John
William Coltrane
Hamlet, North Carolina, USA, 23.9.1926 - Long Island, NY, USA, 17.7.1967
1957 John Coltrane and the Jazz Giants (Prestige)
1957 John Coltrane: Lush Life (Prestige)
1957 John Coltrane: Blue Train (blue note)
1958 John Coltrane: Soultrane (Prestige)
1958 Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (Prestige)
1958 John Coltrane-Wilbur Harden: Countdown (Savoy)
1958 John Coltrane-Wilbur Harden: Africa (Savoy)
1958 John Coltrane: Coltrane Time (Boplicity)
1959 Milt Jackson & John Coltrane: Bags & Trane (Atlantic)
1959 John Coltrane: The Heavyweight Champion (Atlantic/rhino)
1959 Cannonball & Coltrane (emarcy)
1959 John Coltrane: Giant Steps (Atlantic)
1959 John Coltrane: Coltrane Jazz (Atlantic)
1960 Miles Davis & John Coltrane: Live in Stockholm 1960
1960 John Coltrane & Don Cherry: The Avant-garde (Atlantic)
1960 John Coltrane: My Favorite Things (Atlantic)
1960 John Coltrane: Coltrane's Sound (Atlantic)
1961 John Coltrane: Africa/Brass (Impulse!)
1961 John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!)
1961 John Coltrane: Impressions (Impulse!)
1962 The Gentle Side of John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1962 John Coltrane: Coltrane (Impulse!)
1962 John Coltrane: Ballads (Impulse!)
1962 Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane: Dear Old Stockholm (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane: Live in Stockholm 1963 (Affinity)
1963 John Coltrane: Live at Birdland (Impulse!)
1964 John Coltrane: Crescent (Impulse!)
1964 John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!)
1965 the John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Transition (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Ascension (Impulse!)
1965 The Major Works of John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Sun Ship (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: First Meditations (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Live in Seattle (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Om (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Kulu Se Mama (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Meditations (Impulse!)
1966 John Coltrane: Live in Japan (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Stellar Regions (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Expression (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Interstellar Space (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: The Olatunji Concert: the last live recording (Impulse!)
The king of the tenor saxophone and great innovator of the entire jazz history, John Coltrane opened new frontiers with his free-form solos. ''I could listen to him for hours, and it'd only seem like minutes,'' said drummer Elvin Jones. Stints with Dizzy Gillespie and then Miles Davis in 1955 ended because of Coltrane's addictions to heroin and alcohol. But after Thelonious Monk hired him, Coltrane experienced a spiritual epiphany and swore off drugs and alcohol and recorded one masterpiece after another. ''When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something good for people,'' he said. ''I want to speak to their souls.'' Coltrane grew up in High Point NC, moving to Philadelphia PA in June 1943. He was inducted into the Navy in 1945, returning to civilian life in 1946. Coltrane worked a variety of jobs through the late forties until (still an alto saxophonist) he joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in 1949. He stayed with Gillespie through the band's breakup in May 1950 and (now on tenor saxophone) worked with Gillespie's small group until April 1951, when he returned to Philadelphia to go to school. In early 1952 he joined Earl Bostic's band, and in 1953 he joined Johnny Hodges's small group (during that saxophonist's short sabbatical from Duke Ellington's orchestra), staying until mid 1954. Although there are recordings of Coltrane from as early as 1946, his real career spans the twelve years between 1955 and 1967, during which time he reshaped modern jazz and influenced generations of other musicians. Coltrane was freelancing in Philadelphia in the summer of 1955 when he received a call from trumpeter Miles Davis. Davis, whose success during the late forties had been followed by several years of decline, was again active, and was about to form a quintet. Coltrane was with this first edition of the Davis group from October 1955 through April 1957 (with a few absences), a period which saw influential recordings from Davis and the first signs of Coltrane's ability. This classic First Quintet, best represented by two marathon recording sessions for Prestige in 1956, disbanded in mid-April. During the latter part of 1957 Coltrane worked with Thelonious Monk at New York's Five Spot, a legendary gig. He rejoined Miles in January 1958, staying until April 1960, during which time he participated in such seminal Davis sessions as Milestones and Kind Of Blue, and recorded his own influential sessions (notably Giant Steps). Coltrane's first working quartet took the stage in April 1960; pianist McCoy Tyner joined the band in mid 1960 (replacing Steve Kuhn), and Elvin Jones came on board in the fall, in time for marathon sessions for Atlantic which produced Coltrane's ''hit'' recording My Favorite Things. By early 1961 Coltrane had signed with the new Impulse label; his first project was a seminal orchestral recording, the Africa/Brass sessions. Coltrane's quartet (with Tyner, Jones and bassist Reggie Workman) was joined by multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy for a variety of recordings and appearances, and Dolphy joined the band permanently in September, in a group that created considerable controversy. The sound of that band is amply documented in the four nights recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City in November 1961 (available in its entirety in a box set released in 1997), along with recordings from their subsequent tour of Europe and a spring 1962 Birdland broadcast. Dophy left the group in April 1962, and for a variety of reasons Coltrane's output during 1962 was more conservative. The year however is marked by several significant recordings (a Ballads album and a joint session with Duke Ellington). The Crescent session from mid-1964 is notable, but the peak of Coltrane's output arguably is the prodigious amount of music recorded between December 1964 (the classic suite A Love Supreme) and November of 1965 (Meditations), including a variety of exceptional small group sessions and the ''new music summit'' Ascension. By January 1966 the classic John Coltrane Quartet was no more, the internal tension of Coltrane's quest for new directions having brought Tyner and Jones to depart. The last group, with Coltrane's wife Alice on piano and Rashied Ali on drums (plus bassist Jimmy Garrison) is well represented by recordings of concerts in Japan and a variety of small group sessions from early 1967.
Hamlet, North Carolina, USA, 23.9.1926 - Long Island, NY, USA, 17.7.1967
1957 John Coltrane and the Jazz Giants (Prestige)
1957 John Coltrane: Lush Life (Prestige)
1957 John Coltrane: Blue Train (blue note)
1958 John Coltrane: Soultrane (Prestige)
1958 Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (Prestige)
1958 John Coltrane-Wilbur Harden: Countdown (Savoy)
1958 John Coltrane-Wilbur Harden: Africa (Savoy)
1958 John Coltrane: Coltrane Time (Boplicity)
1959 Milt Jackson & John Coltrane: Bags & Trane (Atlantic)
1959 John Coltrane: The Heavyweight Champion (Atlantic/rhino)
1959 Cannonball & Coltrane (emarcy)
1959 John Coltrane: Giant Steps (Atlantic)
1959 John Coltrane: Coltrane Jazz (Atlantic)
1960 Miles Davis & John Coltrane: Live in Stockholm 1960
1960 John Coltrane & Don Cherry: The Avant-garde (Atlantic)
1960 John Coltrane: My Favorite Things (Atlantic)
1960 John Coltrane: Coltrane's Sound (Atlantic)
1961 John Coltrane: Africa/Brass (Impulse!)
1961 John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!)
1961 John Coltrane: Impressions (Impulse!)
1962 The Gentle Side of John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1962 John Coltrane: Coltrane (Impulse!)
1962 John Coltrane: Ballads (Impulse!)
1962 Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane: Dear Old Stockholm (Impulse!)
1963 John Coltrane: Live in Stockholm 1963 (Affinity)
1963 John Coltrane: Live at Birdland (Impulse!)
1964 John Coltrane: Crescent (Impulse!)
1964 John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!)
1965 the John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Transition (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Ascension (Impulse!)
1965 The Major Works of John Coltrane (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Sun Ship (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: First Meditations (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Live in Seattle (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Om (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Kulu Se Mama (Impulse!)
1965 John Coltrane: Meditations (Impulse!)
1966 John Coltrane: Live in Japan (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Stellar Regions (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Expression (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: Interstellar Space (Impulse!)
1967 John Coltrane: The Olatunji Concert: the last live recording (Impulse!)
The king of the tenor saxophone and great innovator of the entire jazz history, John Coltrane opened new frontiers with his free-form solos. ''I could listen to him for hours, and it'd only seem like minutes,'' said drummer Elvin Jones. Stints with Dizzy Gillespie and then Miles Davis in 1955 ended because of Coltrane's addictions to heroin and alcohol. But after Thelonious Monk hired him, Coltrane experienced a spiritual epiphany and swore off drugs and alcohol and recorded one masterpiece after another. ''When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something good for people,'' he said. ''I want to speak to their souls.'' Coltrane grew up in High Point NC, moving to Philadelphia PA in June 1943. He was inducted into the Navy in 1945, returning to civilian life in 1946. Coltrane worked a variety of jobs through the late forties until (still an alto saxophonist) he joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in 1949. He stayed with Gillespie through the band's breakup in May 1950 and (now on tenor saxophone) worked with Gillespie's small group until April 1951, when he returned to Philadelphia to go to school. In early 1952 he joined Earl Bostic's band, and in 1953 he joined Johnny Hodges's small group (during that saxophonist's short sabbatical from Duke Ellington's orchestra), staying until mid 1954. Although there are recordings of Coltrane from as early as 1946, his real career spans the twelve years between 1955 and 1967, during which time he reshaped modern jazz and influenced generations of other musicians. Coltrane was freelancing in Philadelphia in the summer of 1955 when he received a call from trumpeter Miles Davis. Davis, whose success during the late forties had been followed by several years of decline, was again active, and was about to form a quintet. Coltrane was with this first edition of the Davis group from October 1955 through April 1957 (with a few absences), a period which saw influential recordings from Davis and the first signs of Coltrane's ability. This classic First Quintet, best represented by two marathon recording sessions for Prestige in 1956, disbanded in mid-April. During the latter part of 1957 Coltrane worked with Thelonious Monk at New York's Five Spot, a legendary gig. He rejoined Miles in January 1958, staying until April 1960, during which time he participated in such seminal Davis sessions as Milestones and Kind Of Blue, and recorded his own influential sessions (notably Giant Steps). Coltrane's first working quartet took the stage in April 1960; pianist McCoy Tyner joined the band in mid 1960 (replacing Steve Kuhn), and Elvin Jones came on board in the fall, in time for marathon sessions for Atlantic which produced Coltrane's ''hit'' recording My Favorite Things. By early 1961 Coltrane had signed with the new Impulse label; his first project was a seminal orchestral recording, the Africa/Brass sessions. Coltrane's quartet (with Tyner, Jones and bassist Reggie Workman) was joined by multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy for a variety of recordings and appearances, and Dolphy joined the band permanently in September, in a group that created considerable controversy. The sound of that band is amply documented in the four nights recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City in November 1961 (available in its entirety in a box set released in 1997), along with recordings from their subsequent tour of Europe and a spring 1962 Birdland broadcast. Dophy left the group in April 1962, and for a variety of reasons Coltrane's output during 1962 was more conservative. The year however is marked by several significant recordings (a Ballads album and a joint session with Duke Ellington). The Crescent session from mid-1964 is notable, but the peak of Coltrane's output arguably is the prodigious amount of music recorded between December 1964 (the classic suite A Love Supreme) and November of 1965 (Meditations), including a variety of exceptional small group sessions and the ''new music summit'' Ascension. By January 1966 the classic John Coltrane Quartet was no more, the internal tension of Coltrane's quest for new directions having brought Tyner and Jones to depart. The last group, with Coltrane's wife Alice on piano and Rashied Ali on drums (plus bassist Jimmy Garrison) is well represented by recordings of concerts in Japan and a variety of small group sessions from early 1967.