A centennial celebration of John Coltrane

This is Fresh Air. I'm Terry Gross. The jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane was born a hundred years ago. The centennial is september twenty third, and the celebration includes concerts, album reissues, and a new book of Coltrane photos edit by my guest Ravi Coltrane, the son of John and Alice Coltrane. Ravi is a highly regarded tenor saxophone player and composer who was recorded as a leader and in other bands.

The book is titled Coltrane, The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend. And it includes an introduction by Ravi. And several essays, including ones by Patty Smith, Carlos Santana, Karim Abdul Jabar, and Phil Lesh. The Coltrain family is organizing some of the centennial events. And oversee the estates of Ravi's parents, John and Alice Coltrane.

John Coltrane is one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz. He was famous for his early recordings in Miles Davis's band, his transcendent ballads from the great American songbook, his modal music, his spiritual music, For popularizing the soprano saxophone and jazz with his recording of my favorite things. And for avant garde free jazz like no one had heard before. To quote what the late jazz critic Francis Davis wrote in the New York Times.

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