Ashley Kahn Presents: John & Alice Coltrane & the Timeless Message of Spiritual Jazz | Presentation & Performance!

($20-$30 tickets / 4:30pm presentation & discussion / 6pm live performance) Grammy Award winning author and jazz historian Ashley Kahn makes a special appearance in Tucson to discuss John and Alice Coltrane’s impact on jazz and the intersection of music and spirituality, focusing on Coltrane’s seminal album, “A Love Supreme.” This very special event will culminate in a live performance by saxophonist Brice Winston & Outward Bound. $10 student tickets available at the door with student ID. NOT TO BE MISSED!

John & Alice Coltrane were the original power couple in jazz, creating music—separately and together—that remain as significant and influential today as when it was originally recorded in the 1960s. It was music born in a violent and divided era intended to convey a strong, clear message of universality and divine connection—a message with timeless relevance. At the same time, the beauty and popularity of their music endures. This presentation by the author of two award-winning books on John Coltrane employs generous audio and video clips to celebrate his music and universal message, and to better understand the role of his wife, the multi-instrumentalist and spiritual leader Turiyasangitananda Alice Coltrane. What forces guided their careers and how best to grasp their musical paths? How did these paths converge for John and Alice, and then diverge? What was the driving message they sought to convey through their music, and their lives?

The presentation will be followed by a special music performance featuring one of Tucson’s premier jazz leaders, saxophonist Brice Winston and his group, playing music written by and inspired by the Coltranes.

Ashley Kahn is an author, educator, music journalist, and concert producer. A professor of music history and criticism at NYU who lectures at other institutions as well, his books include the A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album, Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece. Kahn’s writing has generated two Grammy nominations, three ASCAP/Deems Taylor Awards, and two Book of the Year distinctions from the Jazz Journalists Association.