Product Description

This is a definitive assessment of the life and work of jazz musician John Coltrane, based on new interviews with his colleagues and never-before-published material. John Coltrane was a key figure in jazz, a pioneer in world music, and an intensely emotional force whose following continues to grow. This new biography, the first by a professional jazz scholar and performer, presents a huge amount of never-before-published material, including interviews with Coltrane, photos, genealogical documents, and innovative musical analysis that offers a fresh view of Coltrane's genius. Compiled from scratch with the assistance of dozens of Coltrane's colleagues, friends, and family, "John Coltrane: His Life and Music" corrects numerous errors from previous biographies. The significant people in Coltrane's life were reinterviewed, yielding new insights; some were interviewed for the first time ever. The musical analysis, which is accessible to the nonspecialist, makes its own revelations-for example, that some of Coltrane's well-known pieces are based on previously unrecognized sources. The Appendix is the most detailed chronology of Coltrane's performing career ever compiled, listing scores of previously unknown performances from the 1940s and early 1950s. Coltrane has become a musical inspiration for thousands of fans and musicians and a personal inspiration to as many more. For all of these, Porter's book will become the definitive resource - a reliable guide to the events of Coltrane's life and an insightful look into his musical practices.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94071 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Lewis Porter is Associate Professor of Music, Rutgers University in Newark. A leading jazz scholar, he is the author of Jazz Readings from a Century of Change and coauthor of Jazz: From Its Origins to the Present. He was a project consultant on The Complete Atlantic Recordings of John Coltrane, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Historical Reissue, and an editor and assisting author of the definitive Coltrane discography by Y. Fujioka.

Customer Reviews

Execellent Bio. and I recommend it wholeheartly.
I just completed review and reading of Porter's Bio. on Coltrane and I must agree with most of the positive comments on this book. I also found the comments regarding Dr. Simkins book to be a little unforunate, because I spent a lot time verifying much of Simkins work. However, I believe this to be the best book on Coltrane I've read. It compares with Bill Coles book which I also think is particularily good with respect to the musical analysis. As a musician, I was fascinated by the explanations on Coltranes' musical formulas and use of wonderful motifs. I have numerous transcriptions from Andrew White, but without the discussion of some of the mechanics it was difficult to understand how to apply the works. I wish Mr. Lewis would have included additional photos. I believe there is a wonderful opportunity for someone to issue a photo Bio. on coltrane which would be well received. I consider myself a Coltrane expert and own almost all legally published materials (some bootlegs too)on "Trane", but I actually learned some new "stuff". I recommend Lewis' book wholeheartly. This book will give you a real opportunity to appreciate Coltrane and understand how "bad" this "cat" really was.

A must for any music devotees!
So far I've only read a 100 pages, but I can already, without a doubt, recommend this book to anyone interested in music. It's a must; intelligent, musical,all the things you wondered about Coltrane - his musical growth, how he developed his genius musical insights. No musician wanting to know more about music can do without this book. It should be standing in every music school and every devoted musicians library.

The best Coltrane bio so far
Lewis Porter's bio of Coltrane is, so far, the best. After reading 4 bios of Coltrane, each new one more disappointing that the last, I've finally found a reliable source of facts. Mr Porter has done his homework: the chronology, at the end of the book, is worth the purchase alone. He does not get into interpretations, preferring to stick to the facts. He has also avoided the tendency to make Coltrane look like a saint, a tendency so common in other books about Trane. The musical analysis can be hard to follow if you're not familiar with musical theory, even though it looks as Porter has tried to make it as easy to understand as possible. This is the only biography of Coltrane worth reading.