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John Coltrane the Obsessive

Jazz Magazine Janvier '62
Much has been written about John Coltrane's obsession with self improvement, including obsessive practising with his instruments. In Philapdelphia, young musicians who would later become established artists, would sit across from Coltrane's home to listen to him practice. He would practice during band breaks and would often prefer to practice in his hotel room, and eat a couple of apples from a store, rather than eat in a restaurant. One of the main reasons Bob Thiele of Impulse wanted the joint recording with Duke Ellington, was to try to show Coltrane the Duke's regular one-take recording philosophy. Often-times it wouldn't get any better.

Jimmy Heath, horn player and Trane's longtime friend did say that his own heroin addiction forced deep concentration. He imagined that during Trane's addiction, despite the terrible curse, it would have driven him to increasing concentration on practising tenor lines.

Frank Tenot was a French Jazz critic and a regular contributor to the French Jazz Magazine during the times when Coltrane first came to Europe with Miles Davis, and the subsequent trips with his own band. Below is a short extract from a piece he wrote in Jazz Magazine (January 1962).
(Translated from the French by JS).

“I must practice, must practice” ... "I must still train, improve, improve and improve”. These were the words from John Coltrane more than a year ago, when I congratulated him at the end of the My Favorite Things recording in the Atlantic recording studio . Visible lines on his forehead, as he played his soprano as if it were a venomous beast. Everyone was trying to convince John that he couldn’t do any better. Only Naima, his wife, managed to cheer him up .
Naima’s opinion, dictated by reason was decisive. John decided to pack aways his horns. The atmosphere thawed, Elvin Jones danced around his drums.
While meticulously picking up his instruments, Trane explained to me what his difficulties were, including finding suitable reeds . In the best case, they were perfect only after a month’s use and this perfect period only lasted two days. The conversation then slipped onto some peculiarities about the mouthpiece. John tinkered with it and mentioned the air chamber not being made properly.
Like Freddie Hubbard who sometimes played with a handkerchief on his fingers so that no one can follow the movement of the pistons of his trumpet, John laughed then refused any further explanation of his technique. Rarely does a musician give me such an impression of professional conscience, his love of his art and also of creative joy. On other occasions, the knowledge of the private man is to better understand the artist.

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