John Coltrane

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This BBC special from 2005 on John Coltrane celebrates the 40th anniversary of Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” with an exploration of his life and career.

It begins with a few glimpses at San Francisco’s Church of John Coltrane before having comments and storytelling from author Lewis Porter, tenor-saxophonists Benny Golson and Archie Shepp, Mary Alexander (for whom Coltrane named his piece “Cousin Mary”), pianist McCoy Tyner, engineer Rudy Van Gelder, writer Val Wilmer, and a few others including the Archbishop Franzo King who presides over the Coltrane church.

Excerpts from several performances help illustrate the remarkable career of the innovative Coltrane.

-Scott Yanow

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