By Jaclyn Breeze
John Coltrane was a saxophonist and composer born in 1926 in North Carolina and was one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. He played music from the time he was little and got his first alto saxophone when he was 17 as a birthday gift from his mother. He started taking saxophone lessons and soon had his first professional work in a trio that played in restaurants. After graduating from high school, his family moved to Philadelphia, which had a lot of opportunities for him to continue learning and playing. A few years after moving, he joined a new band and began playing tenor saxophone. He started practicing more than he ever had before, claiming to practice “25 hours a day” to develop his craft so he could play with the people he looked up to. In 1955, Miles Davis invited John to be in his quintet, later known as the “First Great Quintet.” They released several recordings. Later, John went on to work with Thelonious Monk’s quartet in New York and then split off to record on his own. As he continued recording, his music got more experimental and was influenced by many other genres. Sometimes the audiences and critics didn’t like this, but he was determined to make each performance its own.
John died from cancer at the age of 40 in 1967. During his life, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. After his death, he was awarded several Grammys, added to the list of 100 Greatest African Americans, inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, was canonized as a saint by the African Orthodox Church, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
Listen to some of his work here:
What is the difference between alto and tenor saxophone?
When wind instruments are played, the note that comes out is determined by the length of the tube. The less tube there is, the higher the sound. So when a player puts down all of their fingers, the sound is lower because the closed keys make the tube act like it’s longer, and with no fingers, the note will be higher.
This is also a general rule for the whole range of the instrument. An alto saxophone is smaller and shorter than a tenor saxophone, so the range of the instrument is overall higher. Because the alto is smaller, it is also a little lighter to carry than a tenor saxophone. They are shaped the same and the notes are all fingered the same way, so they are not too hard to switch between if you know one already.
There are two other regularly used instruments in the saxophone family. The soprano is smaller and higher than the alto, and the baritone is larger and lower than the tenor. The tube of the soprano is small enough that it does not always curve at the top like the other saxophones.
Book: Before John Was A Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford
Find it at these Monroe County Public Libraries, or have it delivered to a library near you!
Central
Lincoln
Mendon
Monroe
Pittsford
Sully
Wheatley