John Coltrane Radio Documentary

It’s already time for both another anniversary of a great jazz player’s birth and another extensive commemorative documentary. This time around, the musician is John Coltrane, who would have turned 75 if he had made it to Sept. 23rd, and the documentary is Tell Me How Long Trane’s Been Gone, a series of five one-hour radio broadcasts exploring Coltrane’s life, music and legacy. The series was produced by WFMT of Chicago, and will be broadcast on radio stations across America beginning Sept. 1.

“This series is an attempt to present Coltrane’s music and ideas, and to help the listener tune in to his voice and spirit,” says Peabody Award-winning producer Steve Rowland. “Coltrane’s music is challenging and if we can help a few more people realize the depth and power of his work, we will have succeeded at our goal.”

The series is valuable not only for the interviews Rowland has conducted over the past two decades with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Sun Ra, John Gilmore and Carlos Santana, but also for the rare and unreleased performances by and interviews with Coltrane, Charlie Parker and bassist Jimmy Garrison.

For more information about the series and local broadcast times, visit www.networkchicago.com or call WFMT at 1-800-USA-WFMT.

Originally Published August 29, 2001