John Coltrane

American saxophonist and jazz composer.

Born: 23 September 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina, USA.
Died: 17 July 1967 in Huntington, Long Island, New York, USA (aged 40) from liver cancer.

Coltrane's early recordings capture a musician in the relatively conventional confines of bebop and hardbop, but his enduring legacy primarily rests on the modal jazz pioneered by his classic quartet (1961-65) and by free jazz explorations late in his career. Extensively recorded as a leader, he appeared as a sideman on many other albums, performing with other major figures in jazz like Thelonious Monk. Coltrane received numerous awards including a posthumous "Special Citation" from the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2007 for his 'masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship and iconic centrality to the history of jazz'.

As his life progressed, his music and outlook became increasingly spiritual. After his death he was proclaimed as a saint by the African Orthodox church that took his name.

Coltrane's second wife was pianist Ravi Coltrane is also a saxophonist.