On Tuesday, September 23, WKCR-FM (89.9 FM / wkcr.org) will present its annual 24-hour broadcast honoring the life and music of John Coltrane, commemorating what would have been his 98th birthday.
Born in Hamlet, North Carolina on September 23, 1926, Coltrane began his musical journey on clarinet and alto horn as a teenager in a community band. Inspired by artists like Lester Young, Johnny Hodges, and Charlie Parker, he soon switched to the saxophone and quickly immersed himself in the evolving world of jazz. After graduating high school, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia to continue his musical studies, eventually joining the U.S. Navy in 1945, where he made his first known recording on alto saxophone during a session in Hawaii in 1946.
Following his discharge, Coltrane returned to Philadelphia and began developing his signature style. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, he had taken up the tenor saxophone and was performing and recording as a sideman with some of jazz's greatest figures, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis. In 1957, he released his first album as a bandleader on Prestige Records, followed by his only Blue Note recording, Blue Train.
Coltrane’s relentless work ethic and spiritual drive fueled a remarkable progression in style over the course of his career. From the harmonic innovations of Giant Steps (1960) to the transcendent spiritual depth of A Love Supreme (1965), his music defied categorization. By the mid-1960s, he had become a pioneer of avant-garde jazz, creating intensely expressive and free-form works that challenged the boundaries of the genre.
With over 100 hours of recorded material, Coltrane's legacy continues to shape generations of musicians and listeners. WKCR’s all-day tribute will explore every era of his career, offering a comprehensive journey through the work of a truly transformative artist.
Listeners can tune in to the 24-hour tribute on 89.9 FM in New York City or stream worldwide at wkcr.org. Follow @WKCRFM on Instagram and Twitter for updates and featured content throughout the day.
