Topics in Recorded Music: John Coltrane

Catalog description

Fifty years after his death at the age of 40, John Coltrane still stands as one of the most legendary and celebrated cultural heroes of the 20th century. He’s revered as a patron saint of creative discipline and artistic commitment far beyond the realm of modern jazz, the musical arena in which he excelled. His compositions are widely known and his saxophone sound often imitated, and instantly recognizable: brittle, dark, and deeply searching—a sonic signature that has become a standard for the ideals of musical freedom, personal expression, and spiritual priority in popular music. Today, Coltrane’s influence stretches throughout the musical sphere—from rock and hip hop to classical and electronica—pushing a sense of individual identity and political stance. Yet, despite universal adoration, Coltrane’s life and music remain an enigma: more praised than examined, more acknowledged than fully understood. Offered to NYU students as a means to understanding and learning from John Coltrane’ story—and applying those lessons of his career to their own music—each session in this ambitious seven-class course offers twin components. One part focuses on historical-critical studies: while completing focused readings, and undertaking listening and viewing assignments, students investigate the social, cultural, musical and business aspects of Coltrane’s recordings and other accomplishments. The other portion of the course deals with musicianship, performance, composition, and production: listening closely to Coltrane’s music and completing in-class and out-of-class assignments under careful mentorship, deconstructing Coltrane’s compositional and studio choices, and working collaboratively to create, refine and produce original musical works.