A link to this video showed up in my inbox, this afternoon. It's John Coltrane's monumental solo from his 1959 recording of "Giant Steps." The solo itself is magical, one of the most famous moments in the history of jazz. Now, Alberto Betancourt has both transcribed and animated it. The result is mesmerizing (and a lot of fun), even if you don't read music.
"Giant Steps," by John Coltrane, 1959. John Coltrane, tenor sax; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Taylor, drums.
Right below is one of my favorite photos of Coltrane, and it was made by one of my favorite photographers, Roy DeCarava, only a year or so after "Giant Steps" was released. There was nothing conventional about Coltrane's playing. He was a true revolutionary, making music that came from deep within his being. You can say something similar about DeCarava. He was an original -- never following the pack, never interested in doing what other photographers were doing. His vision was came from somewhere within his soul.
Roy DeCarava: Coltrane and Elvin, New York. 1960.
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