John Coltrane

Who Was John Coltrane?

John Coltrane was a revolutionary saxophonist and composer whose technical brilliance and innovative approach to jazz left an indelible mark on the genre. Active primarily in the 1940s and ’50s, Coltrane collaborated with some of the most influential figures in jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis. His groundbreaking work on albums like Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and A Love Supreme redefined the boundaries of jazz, blending intricate harmonic structures with deeply spiritual and emotive playing. Coltrane’s contributions to music continue to resonate with listeners and musicians alike. He passed away at the age of 40 on July 17, 1967, from liver cancer in Huntington, Long Island, New York.

Background and Early Years

John William Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, North Carolina, and grew up in nearby High Point. Music was a significant influence in his early life, as his father, John R. Coltrane, a tailor, was also an avid musician. Young Coltrane was exposed to jazz through the records of artists like Count Basie and Lester Young, which fueled his interest in music. By his teenage years, Coltrane had begun playing the alto saxophone and quickly demonstrated a natural talent for the instrument.

In 1939, Coltrane’s life was marked by tragedy with the death of his father and several other family members, plunging the Coltrane household into financial hardship. Seeking a fresh start, his mother, Alice, relocated the family to New Jersey, while Coltrane stayed in North Carolina to complete high school. In 1943, he moved to Philadelphia, where he pursued a career in music. Coltrane briefly studied at the Ornstein School of Music before being drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II. While stationed in Hawaii, Coltrane performed regularly and made his first recording with a quartet of fellow sailors.

Joining Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington

After leaving the Navy in 1946, Coltrane returned to Philadelphia, where he continued his musical education at the Granoff School of Music. He quickly began performing with various jazz bands, including those led by Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and Jimmy Heath. Coltrane’s unique style began to emerge as he experimented with different musical ideas.

In 1949, Coltrane joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band, where he would stay for the next year and a half, gaining valuable exposure. However, during the early 1950s, Coltrane struggled with heroin addiction, which negatively impacted his career. In 1954, Duke Ellington briefly hired Coltrane to replace Johnny Hodges, but Coltrane was dismissed due to his drug dependency.

Working with Miles Davis

The mid-1950s marked a turning point in Coltrane’s career when he was invited to join the Miles Davis Quintet. Davis, recognizing Coltrane’s immense talent, encouraged him to push his creative limits while helping him combat his addiction. During this period, Coltrane’s contributions to Davis’ albums, including The New Miles Davis Quintet (1956) and ‘Round About Midnight (1957), solidified his place as one of jazz’s most innovative saxophonists. His work on the iconic album Kind of Blue (1959) further cemented his reputation as a master of improvisation and a defining figure in the history of jazz.

Albums and Songs: From Blue Train to Giant Steps

In 1957, after a turbulent period with his bandmate, John Coltrane was dismissed from Miles Davis’ band once again due to his refusal to give up heroin. While it’s unclear if this event was the direct catalyst for Coltrane’s eventual sobriety, it is known that he successfully overcame his addiction shortly thereafter. Following this, Coltrane spent time working with pianist Thelonious Monk and honing his craft as a bandleader and solo artist. His early recordings, such as Blue Train (1957) and Soultrane (1958), showcased his growing mastery.

By 1960, Coltrane made his debut on Atlantic Records with Giant Steps, a revolutionary album that featured entirely original compositions. This record marked a turning point in Coltrane’s career, displaying his advanced harmonic experimentation and cementing his status as a pioneering figure in jazz. The album’s innovative approach to jazz harmony was groundbreaking, and Coltrane’s technical prowess continued to evolve, drawing attention from critics and listeners alike.

By this period, Coltrane had developed a unique sound, characterized in part by his use of intricate harmonic structures and his ability to execute rapid, cascading scales. This technique, which was coined “sheets of sound” by critic Ira Gitler in 1958, was described by Coltrane as: “I start in the middle of a sentence and move both directions at once.”

My Favorite Things

In the autumn of 1960, Coltrane assembled a quartet that included pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones to record My Favorite Things (1961). The album’s title track, along with interpretations of standards such as “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye,” “Summertime,” and “But Not for Me,” showcased Coltrane’s remarkable performance on the soprano saxophone and introduced his sound to a broader audience. My Favorite Things was a commercial success and helped propel Coltrane to stardom. His evolving style continued to attract both admiration and critique in the years that followed. Notable albums from this period included Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (1963), Impressions (1963), and Live at Birdland (1964), each further establishing Coltrane as one of the foremost innovators in jazz.

A Love Supreme

My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme (1965) are often regarded as Coltrane’s most iconic works. The latter, a four-part suite, is widely considered his spiritual magnum opus. A Love Supreme explores themes of devotion, transcendence, and spiritual awakening, with Coltrane’s playing reflecting a depth of emotional and technical mastery. The album was both a commercial success and a critical triumph, eventually earning gold status decades later. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards and remains one of the most highly regarded albums in jazz history, celebrated for its profound spiritual message and musical innovation.

Wives

John Coltrane was first married to Juanita “Naima” Grubbs, but later wed pianist and harpist Alice McLeod (or MacLeod, depending on the source) in the mid-1960s. Known professionally as Alice Coltrane, she played in her husband’s band and went on to establish her own distinctive jazz career. Her work was notable for its fusion of Asian influences and its spiritual orientation.

Final Years and Death

In the final two years of his life, Coltrane produced a significant body of work, which some described as avant-garde and deeply spiritual, though it was also controversial for certain audiences. In 1966, he recorded his last two albums to be released during his lifetime: Kulu Se Mama and Meditations. His album Expression was completed just days before his death. Coltrane passed away from liver cancer on July 17, 1967, at the age of 40, in Huntington, Long Island, New York. He was survived by his second wife, Alice, and four children.

‘Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album’

In June 2018, Impulse! Records announced the release of Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album, a previously unreleased collection of material discovered by the family of Coltrane’s first wife. Recorded in a single day in March 1963 with his “classic quartet” — Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, and McCoy Tyner — the album featured a studio version of “Impressions,” a live favorite, alongside two original, untitled tracks believed to have been recorded exclusively for this release.

Legacy

Coltrane, a passionate reader known for his gentle nature, had a profound influence on the music world. He revolutionized jazz through his innovative techniques and his profound reverence for musical traditions from Africa, Latin America, the Far East, and South Asia. Coltrane was posthumously awarded a Grammy in 1981 for the live recording Bye Bye Blackbird and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. A wealth of previously unreleased recordings and reissues have since been released, and in 2007, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded him a special posthumous citation. Coltrane’s contributions to music continue to resonate, and his work remains a major source of inspiration for new generations of musicians.l