John Coltrane Quotes

Powerful John Coltrane for Daily Growth

About John Coltrane

John Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967), a towering figure in the history of jazz, was born in Hamlet, North Carolina. Displaying an early affinity for music, he began playing the saxophone at the age of 12. By his late teens, Coltrane had joined the United States Navy Band, honing his skills under the tutelage of Naval Band Director, Marine John Orear. In 1945, following his discharge from the Navy, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia, where he began working professionally in various jazz groups. It was here that he met and played with renowned musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Earl Bostic. In 1949, he joined the group led by iconic bebop musician, Dexter Gordon, marking his move to New York City, the epicenter of jazz. Throughout the 1950s, Coltrane worked with several notable artists including Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, absorbing their unique styles while refining his own. However, it was during this period that he struggled with drug addiction, eventually seeking treatment in 1957. Post-recovery, Coltrane's career took a transformative turn as he began to explore abstract and spiritual themes in his music. His seminal works from this period include "Giant Steps" (1960) and "A Love Supreme" (1964), showcasing his groundbreaking approach to jazz improvisation, which integrated elements of modal, free, and classical music. Coltrane's impact on jazz is immeasurable. His innovative technique, which included using multiphonic notes and extended techniques, continues to influence saxophonists worldwide. Known for his intense emotional expression and spiritual depth, Coltrane embodied the philosophical spirit of jazz – a musical form that strives to capture the complexities of human experience. Tragically, he died in 1967 at the age of 40, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to resonate with audiences today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism as to see only what serves your own needs and not what you can give to others."

This quote by John Coltrane emphasizes the importance of selflessness and empathy in the context of national pride or patriotism. It suggests that excessive loyalty to one's own country may cloud judgment, causing individuals to disregard the needs and welfare of others, focusing solely on their personal interests. Instead, he encourages a balanced perspective that acknowledges both what one can receive from their nation and what they can offer in return, promoting mutual understanding, cooperation, and community development.

"Life is very short and Anxiety is long."

This quote by John Coltrane highlights the fleeting nature of life in contrast to our persistent feelings of anxiety. Essentially, he suggests that the transient moments we experience make up our lives, while the chronic apprehension or worry we often harbor can feel endless. The implication is that we should attempt to live fully and fearlessly within those brief, precious moments, rather than being consumed by constant worry or anxiety.

"The music is the healing force of the universe."

This quote by John Coltrane suggests that music has a profound power to heal, not just physically or emotionally, but on a universal level. He views music as a cosmic, restorative force that transcends human limitations, capable of fostering harmony, unity, and well-being among individuals and across cultures. In essence, he expresses the belief that through music, we can find solace, peace, and a deeper connection to ourselves, others, and the universe.

"Music is the spiritual expression of such soulfulness, the foundation of the very essence of life itself."

This quote by John Coltrane suggests that music serves as a profound reflection of the human spirit and soul, encapsulating the fundamental core of our existence. In other words, music is not just an art form but a means to express our deepest emotions and connect with something transcendent – the essence of life itself. It's a reminder that music plays a crucial role in our lives, helping us understand, feel, and communicate our innermost thoughts and experiences.

"A love supreme, to God, to be or not to be, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them? To die—to sleep No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life." (This quote is a paraphrase of Hamlet's soliloquy, but Coltrane made it his own as a title for one of his most famous compositions.)

This quote by John Coltrane, derived from Shakespeare's Hamlet, expresses the existential dilemma between enduring life's hardships or seeking refuge in death. The phrase "A love supreme" signifies Coltrane's devotion to his faith, suggesting that finding meaning and purpose in life (love) might help him overcome life's difficulties (calamity). In the quote, he grapples with whether it is nobler to suffer through adversities or fight against them. The metaphor of a "sea of troubles" represents the unpredictable and tumultuous challenges life presents. Coltrane contemplates if by confronting these challenges he can end them, implying that overcoming hardship can bring relief from suffering. However, death offers rest and release from pain ("to sleep, to dream"), but with it comes uncertainty about the nature of post-mortem existence (the thousand natural shocks). Coltrane's contemplation of this conundrum serves as a reminder of the value in reflecting on life's challenges, as well as the respect we should have for the brevity and unpredictability of life.

I've been devoting quite a bit of my time to harmonic studies on my own, in libraries and places like that. I've found you've got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.

- John Coltrane

Own, Back, Been, My Own

I first met Miles Davis about 1947 and played a few jobs with him and Sonny Rollins at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. During this period, he was coming into his own, and I could see him extending the boundaries of jazz even further.

- John Coltrane

Own, Jazz, About, Manhattan

Sometimes you have to take a thing when it comes and be glad. I first began to feel this way in '57, when I started to get myself together musically, although at the time I was working academically and technically.

- John Coltrane

Myself, Sometimes, Began, Academically

Thankfully now, through the merciful hand of God, I do perceive and have been fully reinformed of his omnipotence. It is truly a love supreme.

- John Coltrane

Love, Through, Been, Omnipotence

I think the main thing a musician would like to do is give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.

- John Coltrane

Think, Give, I Think, Musician

Overall, I think the main thing a musician would like to do is give to the listener the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe... That's what I would like to do. I think that's one of the greatest things you can do in life, and we all try to do that in some way. The musician's is through his music.

- John Coltrane

Through, Some, I Think, Musician

All a musician can do is to get closer to the sources of nature, and so feel that he is in communion with the natural laws.

- John Coltrane

Laws, Natural Laws, Sources, Musician

Any time you play your horn, it helps you. If you get down, you can help yourself even in a rock 'n' roll band.

- John Coltrane

Play, Roll, Your, Horn

I start from one point and go as far as possible. But, unfortunately, I never lose my way. I 'localize,' which is to say that I think always in a given space. I rarely think of the whole of a solo, and only very briefly. I always return to the small part of the solo that I was in the process of playing.

- John Coltrane

Small, I Think, Very, Small Part

I want to be a force for real good. In other words. I know that there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.

- John Coltrane

Bad, Other, Which, In Other Words

I think that music, being an expression of the human heart, or of the human being itself, does express just what is happening - the whole of human experience at the particular time that it is being expressed.

- John Coltrane

Think, Human Being, I Think, Human Experience

My mother had aspirations to become a concert singer. Her Methodist Minister father didn't approve of young girls leaving home until they married, so she had to pass it up.

- John Coltrane

Father, Young, Singer, Aspirations

When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hang-ups.

- John Coltrane

Good, Desire, Possibilities, Something Good

In the year of 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening, which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life.

- John Coltrane

Year, More, Which, Richer

I've been listening to jazzmen, especially saxophonists, since the time of the early Count Basie records, which featured Lester Young. Pres was my first real influence, but the first horn I got was an alto, not a tenor.

- John Coltrane

Records, Been, Featured, Alto

God breathes through us so completely... so gently we hardly feel it... yet, it is our everything.

- John Coltrane

Through, Feel, Gently, Hardly

Sheets of sound. Well, that was when I got tired of certain modulations. Like when you want to get back to C, and you've got to go to D and then G and then C. I was fooling around with the piano, and I figured out some other way to do it.

- John Coltrane

Sound, Some, Other, Sheets

In any situation that we find in our lives, when there is something that we feel should be better, we must exert effort to try and make it better. So it's the same socially, musically, politically in any department of our lives.

- John Coltrane

Feel, Lives, Socially, Department

I believe that men are here to grow themselves into best good that they can be - at least, this is what I want to do.

- John Coltrane

Grow, Want, Here, I Believe

I've always felt that even though a man was not a Christian, he still has to know the truth some way or another. Or if he was a Christian, he could know the truth. The truth itself doesn't have any name on it to me. And each man has to find this for himself, I think.

- John Coltrane

Some, I Think, Another, Each Man

I think I was first awakened to musical exploration by Dizzy Gillespie and Bird. It was through their work that I began to learn about musical structures and the more theoretical aspects of music.

- John Coltrane

Think, Through, I Think, Awakened

From a technical viewpoint, I have certain things I'd like to present in my solos. To do this, I have to get the right material. It has to swing, and it has to be varied.

- John Coltrane

Like, Technical, Viewpoint, Solos

I'd like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words. I want to speak to their souls.

- John Coltrane

Want, Like, Musical, Transcends

You can play a shoestring if you're sincere.

- John Coltrane

Play, You, Sincere

My goal is to live the truly religious life and express it through my music. If you can live it, there's no problem about the music, because it's part of the whole thing.

- John Coltrane

Goal, Through, Religious, No Problem

I think music is an instrument. It can create the initial thought patterns that can change the thinking of the people.

- John Coltrane

Music, Think, I Think, Initial

I find it's only when something is trying to come through I really practice. And then, I don't know how many hours. It's all day.

- John Coltrane

Practice, Through, Hours, All Day

My music is the spiritual expression of what I am - my faith, my knowledge, my being.

- John Coltrane

Music, I Am, Expression, Am

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