Masters of American Music: The World According to John Coltrane

Giant Steps If you are familiar with Coltrane, you realize there is a spiritual element to his music that reaches beyond the notes into another part of the universe. But simply listening doesn't tell the full story, as this episode from the Masters Of American ...

Format : Color, DVD, NTSC Publisher : EUROARTS List Price: $19.99 Our Price: $8.75 You Save: $11.24 (57%) Used Price : $7.88

Product Description

Innovative, influential and strongly revered, John Coltrane was the most revolutionary and widely imitated saxophonist in jazz. With previously unseen footage, The World According
to John Coltrane celebrates this extraordinary and passionate musician who strove with 'relentless curiosity' for a musical ideal and cultivated an almost saintly reputation among listeners and fellow musicians. The film
includes extensive performance footage and culminates in a fascinating musical meeting between the Art Ensemble of Chicago saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell and dervish musicians
in Morocco's Sahara desert in 1990.

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Customer reviews

Giant Steps by .. mishmashmusic (Augusta, Georgia)
If you are familiar with Coltrane, you realize there is a spiritual element to his music that reaches beyond the notes into another part of the universe. But simply listening doesn't tell the full story, as this episode from the Masters Of American Music documentary series aptly demonstrates. Seeing Coltrane play adds a new dimension to the sounds, as we watch him put his heart and soul into the music.

The documentary was produced about twenty years ago, and it has been restored and digitally remastered for release on DVD. It features interviews with a number of musicians who knew and played with Coltrane, including Rashied Ali, Tommy Flanagan, Wayne Shorter, and his wife Alice Coltrane. As they expound on the spiritual side of Coltrane and his musical history, their interviews segue into live performances of Giant Steps, So What (with Miles Davis), My Favourite Things, and Reverend King Alabama. The power and scope of his talent comes leaping off the screen --- you see the sweat, the effort, and the emotion that went into creating his sound.

My only complaint is that it's only an hour long, which is barely enough time to scratch the surface. At any rate, it is an excellent introduction to Coltrane if you are not familiar with him, and if you are already familiar with the music, this will give you more insight into the man as an artist.