Bobby Zankel was an aspiring saxophonist, all of 17, when John Coltrane died in 1967. The impact registered on multiple levels. “It was not only the music he was playing but the life he manifested that was so strong to me,” Zankel recalls.
Growing up in the ‘60s, with the Vietnam War looming and societal upheavals on the rise, he had found solace and guidance in a sound. “What Coltrane’s music postulated saved me,” Zankel tells WRTI. “It was a vision of how to live, a way to devote your time to something uplifting.”
On Monday, Sept. 23 — John Coltrane’s 98th birth anniversary — Zankel will lead a special edition of his Wonderful Sound 7 in celebration at Solar Myth. The event will also feature a screening of Speakn’ Trane, a new short film directed by Shahkeem E. Williams, and written and produced by Dr. Anyabwile Love.
Zankel’s connection to Coltrane’s music is deeply spiritual, reflecting his own search for transcendence through sound. “Music was not just something to entertain by, but something to be spiritually transported by,” Zankel explains, referencing Coltrane’s iconic album A Love Supreme as a centerpiece of this ethos. That sensation of spiritual elevation is also prominent in his own music; for him, music and spirituality are two spheres that can never be divorced. A devout Nichiren Buddhist for over 50 years, Zankel explains: “It is not a belief system; it is a practice every day.”
Zankel, who moved to Philadelphia in 1975, had the good fortune of studying under Dennis Sandoli, a mentor to Coltrane and many other notable musicians. He credits Sandoli with helping him refine his musical concepts and abilities, something he wouldn’t have found elsewhere. “When I look back, I realize that studying with Sandoli was what elevated my knowledge and ability as a musician,” he says. “There was no one in New York who could teach the way he could.”
He was also influenced by visionary artists like Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, whose views on music and rhythm considerably broadened his understanding of what could be done in jazz. It was especially so with Taylor, whose influence on Zankel was profound. “Cecil was an unrivaled musical thinker,” Zankel attests. “I started working with him in 1970, and we played together up until the day he died.”
Despite having opportunities to play with some of the biggest names in jazz, Zankel remains grounded in his Philadelphia roots. His choice to stay in the city, rather than move to New York like so many of his contemporaries, has paid off in ways he couldn’t have anticipated. “At first, I stayed because of my kids,” he says. “But as time went on, I realized that Philadelphia was where I needed to be. I could study with Sandoli here, and I was able to work with incredible musicians like Odean Pope and Jymie Merritt.”
Zankel speaks with particular admiration for these local legends, calling them “original musical thinkers.” Both Pope and Merritt shaped his understanding of rhythm and musical composition in ways that formal education couldn’t. “Odean has written things for the saxophone that no one else in the world has ever played,” Zankel marvels. “And Jymie Merritt, although people think of him mostly as a sideman, had a compositional and rhythmic system that was like a scientist’s approach to music.”
Zankel’s passion for collaboration extends beyond this reverence for past mentors. For his performance in honor of Coltrane’s 98th birthday, Zankel has assembled a stellar ensemble, including pianist Sumi Tonooka, trombonist Robin Eubanks, bassist Lee Smith, and alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, whose development Zankel has closely observed. “I’ve seen him around since he was 10,” he says. “This is the first time we’ll play together in this setting, and it’s going to be special.”
Looking forward, Zankel is also preparing for another milestone: his very own 75th birthday concert, later this year. As he continues to push the boundaries of jazz while paying homage to its greatest figures, his music serves as both a tribute and a continuation of the spiritual legacy that John Coltrane pioneered.
For Zankel, it’s not just about playing music — it’s about creating sound that transcends, connects, and uplifts. And as the 98th birthday of Coltrane approaches, he’s poised to deliver a performance that promises to be as deeply moving as the man whose life and work inspired it. “Coltrane’s sound,” he reflects, “it just gets inside me.”
Bobby Zankel's Wonderful Sound 7 performs at Solar Myth on Monday, Sept. 23.
