Tenor sax player John Coltrane, Jazz Great

A mainstay of the jazz scene in the 1950s and 1960s, Coltrane recorded more than 40 albums as a leader and many more in support of other musicians. He is credited with revolutionizing the jazz saxophone and expanding the limits of jazz composition.

Early Career and Apprenticeships

John Coltrane was born in Philadelphia in 1926 and was playing in the area when Miles Davis enlisted the tenor saxman to play in his band. This association lasted from 1955 until 1957, when pianist and composer Thelonious Monk hired the horn player to perform at the Five Spot in the summer of 1957.

“Trane,” as he was known among jazz fans, became an overnight sensation during the Five Spot run, one of the most celebrated chapters in jazz history. In January, 1958, Miles Davis hired Coltrane again, this time to be a part of what came to be known as The First Great Quintet.

This band featured Davis, Coltrane, pianist Bill Evans and alto sax player Cannonball Adderley, and together they recorded “Kind of Blue,” one of the most lauded jazz recordings in history. Coltrane’s style, characterized by one writer as “sheets of sound,” became instantly recognizable for its intensity.

Bandleader and Spiritualist

Influenced by music theorist and bandleader George Russell, Coltrane began creating modal compositions, which involved a radically different harmonic approach from the way jazz songs had been composed. “Giant Steps,” one of Coltrane’s earliest gambits as a leader, was embraced as a signature tune using this new dialect.

In 1961 the sax player recorded “My Favorite Things” for Atlantic Records, his first for the label. This seminal work is among his greatest achievements. The album also featured McCoy Tyner on piano and Elvin Jones on drums.

As the 1960s progressed, Coltrane became interested in Eastern religions. His music also reflected his spiritual search, becoming more open-ended and experimental. After a short association with avant-garde saxophonist Eric Dolphy, Coltrane recorded “free jazz” albums such as “Sun Ship,” “Transitions,” “First Meditations” and “Ascension.”

Final Years and Legacy

John Coltrane died in 1967 from liver cancer. The musician had been addicted to heroin for many years and some contributed his illnes and death to effects of the drug. Others suspected that the musician had contracted hepatitis.

Coltrane’s widow, Alice Coltrane, had long performed with her husband before his death. She continued to tour, until her death in 2007, playing music heavily influenced by Coltrane. In addition, Coltrane’s son, Ravi Coltrane, became a jazz performer and coninues to play jazz today.