John Coltrane section you will be watching a documentary on him; answer the following questions after you have watched the movie. Coltrane Documentary– https://youtu.be/PXcRHRLykbQ?si=Pa8WohNcyh-tzI4P
Visit link to watch and answer the bottom questions here:
Q: What was the name of the jazz quintet in which Coltrane played?
Q: To what extent did his tenure with this quintet impact his career?
Q: Which instrument was the primary means of performance for John Coltrane?
Q: What year and location was Coltrane born?
Q: What struggles did he encounter, and is there a connection between Miles Davis and Charlie Parker?
At minute 52 till minute 57 the documentary discusses the horrific bombing of a Baptist church in Birmingham Alabama. Coltrane then wrote a piece to honor the victims, and to make a statement. Listen to the song below and answer the following questions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saN1BwlxJxA&ab_channel=rogerbLinks to an external site.
Q: What thoughts do you have about the song?
Q: Do you experience any feelings or associations with the music that John Coltrane is playing on his instrument?
Q: Can you discern a statement, dialogue, or message between his melodic lines, or is it just background noise?
Q: What do you believe he was saying on the recording with his saxophone?
Q: What do you think about Coltrane’s post-war visit to Japan?
THEN, after watching the documentary below (small video playlist), submit answers to the discussion questions below.
Video Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDOWo00YFjPQSRXLS0km3TzVfDLD3nLzJ&si=DTiUpADamaSYrwRJLinks to an external site.
Q: What instrument did Miles Davis use to establish his legacy, and who was he?
Q: Which renowned New York institution did Miles attend to study music?
Q: The speaker gives an album description in the Kind of Blue Short video. What did he think was unique about Kind of Blue? (The scene before Jimmy Cobb speaks is early in the video).
Q: What struggles did Miles have to deal with during his career?
Q: How did Miles overcome his addiction to heroin? What was his account of the event?
Q: What would you say about the experiences that Miles’s former bandmates shared with him? Does this embody the essence of jazz music? (Recall what jazz is from the very first video we watched.) (To answer this, watch the A New Quintet short film on page 21 of 48.)
Q: What, in your opinion and in light of the film, made the album Bitches Brew so unique?
Q: What relationship did Miles have with Jack Johnson, the heavyweight champion?
Q: What general thoughts do you have about Miles and his career? What impact did he, in your opinion, have on jazz musicians and fans going forward?
After watching the short videos below, then listen to a song or two from the Kind of Blue album linked below the videos, submit answers to the discussion questions below.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEc_rKr9YL8&list=PLc-azXPrHSFXmeDKF85IdFQJI138fP8DI&index=4&ab_channel=LeComtedeMonteblanco%2CI.G.Y.%2810thAnniversary%29Links to an external site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENKxYwzVxyU&list=PLc-azXPrHSFXmeDKF85IdFQJI138fP8DI&index=5&ab_channel=LeComtedeMonteblanco%2CI.G.Y.%2810thAnniversary%29Links to an external site.
Kind of Blue: There are time stamps on the description, use that to help with the listening portion below.
https://youtu.be/9B7ZWDaKECI?si=q8uYiDoquasP62S8Links to an external site.
Q: In your opinion, what effect did Kind of Blue have on jazz after viewing the aforementioned documentaries?
Q: Why is it regarded as one of the most important jazz albums in the history of jazz music?
As you listen:
Q: Which songs did you choose to listen to after hearing a few of the songs on the album list, and why?
Q: Do you think they had an impact on you?
Q: How would you characterize jazz’s progression from our beginnings to this album?
Q: What aspects of the music you selected appeal to you, and what turns you off?
Q: What is your preferred instrument while choosing songs, and why?