John Coltrane (Single Titles-Biographies)
This book uses Coltrane’s catalog of essential performances and recordings as touchstones for telling the story of the musician’s life and times. It puts Coltrane’s most productive musical years in the context of the social and political upheaval of the 1950s-1960s but always shows Coltrane as an artist somehow beyond his times–and to some degree not of this world.
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“A Jazz Messiah”,
This relatively short book of just under 100 pages covers the life of John Coltrane in a consise, factual manner. It is a biography for the high school or advanced middle school student. There are many black and white photographs of John Coltrane and other musicans. There is quite a bit of anecdotal information and it moves along at a quick rate through John Coltranes life. His drug and alcohol abuse(and ultimate victory) is examined. His resulting change in habits is also detailed. His many bands and it’s members are profiled including the ones he playd in as a sideman. Of note, his time with Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gilespie and Miles Davis is examined and the long lasting affects these musical relationships had on the development of John Coltrane. The book goes into the various recordings he made and the impact they had on contemporary jazz and future musicians.This book is perfect for the student who is making a biographical report because besides learning about probably the greatest jazz saxaphone player to ever walk the planet you will also learn about events of the time period during the civil rights era. As short biographies for students goes, this is a very good place to start your examination of the man simply known as, Trane. This book also features a nice timeline and a suggestion for further reading with books like Spirit Catcher: The Life and Art of John Coltrane and John Coltrane: His Life and Music (The Michigan American Music Series). The additional information provided for further research also includes organizations and online sites with web site addresses provided. Of special interest is the provided selected discography that has many of Trane’s recordings. It includes such great discs such as the anthology The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings and seminal recordings like Giant StepsAfro Blue Impressions, My Favorite Things and his suite inspired by God, A Love Supreme which is the deluxe version with rare out takes and a live version of the suite. This is a great little book for a young students report. This book is recommended for high school and community libraries.
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