Coltrane

John Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer whose work helped redefine modern jazz. Born in Hamlet, North Carolina, he grew up in the region and later moved to Philadelphia, where he began on clarinet and alto sax before developing as a jazz musician. He played with local groups and later joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in the late 1940s.

In 1955 Coltrane joined Miles Davis's group, contributing to Davis's evolution toward modal playing and hard bop. He is heard on the influential Kind of Blue sessions, and his time with Davis helped establish his reputation as a bold improviser. After personal difficulties in the late 1950s, Coltrane re-emerged in the early 1960s with his own quartet.

Coltrane's quartet, formed in 1960 with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones, became a leading force in modal and post-bop jazz. The group produced a string of landmark recordings, including Giant Steps (1960), My Favorite Things (1961), and A Love Supreme (1965), a spiritual suite often cited as his masterpiece. In the mid-1960s Coltrane expanded the ensemble to explore freer and more exploratory forms, working with musicians such as Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane.

Coltrane died of liver cancer in Huntington, New York, in 1967 at age 40. His relentless experimentation, technical mastery, and spiritual approach left a lasting impact on jazz and influenced generations of musicians across multiple genres.