Yearly Archives: 2015

Shakespeare, Coltrane, Bob Marley What is the connection? What do artists do? As apprentices, they develop several aspects of their thinking at once. They develop skills to master the basics of their crafts. They improve these skills to move them forward. They analyze what they experience in […]

Bob Marley, John Coltrane & William Shakespeare

14 Sep, 2015 in Uncategorized by Steve Rowland (updated 3392 days ago)

Neither Elvin Jones or McCoy Tyner were happy about leaving the great John Coltrane Quartet in early 1965. Or about being replaced by Alice Coltrane and Rashied Ali – but Trane saw something very clear in what he wanted from the group, from Alice and from Rashied – that oddly […]

Late Coltrane

12 Sep, 2015 in Uncategorized by Steve Rowland

Miles Davis and John Coltrane. both born in 1926. Very different backgrounds. Miles came from a priviledged family — father was a dentist and landowner. Coltrane came from a working class family. His dad was a tailor and had a little dry cleaning and pressing shop. His two grandfathers were […]

Miles Davis and John Coltrane

12 Sep, 2015 in Uncategorized by Steve Rowland

The JackStraw Cultural Center, under direction of Joan Rabinowitz, asked me to teach a jazz workshop for second graders. I suggested we learn about the childhood of John Coltrane. Educator Joan Hsiao and I spent 6 class sessions with each of two second grade classes at McGilvra Public Elementary School. […]

Seattle Second Graders learn about John Coltrane’s childhood

6 Jul, 2015 in Uncategorized by Steve Rowland (updated 3459 days ago)