Chasin' The Trane (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback]

J. C. Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1976 | Series: Da Capo Paperback

Always elusive, constantly moving, incessantly changing, John Coltrane stood astride the jazz world of the late ‘50s and ‘60s. He was a giant of the saxophone and a major composer. His music influenced both rock stars and classical musicians. There was a mystical quality, a profound melancholy emanating from this quiet, self-contained man that moved listeners—some of whom knew little about music but heard something beyond music’s boundaries in the sounds his saxophone created. J. C. Thomas traces John Coltrane’s life and career from his North Carolina childhood through his apprenticeship with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis, to its culmination in the saxophonist’s classic quartet that played to steadily increasing audiences throughout America, Europe, and Japan.The author has drawn on the recollections of the people who knew Coltrane best—boyhood friends, band members like Elvin Jones, spiritual mentors like Ravi Shankar, and the women who loved him. Chasin’ the Trane is the story of a man who struggled against drug addiction, studied African and Eastern music and philosophy, admired both Einstein’s expanding universe and the shimmering sounds a harp makes, and left behind the enduring legacy of a master musician who was also a beautiful man.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. C. Thomas writes for theNew York Times, Down Beat, and the Village Voice. His weekly discussion show appears on Teleprompter Cable TV.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Edition edition (August 22, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306800438
• ISBN-13: 978-0306800436
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A basic primer, October 17, 2001

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chasin' The Trane (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

Think of this as the cliff notes edition of the life of John Coltrane. An alternate title could be "I Remember Trane." The book moves quickly over the first part of his life and concentrates mostly on his recording years. The early struggling years that were characterized by drugs is glossed over and pretty much picks up in ernest with his quiting in 1957. The best parts of this easy to read book are the lines attributed to his friends or those that knew him. The insights are clearly evident throughout the book as it is filled with little known tid bits as shared by people who crossed paths with the man. It seems everyone had an opinion or crossed paths with Trane. There are studio recollections, club dates, both on and off stage memories, diary excerpts but most of all reflections on the part of fellow musicians. Some of the encounters are remarkeable, like the time Gato Barbieri, the Argentine saxophonist, met him backstage in Europe and saw the sax case he had sent Coltrane. Coltrane exclaimed "you're from Argentina" and was unaware that Gato was the man who had sent the monographed leather case. The personal recollections make this a memorable book and a quick reference point for further and more detailed reading. The pictures are minimal but historically worthy. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in Coltrane and would like to get some quick and easy insights into the legendary sax great. This is Coltrane 1A, there is ample room for further knowledge, beginning with his music.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chasin' The Trane (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

This book is easy to read and contains a lot of information but seems a little dated. It clearly illustrates that it was published in the '70s as it includes details of Mr. Coltrane's astrological chart and way over the top comparisions (like John Coltrane and Albert Einstein). This book is also not for cynics - I found myself rolling my eyes more than once at the overly flowery content. I did like that the book spoke of his personal problems in relation to the albums released and how the changes in his life affected his study of music. The best parts of the book are the short quotes from his family and friends.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy the Lewis Porter Coltrane Book Instead., February 27, 2008

By 

Talking Wall "Never trust a man with manicure... (Queen Creek, AZ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chasin' The Trane (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

I've owned this book since 1978 when my wife gave it to me as a Christmas present. I think at the time this was the only biography available. Much better biographies have come along since then. If you want to learn about Trane's life AND his music, you want the excellent Lewis Porter biography.

There's interesting stuff in Chasin' the Trane but there are also lots of goofy, silly passages that are sheer flights of fancy on the part of JC Thomas.

The passage where Thomas describes a compassionate Trane handing a couple of winos a ten dollar bill is just plain silly "Hey, that was Trane, handing me a ten when I have a million questions to ask him about music." Gimme a break. The only thing the wino wants to know is where the nearest liquor store is and whether his friend wants Thunderbird or Ripple.

There are also imagined scenes about his practicing and lots of stories about common people who are inspired by Trane who are no more special than you or me, so why do I want to read about them. I suspect some of them are simply friends and acquaintances of Thomas.

The book has several passages that are purely flights of fancy on the part of Thomas - highly speculative at best.

There is scant information about the man's actual music and absolutely NO analysis of Trane's methodology (such as the Giant Steps thirds). If you are a musician, like me, you what you REALLY want Porter's book, it is incredibly detailed with its analysis of Trane's music. You WILL probably learn something reading the Porter book. You can sit and read and follow along with the pieces to get the gist of what Porter is writing about.

Chasin' the Trane - while possibly the 1st Coltrane biography, is really quite trite compared to the Lewis book.