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March 10, 2004
Ashley Kahn here, author of various titles on music, popular culture and jazz, including A LOVE SUPREME: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album. Without going into a long explanation as to John Coltrane’s importance and stature – there are many books (beyond just mine) that accomplish that -- allow me to say that there are very few musicians whose sound and influence transcend their time (and the musical style in which they performed.)
John Coltrane is one of those enduring legends, loved and respected by musicians of all stripes – from rockers like Carlos Santana and U2’s Bono, to R&B stars like D’Angelo and Prince, to top classical composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. As an African-American He’s as revered as any other 20th Century icon: his name still mentioned in the same breath as those of great music-makers (Duke Ellington, Miles Davis), even spiritual leaders (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X.)
I am well aware of – and applaud -- the current effort by Steve Fulgoni to save the former home of the John Coltrane family in Dix Hills, Long Island. Besides being the site of whatever domestic bliss Coltrane was able to enjoy, being a working musician touring the world during the ‘60s, it is also the venue in which he rehearsed and composed much of his groundbreaking music, and built a studio in which many classic recordings of the period were recorded.
It also happens to be the location in which Coltrane composed his timeless album A LOVE SUPREME – what many consider his best-known work and which I have called his musical autobiography. A four-part suite conceived as a "Gift to God," it has grown in cultural weight to become a timeless classic, a still best-selling title, a Grammy Hall of Fame Album, and a continuing inspiration to generations of music-makers and music-lovers.
In the world of rock and pop, there are monuments that stand tall like Elvis Presley’s Graceland home and Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In the more humble world of jazz, there are precious few places or points of interest that connect to a tradition that remains relevant. Louis Armstrong’s home in Queens is an all-too rare example – and worthy model -- recently becoming a well-attended museum and invaluable archive.
In these trend-happy and business-driven days, when everything is forever changing, and the past is receding at an ever-increasing rate, it’s on us to stop the clock and take stock, holding on to that which is most deserving of preservation. John Coltrane’s home in Dix Hills is undoubtedly that kind of place.
Sincerely,
Ashley Kahn
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