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A legendary figure in the jazz world, John Coltrane's brilliant saxophone playing and inventive free-form style made him one of the genre's most influential and controversial stars. Born in North Carolina, he moved to Philadelphia after graduating from high school and started playing professionally in juke joints and bars after leaving the Navy in 1945. Honing his craft as a side man to Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, his visionary style was established on classic second album Blue Train (1957) and he scored an unexpected hit in 1961 with a version of My Favourite Things from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. The track went on to become Coltrane's signature tune as he pushed the boundaries of avant-garde jazz and produced the landmark albums Giant Steps (1960), A Love Supreme (1965) and Ascension (1966). He died aged only 40 in 1967 from liver cancer, but stands as a groundbreaking artist who created "ribbons of sound" and still continues to influence generations of players. He was awarded several Grammy Awards posthumously.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
