Miles Davis and John Coltrane at 100

[Mark Stryker]

The University Musical Society in Ann Arbor invited me to write about Miles and Trane at 100 in advance of a forthcoming concert the organization is presenting in homage to these landmark centenaries featuring Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane. There's also a sidebar with my personal Top 10 lists for both Miles and Trane as leaders, plus some bonus tracks. 

Main essay: https://ums.org/2026/01/28/miles-davis-and-john-coltrane-at-100/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPp8WpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKw-2FaGNwGLIphPeQfeIGn9xu6x_A6xIwH984npDGl-3l5PzESIUfV0vKKY_aem_Wadu6O_pYRY2b68MnYuG5g

Sidebar: https://ums.org/2026/01/29/miles-and-trane-on-record-a-critics-favorites/

 

Edited January 30 by Mark Stryker

[felser]

Thanks Mark.  You're a brave man to publish those sidebar lists!  I'm so glad to see love for 'Transition' and 'Crescent', and such an eloquent description of the transcedence of 'A Love Supreme' (which was my sudden immediate gateway in jazz in 1972 when I first heard it).

[Ken Dryden]

I must be the oddball of the jazz world. A Love Supreme has never been my favorite John Coltrane album, since I got into Eric Dolphy before John Coltrane, I have always preferred the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings.

[felser]

15 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

I must be the oddball of the jazz world. A Love Supreme has never been my favorite John Coltrane album, since I got into Eric Dolphy before John Coltrane, I have always preferred the 1961 Village Vanguard recordings.

Those are also great!  I love "Spiritual" and Impressions", among other gems.

 

[Ken Dryden]

“India” has long been a favorite of mine.

[RiRiIII]

By the way, two days ago the legendary 80s group "Dream Syndicate" with Steve Wynn  played in Athens - they closed their set with their John Coltrane Stereo Blues with quotes of the 'A Love Supreme'. Very nice.

 

Edited January 31 by RiRiIII

[felser]

25 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

“India” has long been a favorite of mine.

Me too, forgot about that one.

23 minutes ago, RiRiIII said:

By the way, two days ago the legendary 80s group "Dream Syndicate" with Steve Wynn  played in Athens - they closed their set with their John Coltrane Stereo Blues with quotes of the 'A Love Supreme'. Very nice.

 

Great group in the 80's, fun song.  How were they at this late date?  I have the first couple of discs from when they reformed some years ago.

[clifford_thornton]

On 1/31/2026 at 12:09 PM, RiRiIII said:

By the way, two days ago the legendary 80s group "Dream Syndicate" with Steve Wynn  played in Athens - they closed their set with their John Coltrane Stereo Blues with quotes of the 'A Love Supreme'. Very nice.

 

Really enjoy that tune as well. Cool that you were able to see them! I saw Wynn, but long after the Dream Syndicate broke up.

[RiRiIII]

The first set had recent songs. At the 2nd set they played the whole Medicine Show album. 

Edited Monday at 03:51 PM by RiRiIII

[RiRiIII]

A photo from the event. Chris Cacavas (Green on Red original member) on the keyboards.

[felser]

I would love t

On 2/2/2026 at 11:57 AM, RiRiIII said:

A photo from the event. Chris Cacavas (Green on Red original member) on the keyboards.

I would love to have seen/heard this.  To me, Cacavas was the secret sauce that made Green on Red stand out, and I was a big fan of their work with him ,and of Dream Syndicate.  And Cacavas's solo albums are very interesting indeed (much more so than what Green on Red did without him).