John studied clarinet and alto saxophone as a youth and then moved to Philadelphia in and continued his studies at the Ornstein School of Music and the Granoff Studios. He was drafted into the navy in and played alto sax with a navy band until ; he switched to tenor saxophone in His abuse of drugs and alcohol during this period led to unreliability, and Davis fired him in early He embarked on a six-month stint with Thelonious Monk and began to make recordings under his own name; each undertaking demonstrated a newfound level of technical discipline , as well as increased harmonic and rhythmic sophistication. The notes came so fast, and with so many overtones and undertones, that they had the effect of a piano player striking chords rapidly but somehow articulating separately each note in the chord, and its vibrating subtones. From Monk he learned the technique of multiphonics , by which a reed player can produce multiple tones simultaneously by using a relaxed embouchure i. Davis at this point was experimenting with modes—i.


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John Coltrane. Best music of The 10 best jazz albums of Alongside archive recordings from Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, and inventive new releases by Maria Schneider and Carla Bley, had plenty of spectacular fusions. Published: 21 Dec Jazz album of the month John Coltrane: Giant Steps 60th Anniversary Edition review — more a giant leap in jazz 4 out of 5 stars. Published: 18 Sep Jimmy Cobb obituary.
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Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was 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.
John Coltrane departed this mortal plane more than fifty years ago; today he remains among us, more alive than ever. His sound continues to grab the ears of an ever-widening circle of fans. His legend is stone solid: planted firmly in our culture as that of any 20th century musical giant. His saxophone sound—brooding, searching, dark—is still one of the most recognizable in modern jazz. His influence stretches over styles and genres, and transcends cultural boundaries.