The Dr. Jazz Podcast: The Latin Jazz Side of John Coltrane (Aug 2021)

Most Coltrane fans already know he is a titan of jazz. A heavyweight who had a lyrical side ('The Gentle Side of John Coltrane'). He pushed the boundaries of jazz harmony into the stratosphere and still created many spiritual albums and avant-garde albums in his short 40 year span. While re-reading Lewis Porter's phenomenal book 'John Coltrane: His Life and Music,' he discussed how Coltrane was exposed to a great degree of Latin Jazz while living in Philadelphia and how many straight-ahead players were quite versed in various forms of Latin Jazz around Philly. He also learned how to craft a great deal of Latin Jazz elements into his own writing through his time in Dizzy Gillespie's band. Reading this lead me to the idea of just how much "Latin Jazz" was actually evident in Trane's recorded catalog. To my surprise, there was a great deal. This newfound appreciation for this side of Coltrane and his music has lead me to create this episode of the podcast. I hope you dig it!