A new book honoring John Coltrane’s 100th birthday brings together photographs of the jazz saxophonist and essays from artists and admirers, according to Rolling Stone. The project, titled Coltrane: The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend, was edited by Coltrane’s son, Ravi.
The book includes contributions from Wayne Coyne, Dev Hynes, Phil Lesh and Julie Mehretu, among others, and looks at Coltrane’s lasting influence on jazz through albums such as Blue Train, Giant Steps, A Love Supreme and Ascension. Rolling Stone notes that the musician’s impact is still being felt decades after his death in 1967 at age 40.
In an excerpt shared ahead of the book’s Sept. 1 release, Patti Smith writes about listening to Coltrane as a spiritual experience and how his music affected her at different points in her life. She says his work carries a powerful sense of light, honesty and inspiration.
Carlos Santana also reflects on hearing A Love Supreme for the first time, describing both the calm look on Coltrane’s face on the album cover and the intensity of the music itself. He writes that the contrast helped him understand how Coltrane could be both peaceful and forceful at once.
Santana adds that Coltrane’s music pushed listeners toward higher consciousness and left a deep impression on his own approach to performance and collaboration.
