Today would have been John Coltrane’s 82nd birthday. Here he is playing Naima.
And here is an interview from 1960. “The reason I play so many — maybe it sounds angry, because I’m trying so many things at one time, you see — I haven’t sorted them out. I have a whole bag of things that I’m trying to work through and get the one essential, you know?”
Here is a computer animation, to the tune of Giant Steps.
And here is a robot playing the Giant Steps solo. Not as good as the original.
Coltrane died in 1967, at the age of 40.
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
And what a tragedy it was. One of my favorite jazz masters. Thanks for remembering him.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:53 pm
That computer animation absolutely floored me the first time I saw it. Do yourself a favor and see the original, un-Youtubed version:
Coltrane was one of the finest musicians to have walked this planet, and he’s been a great inspiration to me.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
(Whoops, link got parsed out.) Original.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
In the last couple of years I’ve fallen in love with Miles Davis’ first quintet, featuring John Coltrane on sax. They recorded four great albums in two days! Anyone who likes Coltrane and hasn’t heard these yet should give ‘em a listen.
The robot version of Giant Steps is really pathetic. It show how much more there is to music than playing the correct notes in sequence. I’m sure someday a robot will play jazz well… but not this one.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I love Coltrane; he is my favorite artist, in any medium, of the 20th century. Thanks for the mention.
There’s a ton of amazing Coltrane on youtube now, though it comes and goes.
September 24th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
John, the only group greater than Miles Davis’ first quintet is Miles Davis’ second one, you should give them a try.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I love the second quintet too, maybe even more. But today we’re talking about Coltrane, not Wayne Shorter.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Excellent — Coltrane! One of my favorite artists.
L. C.
September 25th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Thanks for remembering Coltrane. His music is an inspiration still. I’m very happily surprised to see Coltrane on an astrophysics blog as not too many scientists and engineers (I’m an aerospace engineer) are hip to Bird, Monk, Miles, Trane et al. Actually not too many Americans in general are, which is sad. Thankfully I grew up in NYC and though I’m too young to have seen Trane I have been to the Village Vanguard many times. Jazz is such a great art form, a happy mix of edgy blues and swing with compositional and improvisational sophistication. Long live the music of Trane!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
A great wonder to see Coltrane at this blog–he was remarkable…I read the quotation about “why I play so many (notes)” right before I opened the Domino Continuum on the next blog–curiously related–so many notes in emotional synchrony, so many dominoes in physical synchrony.
September 28th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Love that album “Giant Steps”. I still have the original vinyl copy of it.