As Philadelphia commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, we are also celebrating the life and legacy of one of the most revered and influential musicians of all time: John Coltrane. Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926 in small-town Hamlet, North Carolina. Although he travelled and toured across the globe, Philadelphia played a pivotal role in his development as an artist.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia is where Coltrane purchased his first home, in the spring of 1952, at 1511 N. 33rd Street in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. It\u2019s also where he perfected his craft as a saxophonist after studying under jazz guitarist and music instructor Dennis Sandole<\/a>. Not satisfied with just studying music, he fully immersed himself in the city\u2019s local jazz scene. The legendary Philly-born saxophonist Jimmy Heath once famously joked that Coltrane practiced \u201c25 hours a day.\u201d This level of dedication transformed him from an aspiring artist to the jazz legend we know and love today.<\/p>\n Coltrane possessed an unrelenting desire to use his gifts to make a difference in the world around him. In a rare 1966 interview, he proclaimed<\/a>, \u201cI know that there are forces out here 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.” In his view, music was more than the arrangement of words and sounds. It served as a vehicle to connect with audiences on a deeper, more spiritual level. This was particularly true in the midst of the American Civil Rights Movement.<\/p>\n As we celebrate Coltrane\u2019s 100th birthday on September 23, we are reminded of the important role arts and culture play in shaping our city and nation. Scholars have noted that since ancient times, art has had a transformative impact<\/a> on the human experience, often \u201cshaping culture, fostering community, advocating for justice, and providing a powerful medium for expression.\u201d Philadelphia-based music journalist and DJ John Morrison points out that, \u201cJohn Coltrane, like a lot of the great jazz musicians of the past, exposed a deep level of feeling for what Black folks around the world were going through. Black folks wanting to come into a fuller sense of themselves listened to what John Coltrane was playing and could see that he was expressing that in the music.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s exactly what Coltrane 100 Philly seeks to do: educate, build community, and inspire residents to see themselves in the art they create and consume. From now through November, local artists, community organizations, and arts institutions will come together to host dozens of free and ticketed programming in honor of Coltrane\u2019s 100th birthday year. We have also dispersed $27,000 in grant funding to empower Philadelphia-based artists to curate and produce community programs that reflect their own relationship to Coltrane\u2019s enduring legacy. By embodying the example that Coltrane set, we can make Philadelphia and our country a better place to live, grow, and thrive.<\/p>\n