John Coltrane

John Coltrane
John Coltrane
	Coltrane in 1963
Background information
Birth name	John William Coltrane
Also known as	Trane
Born	September 23, 1926; Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 17, 1967 (aged 40); Huntington, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hard bop; modal jazz; free jazz; avant-garde jazz;
Occupations	Musician; composer; bandleader;
Instruments	Tenor saxophone; soprano saxophone; alto saxophone; flute; bass clarinet;
Years active	1945–1967
Labels	Prestige; Blue Note; Atlantic; Impulse!;
Spouse	; Juanita Naima Coltrane (m. 1953; div. 1966) ; Alice Coltrane (m. 1966);
Website	johncoltrane.com
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1945–1946
Rank	Seaman first class
Unit	Naval Station Pearl Harbor; Pacific Fleet Ceremonial Band;
Battles / wars	World War II Pacific Theater; ;
Awards	American Campaign Medal; Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal;

John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia after graduating from high school, where he studied music. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was one of the players at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed album A Love Supreme (1965) and others.^[1] Decades after his death, Coltrane remains influential, and he has received numerous posthumous awards, including a special Pulitzer Prize, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.^[2]

His second wife was pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane. The couple had three children: John Jr.^[3] (1964–1982), a bassist; Ravi (born 1965), a saxophonist; and Oran (born 1967), a saxophonist, guitarist, drummer and singer.^[4]^[5]^[6]

^ "John Coltrane A Love Supreme". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
^ "The 2007 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Special Awards and Citations". The Pulitzer Prizes. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2009. With reprint of short biography.
^ "Son of jazz great Coltrane dies in car crash". United Press International. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
^ Porter, Lewis (1999). John Coltrane: His Life and Music. The University of Michigan Press. p. 272.
^ Porter, Lewis (1999). John Coltrane: His Life and Music. The University of Michigan Press. p. 294.
^ Berkman, Franya (2010). Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane. Wesleyan University Press. p. 47.

[1] "John Coltrane A Love Supreme". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.

[pulitzer-2] "The 2007 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Special Awards and Citations". The Pulitzer Prizes. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2009. With reprint of short biography.

[3] "Son of jazz great Coltrane dies in car crash". United Press International. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2022.

[4] Porter, Lewis (1999). John Coltrane: His Life and Music. The University of Michigan Press. p. 272.

[5] Porter, Lewis (1999). John Coltrane: His Life and Music. The University of Michigan Press. p. 294.

[6] Berkman, Franya (2010). Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane. Wesleyan University Press. p. 47.

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