What made John Coltrane special?
John William Coltrane is one of the most influential jazz musicians to ever play, and today remains even more relevant than during his life. A saxophonist, he was initially drawn to the popular jazz formats of bebop and hard bop, before eventually becoming one of the guiding forces behind free jazz.
When did John Coltrane Write A Love Supreme?
Soon after, Coltrane resolved to clean up his act. He would later write, in the 1964 liner notes to A Love Supreme, “In the year of 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening, which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life.”
Where did John Coltrane Write A Love Supreme?
A Love Supreme is an album by American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones.
How long did John Coltrane play with Miles Davis?
The four years Coltrane spent in Davis’s group—from 1955 through ’59—catapulted the unknown saxophonist from local obscurity to national renown. Under the spotlight that came with playing alongside Davis, Coltrane evolved from what many heard as faltering insecurity to bold, chance-taking confidence.
Was John Coltrane a genius?
Coltrane was a true virtuoso. Unlike Mozart, though, he wasn’t born a musical genius. Instead, he practised, practised, practised. On the bus during road trips, he would shadow exercise his fingering on the sax for hours on endlessly.
What kind of sax did Coltrane play?
John Coltrane initially played a Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor, before switching to a Selmer Mark VI, with which he recorded his masterpiece, A Love Supreme.
What is considered John Coltrane’s best album?
A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1965) As well as being arguably Coltrane’s best-ever album, A Love Supreme is also one of the greatest albums in jazz – and, significantly, it spawned the spiritual jazz movement.
Why is A Love Supreme so good?
“A Love Supreme” has a lyrical, emotional quality. The suite swells ecstatically and hushes dramatically. It has the conversational cadences of a prayer, and the transcendent quality of a dream. The final movement, “Psalm,” was conceptualized as a musical recitation of a devotional poem included in the liner notes.
What kind of Sax did Coltrane play?
Why is Coltrane great?
John Coltrane, 1926-1967: The Famous Saxophone Player Helped Make Modern Jazz Popular Around the World. Coltrane discovered jazz by listening to the recordings of such jazz greats as Count Basie and Lester Young.
Was John Coltrane in the military?
John Coltrane: U.S. Navy While stationed in Hawaii, Coltrane, a Navy musician, joined a band called the Melody Masters, with which he would make two of his earliest recordings as a jazz artist (the most famous songs from that session include versions of “Koko” by Charlie Parker and “Hot House” by Dizzy Gillespie).