Black history music jazz coltrane biography wikipedia

What was john coltrane known for

Coltrane turned the jazz world on its head with technically marvelous, innovative playing that was thrillingly dense and fluid in its understanding of the genre; his virtuosity and vision could be heard on the now revered albums Giant Steps , My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme , among others. Coltrane was surrounded by music as a child. His father John R.

Coltrane worked as a tailor, but had a passion for music, playing several instruments. By his teens, Coltrane had picked up the alto saxophone and displayed immediate talent. Family life took a tragic turn in with the passing of Coltrane's father, along with several other relatives. Financial struggles defined this period for Coltrane, and eventually his mother Alice and other family members moved to New Jersey in the hopes of having an improved life.

Coltrane remained in North Carolina until he graduated from high school. In , he too moved north, specifically to Philadelphia, to make a go of it as a musician. For a short time Coltrane studied at the Ornstein School of Music. But with the country in the throes of war, he was called to duty and enlisted in the Navy. During his service, Coltrane was stationed in Hawaii and regularly performed and made his first recording with a quartet of fellow sailors.