazz Articles about John Coltrane

About John Coltrane

History of Jazz

John Coltrane in Detroit: A Brief History

by Paul Rauch
September 8, 2026

When the calendar turned to 2026, a spirit of celebration was sparked in the jazz community. It marked one hundred years from the birth dates of two jazz titans in John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Coltrane departed us in 1967 from cancer, a life of barely more than forty years that changed the course of jazz. He had forged his approach to playing as a member of Davis' groundbreaking, mid-1950s sextet. Davis, after a brief hiatus in the mid 1970s, ...

Radio & Podcasts

The John Coltrane Centennial, Part 3: Coltrane emerges as a leader

by Larry Slater
August 29, 2026

By 1960 John Coltrane had emerged as a singular voice on the saxophone.Though he recorded several dates as a leader in the '50s, it wasn't until he left Miles Davis that he began recording with his own groups. His first recording for Atlantic Records, released in 1960, was Giant Steps, featuring several compositions that were soon to become jazz standards. Sublime recordings with the vocalist Johnny Hartman and maestro Duke Ellington followed. Coltrane embraced the rarely heard soprano ...

Radio & Podcasts

The John Coltrane Centennial, part 2: 1950s era recordings as a leader

by Larry Slater
August 21, 2026

John Coltrane was a member of Miles Davis' quintet from 1955-1957, and then again later in the decade after he kicked his heroin habit. His tenure with Miles led to his first opportunities to record as a leader for Prestige Records and Blue Note, including “Blue Trane" and his Prestige releases “Coltrane" and “Settin' the Pace." “Blue Trane" was the first recording to include all original Coltrane compositions, and one of his most successful recordings.You'll hear commentary on ...

Radio & Podcasts

The John Coltrane Centennial, part 1: Coltrane's early years with Miles and Monk

by Larry Slater
August 7, 2026

John Coltrane is, without a doubt, one of the most revered and influential musicians of the modern jazz era. A controversial musician during his lifetime, his legacy continued to grow after his death in 1967 at age 40. His outsized impact on the world of jazz is all the more remarkable considering his career as a featured artist lasted only 12 years, beginning with his tenure in Miles Davis' quintet and Thelonious Monk's quartet.In this hour, you'll hear ...

Catching Up With

Tyler Soifer: The Art of Audio

by Kitty Kalriess
July 26, 2026

On April 8, 2026, musicians Joe Lovano, Melissa Aldana, Nduduzo Makhathini, Linda May Han Oh and Jeff Tain Watts treated an audience to their collaborative reflection of John Coltrane in celebration of what would be the the centennial of the birth of the iconic saxophonist. The McCarter center on the campus of Princeton University hosted Coltrane 100, and the touring group performed to an almost sold-out house. After long contemplation of the masterful performance, a thought lingered; the ...

Album Review

Miles Davis: Miles '56: The Prestige Recordings

Read "Miles '56: The Prestige Recordings" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
June 29, 2026

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus never met Miles Davis, but his famous observation, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man," seems tailor-made for the trumpeter. Few artists transformed themselves as completely or as often as Davis. Listeners encountering his music today can struggle to reconcile the cool, lyrical trumpeter of the bebop era with the architect of jazz-rock fusion, the creator of On the Corner (Columbia, ...

Album Review

Miles Davis: Miles '56: The Prestige Recordings

Read "Miles '56: The Prestige Recordings" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
June 19, 2026

Let us imagine for the moment that it is a day or two after the Big Spirit Beyond Wonder has separated the wheat from the chafe. The terrible, unwanted wars have ceased. Global climate change is no longer a threat. Autocracy is in the dustbin of history where it rightfully belongs. Illness has passed. The world, as it was in the beginning, is free of the subterfuge and manipulations of humankind. Now the Big Spirit turns their attention ...