Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

Beautiful portrait of John Coltrane. Written and directed by John Scheinfeld and released in 2017, this documentary describes Coltrane's life from childhood until his premature death, at age 40. It also deals with Trane's heroin and alcohol addictions, and how he rebounded by sheer willpower. His life was spared and his music improved. The documentary features many interviews of friends, fans and family members. Wonderful pictures and exclusive footage are shown. Denzel Washington lends his voice reading excerpts from interviews.

Jazz fans will enjoy this documentary, very informative.

Length: 1hr 39min

"Chasing Trane" is as comprehensive as a documentary about the short life of John Coltrane can get. Apart from his recordings, precious little exists about the life and career of arguably the best saxophone player who ever lived. This documentary traces his upbringing in the Jim Crow South to the pinnacle of his career - at which point he died of liver cancer. He was 40.

The filmmakers used still shots coupled with interviews with his surviving friends, family members and admirers. He never gave an interview, and when he is quoted the voice-over is Denzel Washington. Those interviewed include Cornel West, best friend Sonny Rollins, his children and -surprise- saxophonist Bill Clinton. Testimony is given regarding his musical perspective and the impact music had on his life and the lives of others. It is extremely illuminating and insightful.

I could go on and on, and suffice it to say the film is never slow or dull. It is a fast 99 minutes and it is terrific. If you are a fan of his you should go and see it. You have to.

We live in horribly divisive times. Racially, politically, culturally, economically, Americans have rarely been more divided. Coltrane was a uniting force in America, a man who struggled with his own demons and emerged to deliver a message of hope and redemption - all through the most sublime music -a message that we would do well to remember today.

This film is a wonderful tribute to one of our greatest artists. When most of us were content to bask in his artistry, Coltrane was already 10 miles down the road to some other achievement.

We use the word genius too liberally, but Trane was a genius.

A simple and lively tribute to the legendary jazzman, "Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary" charts the life and storied career of one of the giants of Popular Music. Highlighting Coltrane's tale from his difficult childhood to his late bloomer ascent in music the documentary depicts with energy and verve the man's association and works with fellow luminaries Charlie Parker and Miles Davis and to his own unique and innovative career. Priceless images and footage amplify the legend with interviews of the man's family, musical peers, biographers, critics and celebrity fans. With Denzel Washington narrating Coltrane's words Carlos Santana, John Densmore, Sonny Rollins, Bill Clinton (!) and others share their interesting tributes showing Coltrane's profound impact on those influenced by him. An unhinged Cornel West offers some amusing comic relief. Strangely Coltrane's own voice is not used in the flick and his canonization as a saint by the African church isn't discussed. Regardless of what the director thought of this it is a part of the man's legacy and should have been touched on. The film augments the legend and the myth with the background and the times the man lived in that shaped his character and outlook inspiring his one of a kind art. While nothing exemplary this colorful memorial to one of the musical titans of the 20th-Century is one Jazz and music fans should not miss.

As you'd expect, this documentary offers a close-up view of the different phases of the life of John Coltrane through lots of family photos and footage of his performing and through the remembrances of family and friends who loved and understood him.

But what's really special is that the mix of interviews, from Sonny Rawlins to Wynton Marsalis, from Cornel West to Bill Clinton, captures how deeply Coltrane's life and art inspired people who happen to be both famous and highly articulate about how Coltrane affected them.

If you're not familiar with Coltrane's music, this may be the best introduction you'll find. If you are familiar, you're still likely to learn something new, because the documtary carefully traces Coltrane's musical development. But its greatest strength is how movingly people describe their experiences of Coltrane.