Jazz Articles about John Coltrane

About John Coltrane

Radio & Podcasts

Giant Steps: Rahsaan Roland Kirk to Vijay Iyer

by David Brown
May 8, 2025

This week on the Jazz Continuum will be a “cover band" take on John Coltrane's historic recording, Giant Steps. Recorded May 4-5, 1959, several pieces on this album went on to become jazz standards. Each work will be played in album order as performed by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, The John Coltrane Quartet (live), The Vijay Iyer Trio, organist John Patton, and pianist Tommy Flanagan. A set of piano music will follow with Barbara Carroll , Geri Allen, Matt Mitchell, Roland ...

Radio & Podcasts

John Coltrane, Ted Curson, and Gretchen Parlato

by Jerome Wilson
October 2, 2024

This show gets into venerated “New Thing" masters such as John Coltrane and Ted Curson as well as current musicians such as Gretchen Parlato, Joel Harrison, and Kris Davis. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Joel Harrison “Shady Grove" from So Long 2nd Street (ACT) 00:53 Bill Frisell “It's Nobody's Fault But MIne" from Beautiful Dreamers (Savoy Jazz) 5:49 ...

Play This!

John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman

by Ian Patterson
September 23, 2024

When little in the world seems to make much sense anymore, when all the noise, turmoil and strife is getting to be too much, there can be no better medicine than beautiful music to soothe the troubled mind. The pairing of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and baritone singer Johnny Hartman might have seemed like a left-field choice in 1963 but Impulse! knew exactly what it was doing, The company smelled a hit, and so too in all probability did Coltrane. ...

The Big Question

Does Jazz History Weigh Too Heavily on Today’s Practitioners?

by Ian Patterson
April 24, 2024

It is no outlandish claim to say that jazz is obsessed with its past--just look at the number of tribute albums, songs and concerts inspired by the music's forbearers, or at the never-ending stream of historical reissues. For many jazz musicians, navigating jazz means honoring the music's “ancestors" and playing “in the tradition." Jazz education programs generally look to the past to instruct their students. Reviewers of albums by contemporary jazz musicians, almost without exception, make ...

Rethinking Jazz Cultures

Walter van de Leur: Jazz & Death, Part 1—A Closer Walk With Thee

by Ian Patterson
April 11, 2024

Part 1 | Part 2 What is jazz? Beacon of the oppressed; music of New Orleans bordellos; popular dance music; revolutionary music; high-art music with an established cannon; progressive music that absorbs and grows; hermetic traditional music... Jazz has always meant different things to different people. Even the term 'jazz' is political and contentious. Black American Music, or borderless music of the world? The most democratic form of music, or a club that is stubbornly resistant ...

Readers Poll Results

Your Favorite Legacy Jazz Saxophonists

by Michael Ricci
April 2, 2024

Member votes were tabulated and this list represents our favorite legacy jazz saxophonists. Fully transparent and easily verifiable, All About Jazz's legacy saxophonists poll was conducted during the 2023-2024 calendar year and ran up through March 28, 2024. We want to thank every member who participated in creating this impressive list (164 total!) for the next generation of jazz enthusiasts to discover. 1John Coltrane2Wayne Shorter3Charlie Parker4Cannonball Adderley5Stan Getz6Dexter Gordon7Paul Desmond8Lester Young9Joe Henderson10Sonny Stitt11Coleman Hawkins12Art Pepper13Ben Webster14Michael Brecker15Johnny Hodges16Ornette ...

Album Review

Miles Davis / John Coltrane: Live at the Washateria

Read "Live at the Washateria" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
April 1, 2024

Urban legend has it that in 1957 Miles Davis charged up to a frightened woman at the Washateria Laundromat on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 25th Street. He bellowed, “How long does this (expletive) dryer take to dry a pair of socks?" Before the terrified patron could answer, Davis spied John Coltrane in row two, washing his reeds on the delicate cycle. In another corner, Cannonball Adderley was growing impatient with a set of fitted sheets on the folding ...