Joseph Vella is attempting to bring the music of John Coltrane to a whole new audience by way of his blog and podcast The Traneumentary. It succeeds, but not just by playing his music. The weekly podcasts are a rich blend of interviews and commentaries on specific pieces of music; of course, the music is also there for the enjoyment of new listeners and long time fans alike.
Karrin Allyson, Joel Dorn, and Dave Schroeder are just a few of the musicians who have sat down to discuss Coltrane's music, giving listeners and visitors to the site not only respect for this great musician, but some enjoyable conversation about jazz in general. The blog is also a wealth of information and links to all things Coltrane and many things jazz. Once you visit the site, expect to spend hours reading the excerpts, listening to the music and commentary, and following the source links.
John Coltrane had a long and lustrous recording career, but like many tragic tales, many of his albums weren't released until after he died in 1967. The saxophonist is often credit with shaping modern jazz and is listed as an influence by many of today's players. He was a member of Miles Davis' First Great Quintet and also played with Thelonious Monk. The musician's life was cut short by liver cancer, and years of alcohol and heroin abuse are blamed for compromising his liver, making him more susceptible to the illness.
There are a total of 24 podcasts planned, with eight already available on the site. They can be downloaded from The Traneumentary or iTunes or subscribed to via XML.
Joseph Vella also opened up the world of jazz to more people every day by creating the website Jazz Online and through other numerous podcast projects. His most recent Traneumentary podcast is now available and features Karrin Allyson who released the album Ballads - Remembering John Coltrane in 2001. The tracks featured on this podcast are “Lonnie’s Lament,” “Everytime We Say Goodbye,” and “Traneing In.”
So, while reading about jazz here on BC Magazine this month, you may want to open a browser to the podcasts and listen to some solid music and informative commentary.
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