By Stacey Perlman
Northeastern’s Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert drew a diverse crowd.
A night of jazz at Blackman Auditorium paid tribute to one of the genre’s most acclaimed musicians, John Coltrane.
On Saturday night, three days before what would have been Coltrane’s 77th birthday, people from all different ages, races and locations gathered for a performance packed with emotion, excitement and of course, jazz. The 26th Annual Memorial Concert founded by Dr. Leonard Brown, Syd Smart and the late Hayes Burnett in 1977 is the oldest tribute to John Coltrane. Saturday night’s performance featured a full ensemble which included the two surviving founders along with vocalists Armsted Christian, Ja-Nae Duane, Patrice Williamson and Stan Strickland with special guest Pharoah Sanders, who received a standing ovation upon introduction.
Coltrane was born on Sept. 23, 1926 in Hamlet, N.C., where he was surrounded by music. After spending some time in the Navy, he began to tour with various jazz bands in the Philadelphia area in 1947. He continued to work with these bands and by 1955 he frequently played with Miles Davis. Five years later he formed the John Coltrane Quartet where his music became well known for its spirituality and energetic quality and he became known for his skills on the saxophone. He died on July 17, 1967 from liver disease, yet his music still continues to be enjoyed today, as was the case on Saturday night.
The crowd responded to each performance with immense enthusiasm. Calvin Harris of Easton, Mass., came to see his nephew perform in the memorial ensemble, as well as to pay tribute to what he considers an “excellent musician.”
Many students from other colleges came to pay tribute as well. Some were from Babson College, Gordon College, Olin College and the University of Maine. Even a few Northeastern alumni were in attendance. Chad Fisher, a Northeastern graduate of the class of 2000, has attended the memorial concert on two other occasions and said that although he was never a jazz fan before, after attending the tribute concerts he became one.
“John Coltrane was an innovator and pioneer in jazz, not just the saxophone.” said Tanner Chesney, a Northeastern residence hall staff member and jazz fan.
The performance opened with the song “The Spiritual” which started the night off with a haunting yet hopeful mood that prepared the audience for the soulful crooning of the vocalists. The pace quickened to a more upbeat tempo and soon the crowd was tapping their feet and the musicians were letting themselves sway to the notes they played. Solos bounced from the saxophone to the trombone to the vocalists to the piano to the electric bass and the bass violin. The song jammed on for nearly a half hour, as most of the songs were that long. It was easy to forget about how long the songs were due to the many transitions in the melodies and tempos. The entire performance was like watching a movie, slow paces were played to set the scene which switched to intense solos to give it a dramatic quality and then each piece ended with a bang.
Other songs performed were, “Crescent,” “The Song of Praise,” “Compassion,” “Something About John Coltrane,” “Giant Steps” and “The Creator,” which gained many hollers and whistles of approval from the audience. Solos from Pharoah Sanders received standing ovations. The crowd was also invited to participate by singing the words to the last song, “The Creator.” The vocalists began to dance in the middle of the stage as the rest of the musicians continued to play an energetic groove until finally the tempo slowed and all that was left was the hum of the lyrics, “the power of God.” The ensemble finished off with a concluding chord. Whistles and hollers erupted from the crowd as the entire audience stood and clapped.
The audience left in awe of the performance and the musicians faces glowed as they greeted family members, friends and fans.
“This is some of the most honest music, full of heart and soul, that I have ever been associated with.” said Christian, who was part of the original ensemble.
He compared his experience with this ensemble and working with jazz to attending church.
“There is such a feeling of spirituality, it’s almost like a homecoming for not only the musicians but also for the audience.” he said. Christian said his personal highlight of Saturday’s performance was being on stage with Pharoah Sanders.
“John Coltrane was a legendary master musician who among other things showed the world how music could heal the soul, even before the formal practice of music therapy was popular. Coltrane showed the world that music was more than notes on a page, more than scales and formulaic compositions. Coltrane showed that through one note of music, there was food for the mind, body and spirit. He was a healer,” said Emmett Price, assistant professor of music and African-American studies.
The memorial concert embodied the legacy of John Coltrane. He was known for wanting his music to make a positive change in the world and to create a positive manner of thinking in people.
