Today is John Coltrane's birthday (born in Hamlet, North Carolina on September 23, 1926). He would have been 88 years of age, however he was sadly taken from us way too soon in 1967 at the young age of 40. The late great saxophonist/composer is by far my favorite musician of all-time. The last record I generally spin at night, when I'm hangin' out at home, tends to be one of the many LP's (Over 20) I own by the legendary jazz giant. Some of my favorites include Africa/Brass, Olé, A Love Supreme, Impressions, My Favorite Things, Kulu Se Mama, Crescent, Giant Steps, among many others. I'm not going to try to sum up Coltrane's brilliant and complex career with this post because many great writer's have and will continue to do that, therefore I'll just keep it simple and say that John Coltrane's sound, compositions, and releases are more than music to me, it's more like a spiritual experience that has the ability to unleash multiple emotions all at once by being subtle yet complex. The first time I heard A Love Supreme I was actually in an airplane dealing with some intense anxiety due to my constant fear of flying, and by the time Part 4: "Psalm" (the final track on A Love Supreme) came to a close, I felt extremely calm and the emotional transition had nothing to do with anything other than the music I just heard. From there on out I became hooked on Coltrane's music and sound. Coltrane was the first artist to really open me up to the spiritual side of jazz which eventually led me to discovering my love for other spiritual jazz artists like Archie Shepp, Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Tapscott, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, Steve Reid, and so many others. So to basically sum it, John Coltrane's music has changed my life and for that, it's nice to put some time aside to help pay tribute to one of the greatest musicians and artists of all-time. Happy Birthday Trane!
John Coltrane Quartet - Wise One
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