We're having a weeklong celebration of John Coltrane’s 100th birthday at Philadelphia’s Love Park, September 21–25.
Join us at lunch each day, from noon to 2 p.m. on Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri.
- Listen to WRTI’s curated Coltrane-themed broadcasts in the park.
- Stroll and take in educational Coltrane displays throughout the park.
- Pose for the camera at our John Coltrane photo wall.
- Say hello at WRTI’s fun and interactive meet-and-greet booth.
- Score fun giveaways and music swag courtesy of Verve Records.
- Test your Coltrane knowledge with our Trane Tracks game.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, we will have a very special tribute from 4–7:30 p.m.
- 4–6pm: Join our 2-hour A Love Park Supreme Coltrane Listening Party, focusing on the music Trane recorded while living in Philly.
- 6–7:30pm, the BIG event: enjoy an all-star Coltrane tribute concert in the park by acclaimed saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, leading a trio with Alex Claffy on bass and Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums. This concert will feature Coltrane’s music as played by one of his many inheritors.
A Love Park Supreme is part of Philadelphia’s Coltrane100 Philly celebration. All events are free and open to the public. Join us!
Coltrane 100 on the air at WRTI, Sept 21–25:
Even if you can’t make it to Love Park in person for Coltrane’s centennial, you can join us in celebrating his music all week long, streaming worldwide at wrti.org and on the WRTI app. Then every night at 9 p.m., we’ll broadcast one part of Steve Rowland’s award-winning five-part documentary Tell Me How Long Trane’s Been Gone, with narration by the late poet Michael S. Harper.
Here’s what else we have in store for the daily broadcasts:
Monday, Sept. 21: The Hardbop Architect and Sideman Roots
Noon to 1 p.m. — Coltrane the Sideman, featuring tracks from his expansive work with jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Red Garland.
1 to 2 p.m. — Sheets of Sound, marking the evolution of Coltrane’s style, as indelibly characterized in a phrase by critic Ira Gitler. Highlights include his breakthrough “Giant Steps,” and the piece “Russian Lullaby.”
Tuesday, Sept. 22: Lyricism, Ballads and Standards
Noon to 1 p.m. — The Balladeer, incorporating classic performances like “Lush Life,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and “What’s New?”
1 to 2 p.m. — The Standard Reimagined
Wednesday, Sept. 23: Our Coltrane 100 Philly 26-hour marathon
Where: Midnight to 6 a.m. on FM / HD-1. 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on HD-2. 6 p.m. to Midnight on FM / HD-1. All programming can be heard worldwide at wrti.org or by using the WRTI mobile app. Highlights include:
12 a.m. — An hour of selections from the Miles Davis/John Coltrane box set The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6.
4 a.m. — Full album playback of Ballads (Impulse! 1963)
8 a.m. — Full album playback of Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse! 1963)
10 a.m. — A WRTI exclusive: Devotion: A Love Supreme, featuring saxophonist Morgan Guerin, the Orrin Evans Trio, and poet Ruth Naomi Floyd at Mother Bethel AME Church.
Noon — Full album playback of Coltrane “Live” at the Village Vanguard (Impulse! 1963)
4 p.m. —“Coltrane in Philadelphia,” two hours of selections recorded between 1952 and 1958 when John Coltrane lived in his house on North 33rd Street in Strawberry Mansion.
8 p.m. — Full album playback of A Love Supreme (Impulse! 1965)
9 p.m. — Part III of the audio documentary Tell Me How Long Trane's Been Gone
10 p.m. — SideTrane, an hour of selections from albums featuring Coltrane as sideman.
12 a.m. (9/24) — Following a selection from Kind of Blue at midnight, the marathon closes with a playback of the 2014 release Offering: Live at Temple University, which documents a 1966 performance at Temple’s Mitten Hall, originally broadcast live on WRTI.
Thursday, Sept. 24: The Classic Quartet and Modal Exploration
Noon to 1 p.m. — Hypnotic Coltrane
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Vanguard and Peak Quartet
Friday, Sept. 25: The Spiritual Avant-Garde
Noon to 1 p.m. — Contemplation and Prayer
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Break the Borders / Into the Beyond