Marsalis and Reeves honor Coltrane 100 with a disc that revisits ’63 pairing

As part of the worldwide celebration of the centennial of jazz legend John Coltrane, two contemporary icons, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and vocalist Dianne Reeves, have teamed up to revisit Trane’s seminal 1963 collaboration with vocalist Johnny Hartman. That album, titled “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman” (Impulse!), was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. 

Blue Notes Records will release the Marsalis/Reeves Trane tribute this fall. The project has been described as "a living evolution of that classic record, featuring all the tracks from the original ’John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’ release, alongside a selection of additional beloved Coltrane classics."

The disc is a pillar of “Coltrane 100,” which showcases the full range of his artistry as the world marks the 100th anniversary of his birth on Sept. 23, 1926, in Hamlet, North Carolina.


To support their tribute disc, Marsalis with his quartet and Reeves will celebrate Trane in an SCP Jazz concert on Oct. 16. The program will include selections from the duo’s upcoming disc, which also features a selection of additional Coltrane classics.

Originally recorded in March 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman“ has been lauded as ”a sublime showcase" for Coltrane, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones, who give remarkable depth and sensitivity to a selection of standards such as Irving Berlin’s “They Say It’s Wonderful,” Guy Wood’s “My One and Only Love” and the definitive version of Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.” 

Reanimating the songs is the evocative baritone of Johnny Hartman, the only vocalist with whom Coltrane ever collaborated.

For more information about the Coltrane centennial, please visit the site www.johncoltrane.com.