John Coltrane - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere
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1. He lost his father at twelve
Coltrane was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, in 1926. His father died in 1939 while he was a boy.
2. He started on clarinet and alto sax
The tenor saxophone came later, in the 1940s. He studied in Philadelphia.
3. He played in a Navy band
In 1945 he joined the US Navy and played in a band in Hawaii. It was one of his earliest professional experiences.
4. Miles Davis dismissed him
Davis fired him in 1957 over his heroin use. Coltrane then quit the drug and alcohol and said he had a spiritual awakening.
5. He learned from Thelonious Monk
In 1957 he played with Monk at the Five Spot Cafe in New York. He later said the experience transformed his understanding of harmony.
6. Giant Steps was recorded in 1959
Released in 1960, it featured Tommy Flanagan on piano and rapid chord changes known as Coltrane changes. It remains a test for jazz musicians.
7. My Favorite Things introduced his soprano sax
The 1960 recording turned a show tune from The Sound of Music into a hypnotic modal piece. It became a hit.
8. His classic quartet was a fixed unit
McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums defined his best-known sound. They played together for years.
9. A Love Supreme was recorded in one session
The album was laid down in a single day in December 1964 and released in 1965. It is a four-part spiritual suite.
10. He played A Love Supreme live only once
The only known live performance was at the Juan-les-Pins festival in France in July 1965. It was recorded.
11. Ascension pushed into free jazz
The 1965 recording was a single piece for a large ensemble. It divided listeners.
12. A church is dedicated to him
The Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church in San Francisco was founded in 1969. He died in 1967 at forty.
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