By Nate Hayden
On July 17, 1977, an assemblage of accomplished musicians gathered at the now-defunct Friends of Great Black Music Loft in Boston’s Chinatown to pay tribute to a legend at the first annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert. On Saturday, the curtain will open on the 28th installment – and 18th since finding a home at Northeastern – in Blackman Auditorium.
This year’s concert, subtitled “McCoy Tyner Trio and Gary Bartz PLAY Tribute to the Musical and Spiritual Legacy of the Great Master,” marks an important first in the concert’s history. McCoy Tyner, an original member of Coltrane’s “Classic Quartet” of the 1960s, and Gary Bartz, an internationally-recognized jazz composer and peer of Coltrane’s, will take the stage Saturday.
They will be joined by a host of renowned local musicians to perform the compositions of the great jazz saxophonist to Coltrane devotees and curious newcomers alike.
“The legacy of Tyner and Bartz acknowledges their worldwide recognition as two of the greatest and most masterful musicians in the history of creative improvisational music,” said Dr. Leonard Brown, an associate professor at Northeastern and one of the concert’s producers and original performers in 1977. “They are equally recognized as brilliant composers. Their careers span some of Coltrane’s years, and the virtuosity, integrity, sincerity and spirituality they bring to the music is very similar to Coltrane.”
Producing the longest-running memorial concert to “the great master” proves to be no small task. The organizers of the concert have turned to Stacey Lu, a middler music industry major whose co-op position is to serve as a concert production and administrative assistant to Brown. Lu, while gaining experience in concert planning and promotion, has proved essential to the concert’s organization.
“I handle a lot of stuff with production and PR, and I’ve been working with the Center of the Arts on promotion – things like designing flyers and writing blurbs to get the word out,” Lu said.
Lu said Coltrane’s music needs to be remembered for its cultural significance, in addition to its creativity.
“If you’re into jazz, you know Coltrane,” she said. “He was an inspiration to musicians – he did so much. He created a sound, and he should be remembered not only as a legend but as a role model for musicians.”
Dr. Emmett Price, a music professor, dismissed the idea one needs the pedigree and “jazzhead” status to come out and enjoy a John Coltrane memorial performance.
“Any person with an open mind and in general, a desire to learn about music will be able to enjoy the concert,” Price said. “‘Trane’s music crossed over into so much different music, from rock to R’B and hip-hop, you don’t have to be a trained disciple. Come with an open mind and there will probably be something you like.”
Junior music industry major Michael Bartiromo echoed Price’s sentiment.
“I’m not much of a jazz guy,” Bartiromo said. “But the ‘Trane rocks. I’m eager to check [the show] out.”
But Coltrane’s influence goes beyond that of his music, a point Brown and Price both stress. The two professors, along with two other jazz scholars, will present a symposium on their research project “John Coltrane and Black America’s Quest for Freedom: Spirituality and the Music” from noon until 3 p.m. before the concert in 10 Behrakis. The discussions will examine Coltrane’s legacy as not only a musician, but a teacher and spiritual leader.
“It’s important to us that we broadened the curriculum,” Price said. “You don’t just have to study Socrates, Beethoven or Dickens to study intellects. There’s a guy named John Coltrane who’s made just as important an intellectual contribution.”
Attendance to the symposium is free, and interaction with the audience is encouraged, he said.
Despite all the reaching back to explore Coltrane’s legacy, the forces behind this year’s concert would not want the modern relevancy of his music lost, Brown said.
“Spiritually, the message that he gave through his music is timeless,” Brown said. “This message speaks of the need for all humans to work together for brotherhood and sisterhood and the respect and well-being of all. His message is very relevant to the condition of the world today. His music can help remind, motivate and empower humanity with the faith and conviction necessary to change things for the better – to be a force for good.”
Tickets to the concert, which begins at 8 p.m., can be purchased at the Blackman box office in Ell Hall and are $5 for Northeastern students. Call ahead (617-373-2247) for availability.
