John Coltrane Centennial

2026 marks the centennial year of a true visionary – saxophonist John Coltrane – who transformed the language of modern jazz. Emerging from the gospel-influenced hard bop style of the 1950s, Coltrane forged new paths into modal jazz and the avant‑garde, expanding harmonic and rhythmic possibilities for the music. In this Jazz Minute episode narrated by SFJAZZ Collective saxophonist Chris Potter, you’ll also discover Coltrane’s important ties to the San Francisco Bay Area in the later years of his career, plus a few tributes that SFJAZZ presented over the years, which featured Coltrane’s bandmates, family and younger generations of artists.