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Smokin Tunes A place for musicians and music lovers (that also smoke cigars!) to discuss their passion. |
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09-09-2003, 08:04 PM | #1 |
Managing Editor Emeritus
Herf God
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 26,082
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John Coltrane remembered
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2003 will mark the 77th anniversary of the birth of John Coltrane. Coltrane entered our little world in Hamlet, North Carolina. He passed away one day following my birthday, on July 17th, 1967, at Huntington Hospital in Long Island, New York.
My very first exposure to Coltrane's music occurred during my teens. Weened to that point in time on a somewhat bizarre mixture of classical, popular and dance band music, I began, quite by accident, to listen to my older brother's jazz and blues albums, Doc Watson, Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis among them. He owned two Coltrane Impulse LPs - Ballads and Kulu Se Mama. He liked the first a lot but couldn't quite relate to the second. I, in contrast, was immediately attracted to the darkly silhouetted figure with saxophone in hands which graced the later album cover. I wore both of them out anyway! That 'baptism' into the metaphysical realm of modern jazz changed forever the way I listen to music and, indeed, the way I look on life. And I know I'm not alone in having been so influenced by Coltrane's sounds. The man's music speaks directly to one's soul. He knows of human frailties, understands the challenges to be met, embraces fear and offers hope and guidance to anyone willing to listen. Beyond this, there is the sheer, exhilerating beauty of his work. So some two weeks from today, I will be celebrating the memory of someone who, though I've never seen or talked to him in person, HAS spoken to me on countless occasions. Thank you for bearing with my short story. Hope you'll be listening too.
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