In the March 1978 edition of Britain's Jazz Journal, Alistair Loftus gave us his own personal recollections of John Coltrane, and his perspective on his works. With a preference for the 'classic' quartet period, he still covers pretty much Coltrane's entire career. He saw Trane live during the 1961 JATP tour, so another cool input for me. Alistair Loftus first heard — though barely understood — the music of the fully matured John Coltrane at a concert in November 1961. Now, 16 years later, he offers a personal perspective on the career of a great creative jazz artist who intended his music to be a force for good in the world. ABOUT TEN years ago jazz lost one of its giants when John Coltrane died at the age of 40 on July 17, 1967, his full potential still to be realised. His influence was tremendous and many of the tenor players who have emerged in recent years have tried, usually unsuccessfully, to sound like him — just as aspiring altoists tried to copy Bird's l...
Jamo Spingal