Questions
Who was John Coltrane?
He was a groundbreaking American jazz saxophonist, born September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, North Carolina, widely known by his nickname "Trane."
What instruments did he play?
He is best known for tenor and soprano saxophone, but he also played alto saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. He started out on clarinet and alto horn in high school.
What is his most famous album?
A Love Supreme (1965), a four-part spiritual suite, is his best-selling work. Giant Steps (1960) and My Favorite Things (1961) are also landmark records.
Where does the term "sheets of sound" come from?
Jazz critic Ira Gitler coined it in October 1958 to describe Coltrane’s rapid-fire, cascading runs of notes packed tightly together.
Did he really quit heroin after a spiritual experience?
Yes. In 1957 he had a religious awakening that reportedly helped him overcome the heroin and alcohol addiction he had battled since 1948, saying he received "a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life."
Who were the members of his "classic quartet"?
From 1962 to 1965 the group featured pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones, one of the most celebrated lineups in jazz.
Did he play with Miles Davis?
Yes, he was part of Miles Davis’s group from 1955 to 1960. He also played with Thelonious Monk in 1957.
Is there really a church named after him?
Yes. He was canonized in 1982 by the African Orthodox Church, and the St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church in San Francisco uses his music and lyrics as prayers in its services.
What are "Coltrane changes"?
They are the complex harmonic progressions he introduced on Giant Steps (1960), which became a famous challenge for jazz musicians to master.
How obsessive was his practicing?
Legendary. Fellow saxophonist Jimmy Heath reportedly recalled him practicing a single fingering for a full hour after a hotel complaint, and he would sometimes fall asleep with his horn still in his mouth.
Was he married to another musician?
Yes. His second wife was pianist Alice Coltrane, whom he married in 1966. His first wife was Naima Coltrane, whom he married in 1955.
Is his son a musician too?
Yes. His son Ravi Coltrane, born in 1965, became a saxophonist. Ravi was one of three children he had with Alice Coltrane.
What awards did he win?
Among many honors, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and a Special Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for "masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship."
How did he die?
He died of liver cancer on July 17, 1967, at age 40, at Huntington Hospital on Long Island.
What made My Favorite Things special?
Released in 1961, it was his first recording on soprano saxophone and became one of his signature performances.
