Coltrane by Paolo Parisi Posted in: Arts & Literature, biography, Historical

‘My music is the spiritual expression of what I am: my faith, my knowledge, my being…’ 

John Coltrane rose from a hard and impoverished childhood in North Carolina to become one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. From session musician to band member of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, his raw talent and passion for experimentation inaugurated a new movement in music. Positioned at the beating heart of the 50s and 60s jazz world, Coltrane and his quartet created some of the most innovative and expressive music of the age, including the hit album My Favorite Things and the landmark work A Love Supreme.

Juxtaposing scenes from Coltrane’s personal life – his military career, addictions, political activism and love affairs – against snapshots of his major recordings, Coltrane evokes an extraordinary life and the momentous historical events that formed its backdrop. It is a graphic novel that echoes his work in its structure and style, and forms a testament to a pioneer and legend, whose music continues to inspire to this day.

Paolo Parisi

Paolo Parisi (1980), freelance graphic designer and graphic novelis, He studid History of Contemporary Architecture, Department of Visual Arts – Alma Mater Studiorum (Bologna IT). He work and lives in Rome.