Ravi Coltrane: An Auspicious Night
Ravi Coltrane and his group dedicate their performance of John and Alice Coltrane's music to jazz legend Pharaoh Sanders.
Ravi Coltrane entered a bit later than the rest of his bandmates on the evening of Friday, Sept. 23 for his scheduled performance at The Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. As he came to the stage he went to the microphone and seemed at a loss for words. He stated that, with it being the birthday of his late father, American music legend John Coltrane, and him seeing Pharaoh Sanders immediately prior to his set made it "an auspicious night". Coltrane went on to dedicate the evening’s performance to Sanders, who was a key member of John Coltrane’s groups in the 1960s and an extensive collaborator with his mother Alice Coltrane before and after John’s death.
Sanders passed away in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 24, just hours after Coltrane’s performance. Pharaoh was not just a collaborator of John and Alice Coltrane but was also widely recognized as a prolific musical force unto himself, releasing over 30 albums as a bandleader, consistently innovating and pushing the boundaries of what could be done as a musician.
"We knew at that moment in time that him getting with Pharaoh was super important and a priority," said Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger, explaining that Coltrane arrived late to the show to be with Sanders.
“I feel like everybody approached every song with the same intensity. It was heavy in everyone's mind with Pharaoh so in that way it felt different, I'm not sure when that feeling will subside,” Elé Howell, the drummer performing the set said. “We were celebrating Pharaoh's life and going in with that intention."
While musical matters are trivial when compared to life and death, the show that was dedicated to Sanders was an incredible one based on audience reactions. Each musician in Coltrane's group played extensive solos that displayed technical mastery of their craft; whether it was Gadi Lehavi on keyboard, Rashaan Carter on bass, Elé Howell on drums or Brandee Younger on harp, every musician seemed on point.
"The serendipity, no one knew this was going to happen and we just happened to be in town. That's God right there,” Younger said. “You think about the relationship between Ravi and John Coltrane's colleagues, and they are like uncles to him, you know? It's family."
In many ways the performance exuded the spiritual elements of John and Alice Coltrane's music, being at once an homage to the past while an embrace of the present. Coltrane and his players gave a beautiful interpretation of what are widely regarded as some of the most influential pieces ever made. It was an auspicious night indeed.
