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John Coltrane

John William Coltrane

🎂 September 23, 1926✝ July 17, 1967📍 Hamlet, North Carolina, USA
Tenor SaxophoneSoprano Saxophonebebophard bopmodal jazzfree jazz

📖 Biography

John Coltrane was a transformative saxophonist and composer whose work profoundly shaped the course of jazz. From his early work with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to his revolutionary albums as a leader, Coltrane pushed the boundaries of harmony, rhythm, and spiritual expression in music. His album "A Love Supreme" (1965) is considered one of the greatest artistic achievements in jazz history.

💬 Quotes (10)

“You can play a shoestring if you're sincere.”

— John Coltrane

“I want to be a force for real good.”

— John Coltrane

“There is never any end. There are always new sounds to imagine, new feelings to get at.”

— John Coltrane

“My goal is to live the truly religious life and express it in my music.”

— John Coltrane

“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being.”

— John Coltrane

“The main thing a musician would like to do is to give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.”

— John Coltrane

“Once you become aware of this force for unity in life, you can't ever forget it.”

— John Coltrane

“I've found you've got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.”

— John Coltrane

“All a musician can do is to get closer to the sources of nature, and so feel that he is in communion with the natural laws.”

— John Coltrane

“I would like to bring to people something like happiness. I would like to discover a method so that if I want it to rain, it will start right away to rain.”

— John Coltrane

💿 Essential Albums

💿

A Love Supreme

1965

💿

Giant Steps

1960

💿

My Favorite Things

1961

💿

Blue Train

1958

💿

Ascension

1966

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