September 23 is the birthday of John Coltrane, born in Hamlet, North Carolina (1926). When asked to describe his style, he said, "I start in the middle of a sentence and move both directions at once."
Coltrane is, at heart, a Philadelphian, having moved here after high school. It remained his base of operations even as he began to tour the country playing for Eddie (Cleanhead) Vinson, Johnny Hodges and Dizzy Gillespie. His home at 1511 N. 33rd has been designated a landmark, and although it is not open to the public, it is a nice reminder of a time when musical celebrities remained part of the neighborhood. In an age of gated communities, 24 hour papparazi, bodyguards and stalkers, it is hard to imagine someone keeping it real in Strawberry Mansion. Maybe Britney Spears ought to consider relocating to Frankford.
It is hard to describe Coltrane's influence on later players, partly because his genius was so inimitable. Like Charle Parker before him, Coltrane played so spectacularly that his style couldn't be repeated. He does continue to inspire players by his spirit, both as a constant experimenter, one who constantly tried different things, expanding what was considered possible, and also by using jazz as a means of spiritual discovery. Some of his most important works--"Love Supreme," "Ascension," "Om," "Meditations" and others--all explore the lasting questions of God, love, and the longing of the soul.
The New York Times writes, "At a certain point, about 1961, Coltrane’s name became shorthand for the idea of cultural rarefaction. You might remember Coltrane references in movies like Woody Allen’s “Alice” or Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues,” or from books like Ken Kesey’s “Sometimes a Great Notion”: they propose Coltrane as a kind of sacred mystery, an unparsable source of enlightenment. But he was a down-home character too, and the raw country sound was always with him. "
Enjoy this down-home enlightenment:
Listen to "Blue Train," the title track from his 1957 album, the only one he made for legendary Blue Note Records. Trane is joined by an impressive set of musicians including Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Kenny Drew (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Warning: this is a ten minute song.
Listen to "Nutty" from the historic collaboration Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane.
Visit johncoltrane.com
7 comments:
TJ - Been looking at your blog. It warms my heart to see your work on Trane. I pass the house on 33rd daily on the way to school, often with the sound of Blue Train wailing in my inner ear. I pass over tracks just before reaching his house, and the sun rises on the right to the sound of Curtis Fuller blowing away.
I understand that Trane didn't live in that house very long, and certainly didn’t live there when he cut Blue Train in '57, so I guess it was his Hamlet childhood near the freight line that sang in his ear. Memory transposed into art. Monk did a similar thing with his Little Rootie Tootie.
Great art is produced and exists independent of its appreciation. On the other hand, its continued existence depends on appreciation that goes beyond context. Mom cited Browning’s poem – poetry about art - Andre Del Sarto to me from time to time, and I think of you in this: “ Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
Would we know of Del Sarto without Browning’s poem? Art majors excepted, I think not. Coltrane will not be forgotten among jazz aficionados. For the rest of the world, his name is unknown. Write on, Mac Duff. Write on.
Unca Jake
Thank you for your help!
Interest points, and its always great to acknowledge Trane. But I disagree with your statement that his influence is hard to describe becuase his style (like Bird's) was "inimitable." Sadly, the exact opposite was true -- Trane (like Bird before him) was the most imitated player in Jazz. Most tenor players today still have at least a bit of Trane's sound. That's OK -- its one thing to have some of the sound, its another to imitate his solos almost note for note, which certainly happened in the 60's. The latter defeats the purpose of Jazz.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Trane has been perhaps the most "flattered" tenor player in history. Of course, he deserves it! Long Live Trane!
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