Article Contributed by Shore Fire Media
Published on 2026-07-21
On September 1, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, will publish Coltrane: The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend, a photographic celebration of John Coltrane’s life and music edited and overseen by John’s son, Ravi Coltrane.
Containing more than 200 expertly curated images captured by renowned photographers including Chuck Stewart, Francis Wolff, Jim Marshall and Jean-Pierre Leloir, the book also features exclusive new essays on Coltrane’s life, legacy and influence written by Wayne Coyne, Dev Hynes, Phil Lesh, Julie Mehretu, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith and Ravi Coltrane.
Featuring dozens of never-before-seen photos of Coltrane onstage, in the studio, on tour and at home, Coltrane: The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend includes outtakes from the Ascension album cover photo shoot, candid images taken during the recording of Blue Train, a glimpse backstage with Alice Coltrane before their first performance together and much more.
The book’s publication is a centerpiece of Coltrane 100, a global, year-long celebration organized by the Coltrane Estate to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the jazz legend’s birth on September 23, 1926.
Rolling Stone has exclusively excerpted the Patti Smith and Carlos Santana essays to give fans and readers an advance preview of the book.
Read the Patti Smith and Carlos Santana essays:
Read the excerpts here
Announced in February, Coltrane 100 celebrates an artist whose work reshaped the language, ambition and purpose of music. Today, more than 58 years after his passing, John Coltrane remains one of the most vital and influential figures in modern culture. His music is probing, spiritual and endlessly exploratory, and continues to reach new listeners, transcending genre, generation and geography.
To date, the Coltrane 100 campaign has included a Record Store Day exclusive preview of the newly discovered Tiberi Tapes, released as a single LP on April 18 via Impulse! Records.
Recorded by fan and amateur engineer Frank Tiberi between 1961 and 1965, the tapes have often been regarded as a “holy grail” by Coltrane fans and will receive a wider release in September.
Other recent campaign highlights include the debut of Coltrane 100: Legacy, a series of performances featuring Coltrane compositions adapted for orchestra.
First performed earlier this year in St. Louis with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and soloist Joe Lovano, Coltrane 100: Legacy will be presented at Philadelphia’s TD Pavilion on July 22 in a performance conducted by Edwin Outwater and featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ravi Coltrane, in his first performance of Coltrane standards backed by an orchestra.
The campaign culminates with the Los Angeles premiere of Coltrane 100: Legacy at the Hollywood Bowl on Coltrane’s birthday, September 23, featuring soloist Lakecia Benjamin.
Pre-order Coltrane: The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend:
Penguin Random House
About Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader and composer. Born on Long Island, the second son of John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar.
He was raised in Los Angeles, where his family moved after his father’s death in 1967. Ravi maintains a fast-paced touring, recording, composing and performance schedule. He leads the effort to restore the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, Long Island, and presides over important reissues of his parents’ recordings.
About John Coltrane
John Coltrane, who lived from 1926 to 1967, was one of the most transformative artists in the history of modern music. A saxophonist, composer and bandleader of singular vision, he expanded the expressive possibilities of jazz while establishing music as a vehicle for spiritual inquiry and human connection.
His unmistakable sound and relentless curiosity placed him at the center of nearly every major stylistic shift in jazz during the mid-20th century.
During a concentrated decade of unprecedented creative output, Coltrane released 25 albums as a leader, forging a legacy defined by fearless exploration and emotional depth. His work bridged blues, bebop, modal jazz and the avant-garde, influencing generations of musicians across jazz, rock, hip-hop, classical and experimental music.
Despite the near-mythic devotion his work inspires, Coltrane emphasized discipline, humility and practice as the foundation of artistic excellence.
Since his passing, Coltrane’s stature has only grown. His recordings are preserved by the Library of Congress and studied worldwide as cornerstones of American music.
His honors include a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, multiple inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame and a U.S. commemorative postage stamp.
John Coltrane endures as a paragon of artistic courage and spiritual vision, and his music continues to speak urgently and timelessly to listeners around the world.
Facebook: Coltrane: The Definitive Visual Celebration of the Legend arrives September 1 with more than 200 images and essays by Patti Smith, Carlos Santana, Phil Lesh and more.
