John Coltrane's Journey From World War II To Free Jazz Pioneer
·
·
One of the most important jazz musicians of all time, John William Coltrane is still relevant today even after 55 years of his demise.
He was a saxophonist who was initially drawn to the bebop and hard bop jazz styles before becoming one of the pioneers of free jazz.
He developed a strong spirituality later in his brief life, and his music reflected this. But before the genius of his musical talent could emerge, he enlisted in the US Navy to serve his country during the Second World War.
Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, North Carolina, but his family later moved to High Point. Raised in a religious household where both his father and grandfather gave preaching, and he was exposed to gospel music at a young age. As he developed into an adult, this had a big impact on his life.
When Coltrane was 12 years old, both his father and grandfather passed away. To cope with the loss, the young Coltrane turned to the clarinet.
He played clarinet in neighborhood bands while he was a student at William Penn High School in High Point, North Carolina, and eventually switched to the saxophone.
Coltrane evidently made the decision to join the US Navy on August 6, 1945, rather than being drafted into the Army.
He listed the following under the heading, "Skills and Machines," on his "US Navy Enlisted Personal Qualification Card": "Musician-played saxophone and clarinet in orchestras during various musical engagements, both part-time and full-time."
His serial number was 9851939. He was 68 inches tall and 168 pounds. Coltrane was assigned to the black section of the Naval Training Center at Sampson in upstate New York because the military was segregated during the war.
The war was over by the time he finished basic training at the end of October.
He spent a month at the Naval Receiving Station in Shoemaker, CA, where was given orders to report to Manana, Hawaii on November 28, 1945. He played clarinet and alto sax in the Navy band known as the Melody Masters.
He was then sent to Bainbridge, Maryland, where he was released on August 11, 1946, having completed just one of his two-year enlistment.
He returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after receiving his Navy discharge. In the years following World War II, Philadelphia had a thriving jazz scene dominated by bebop, which Coltrane enthusiastically embraced.
Additionally, he used the GI Bill to enroll in music classes taught by Dennis Sandole, who gave young Coltrane lessons in harmonic theory.
In addition to playing his saxophone whenever he could, Coltrane became very involved in the music scene as a journeyman. His popularity grew, and big bands with a national reputation began to recognise his talent in addition to the local scene.
One of those was Dizzy Gillespie, who suggested Coltrane should switch from alto to tenor saxophone.
From 1946 through 1955, Coltrane was in many ways a hired gun waiting for the next gig. It was during this time he developed a heroin habit, which he remained addicted to for six years.
John Coltrane was one of the most well-known figures in all musical genres by the early 1960s.
With royalties from all of the music he recorded and his ongoing touring, he was also among the highest paid; however, there was nothing flamboyant about his way of life. He often discusses his spirituality in interviews. He was known to be a very sensitive, modest, and kind person.
His masterpiece, A Love Supreme, which was recorded in 1964, was released during this time.
Coltrane acknowledges his own personal spirituality and expresses gratitude for his drug addiction recovery in A Love Supreme. It remains to this day one of the premier jazz recordings of all time.
Coltrane, unfortunately, lost his life to alcoholism and heroin addiction, passing away from liver failure in July 1967 at the age of 40,Jazz legend John Coltrane would have turned 96 years old today.
Comments