1995 - Checking In with Saint John Coltrane

Checking In with Saint John Coltrane

I went to an interesting storefront church today that should be a part of anyone's visit to San Francisco. Our trombonist for New Year's, Dan Levine, took me to the African Orthodox Church where the jazz saxophonist John Coltrane is worshipped as a saint. The service began with the robed clergy donning saxophones and joining the house band for an impressive two hour Coltrane jam. There was an impressive Russian-icon-like painting of Coltrane with flames bursting out of the bell of the horn. Underneath his name was spelled in this mysteriously "meaningFUL" way: John Will I AM Coltrane.

Trivia

• This letter is from early 1995.