On Sept. 23, legendary jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer John Coltrane would have celebrated his 100th birthday.
To mark the centennial, Ars Nova Workshop is bringing his enduring musical legacy to life with a citywide celebration spanning several days of performances and events.
Developed in collaboration with the John and Alice Coltrane estate and cultural partners across Philadelphia, ‘Coltrane 100’ will bring the musician's sounds to local concert halls, libraries, public spaces, neighborhoods and community gathering places in the city. At the heart of the initiative is the future of the Coltrane House in Strawberry Mansion, a place “intimately connected to the saxophonist’s development as an artist and to Philadelphia’s larger history as a vital incubator for Black music.”
The next night (Sept. 25) will bring several creatives together from different generations with 'Irreversible Entanglements.' Poet and vocalist Camae Ayewa (better known as Moor Mother); bassist Luke Stewart; trumpeter Aquiles Navarro; saxophonist Keir Neuringer; and drummer Tcheser Holmes will take on Coltrane’s 1966 work 'Ascension.'
The group will be joined by special guests Odean Pope (a friend of Coltrane’s who developed his craft through informal sessions at the Strawberry Mansion home); bassist Reggie Workman (a member of the John Coltrane Quartet in the early 1960s); and drummer Andrew Cyrille, (whose career includes groundbreaking work with Cecil Taylor).
On Saturday, Sept. 26, the festival expands with Philadelphia-born saxophonist, composer, and multidisciplinary artist Immanuel Wilkins, who will perform alongside special guests. The evening will also feature 'Divine Offering', a special program led by vocalist and composer Michelle Coltrane, daughter of John and Alice Coltrane.
The performance series culminates on Sunday, Sept. 27, with a meeting of two contemporary improvisers: Pianist and composer Marilyn Crispell and Pulitzer Prize-winning drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey.
Throughout the Centennial Week, 'Coltrane 100' Talks will also expand the conversation beyond the concert stage. As a release notes, these conversations will approach Coltrane from many directions, including music and spirituality, history and geography, family and memory, scholarship and lived experience.
The talks will "create space to consider what preservation actually means, who gets remembered, how cultural histories are carried forward, and what responsibilities come with inheriting a transformative artistic legacy."
Alongside the performances and Talks, 'Coltrane 100' will also feature oral-history projects, youth and educational initiatives, wellness programming, exhibitions, listening sessions, artist commissions, and neighborhood gatherings.
For a full schedule of events for 'Coltrane 100', visit jazzphiladelphia.org/coltrane
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