Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

A revolution took place by the mid of the 20th century in American and world music. Jazz, which was until then music for mostly dance and mass entertainment split its ways into several distinct currents, giving birth to rock and roll, to soul, to rhythm and blues. Yes, I know this presentation is quite a simplistic view, but at that time, while other genres were taking up in entertainment dominating the hit parades, radio programs and TV shows, jazz itself evolved to a much more sophisticated form of expression. A bunch of post-WWII jazz musicians changed and developed the sound of jazz making and blew up its boundaries. Among them, together with Charlie Parker and Miles Davies, one of the most important was John Coltrane. "Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary" is dedicated to his life, music and legacy. These exceptional artists toured the world and made of jazz a universal art and one of the greatest contributions of America to the culture of the world.

The documentary written and directed by John Scheinfeld is built on a pattern used by many musical documentary films. It follows closely the life and biography of the artists, uses images filmed and recorded in concerts to illustrate his music, gathers testimonies from family, from jazz fans and experts, from the artists who worked with Coltrane and who came later and were influenced by him. Family members tell about the man he was (moving testimonies by his two step-daughters) and his personal life not avoiding the crisis related to drugs and faith. Musicians who played with him or who came after him talk about his music, and this was the part I valued most (including people like Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, John Densmore, Carlos Santana). An interesting segments speaks about his tour to Japan (his last) and the special relationship he had with this country. Coltrane seems to not have left any filmed interview, or the makers of this film did not have access to it, but he left quite a lot of memorable quotes and written stories about his life and music, which are read by Denzel Washington. The actor (who does not appear in the film) bears actually an amazing physical resemblance with Coltrane, so if there ever (or soon) will be a feature film about him, he is the best candidate for the lead role. It is music however that speaks best, and if you have the chance to watch this film and listen to the soundtrack in a cinema with good audio conditions, it will be a win. It's not a ground-shaking documentary film, but it's a complete and respectful homage to one of the greatest musicians in history, a man who in a rather short life and career changed the course of music taking it into new territories.

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.

A must-see for anyone who likes jazz, or just musical history of the fifties and sixties. The interviews are a cut above, especially by Bennie Golson, Jimmy Heath, the incomparable Sonny Rollins, Coltrane's first daughter, and even, believe it or not, Bill Clinton. The music is superb, somehow finding the time to have excerts from Coltrane's most transcendent work -- Giant Steps, Naima, Alabama, My Favorite Things, All Blues and more. (Only one of my favorites is missing - Afro-Blue.) Intelligent, coherent -- a great introduction to Coltrane if you don't know him, and a wonderful appreciation for those of us who do. Even the animations are beautiful. The film got nit-picked by critics -- "not enough music", "too conventional", etc. But the film intelligently depicts the key moments in his life, sets it in the historical context of his times both musically and politically, all the while celebrating his genius. See it for yourself.

Has to be the definitive look at Coltrane with a focus on the evolution and impact of his style and playing and songs. Not sure it's going to convince a non-jazz fan, but the diverse interviews certainly try their hardest. Great starting point for someone to get into the music and I'm sure a decent encapsulation for someone who is already a super fan. Certainly made me want to go back and revisit some albums that I haven't listened to in a while.

John Coltrane apprenticed with all the jazz greats; developed but recovered from a heroin addiction; pioneered a style all of his own; and died tragically young, aged just 40, of liver cancer. We might think of musicians as party animals but by all accounts in this film, Coltrane was a fundamentally serious person, and a genius. The film is a fairly typical documentary, reverential in tone, with lots of his music to listen to. Also there are a lot of talking heads, and while Bill Clinton is not unintelligent in his comments, I'm not sure he's really among the best qualified people to give us insight. What's missing is any sort of musical analysis: we get to hear the man in action, but if you wanted to understand how his work fitted into, and transcended, the jazz traditon, or why it sounded so revolutionary when first released, you might be disappointed. Banal comments likening what Coltrane did on the saxaphone to what Hendrix did on the electric guitar don't really explain either. But the programme does succeed in making you like the man: unlike fellow genius Miles Davis, he seems to have been a nice person, which is quite unusual for someone so talented.