Coltrane, John (1926–1967), saxophonist, composer, and iconic figure. John Coltrane's immersion in modern jazz took place in bands led by Eddie Vinson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Johnny Hodges. In 1955 he joined the Miles Davis quintet and was soon identified as one of the most talented tenor saxophonists of the era. The story of Coltrane becoming a major African American cultural icon really began, however, in 1957. In that year he underwent a spiritual “conversion” concomitant with his overcoming a drug addiction. A brief but salient collaboration with Thelonius Monk followed and Coltrane was on his way to becoming one of the major innovators in jazz. Associated with the radical improvisatory style called “Free Jazz” (or pejoratively “anti-jazz”), Coltrane's own contribution was sometimes referred to as “sheets of sound,” a lightning fast style of improvisation, with great attention given to melodic freedom. His mid-1960s recordings were increasingly complex and dense, often reflecting an interest in Eastern and African music, and were marked by radical experimentation in instrumentation. Coltrane died at age forty of a liver ailment.
Coltrane had a major impact on literary artists who came of age in the 1960s. Kimberly Benston has suggested that the “Coltrane poem” exists as a distinct genre within contemporary African American literature. Coltrane's premature death has generated a most compelling body of elegies. There is no question that at some level many artists were affected by his creativity and genius, but the evidence suggests that Coltrane's spirituality as much as his musicianship created disciples. Coltrane's monumental 1964 work A Love Supreme became a kind of musical scripture to many poets, novelists, and playwrights. His commitment to experimentation, his cross-cultural interests, in addition to his search for a life contrary to the sterility of the mainstream, made Coltrane a hero to a generation whose hopes were nurtured by the energy of the Black Arts movement.
Bibliography
- Art Lange and Nathaniel Mackey, Moment's Notice: Jazz in Poetry and Prose, 1993.
- Eric Nisenson, Ascension: John Coltrane and His Quest, 1993
James C. Hall
