John coltrane
![John Coltrane A101](http://heroesofjazz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/John-Coltrane-A101.jpg)
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia after graduating high school, where he studied music. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was one of the players at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane’s music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed album A Love Supreme (1965) and others. Decades after his death, Coltrane remains influential, and he has received numerous posthumous awards, including a special Pulitzer Prize, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.
![John Coltrane at the recording sessions for <em>A Love Supreme</em>. In addition to the images already published, photographer Chuck Stewart recently unearthed never-before-seen shots of the session, including this one. Per the request of Chuck Stewart's family, reproduction of these photos elsewhere is prohibited.](https://heroesofjazz.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/remote/heroesofjazz-com/3155295066.jpg)