John Coltrane

1926 – 1967

John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer whose harmonic complexity and spiritual intensity redefined the language of jazz in the late 1950s and 1960s. From his work in Miles Davis's Kind of Blue band through his own classic quartet recordings—including Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, and the 1965 spiritual masterpiece A Love Supreme—he set technical and expressive standards that have influenced every subsequent generation of jazz improvisers. He was canonized by the African Orthodox Church in 1982 as Saint John William Coltrane.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM