Article Contributed by Shore Fire Media
Published on 2026-02-19
More than fifty-eight years after his passing, John Coltrane remains one of the most vital and influential figures in modern culture. His music is probing, spiritual, endlessly exploratory, and continues to reach new listeners, transcending genre, generation, and geography. In 2026, the Coltrane Estate will mark the 100th anniversary of the musician’s birth with COLTRANE 100, an ambitious, year-long global celebration honoring an artist whose work permanently reshaped the language, ambition, and purpose of music.
COLTRANE 100 will unfold across recorded music, live performance, visual art, and institutional partnerships, positioning Coltrane not only as a jazz icon but as a central figure in 20th-century cultural history. At the core of the celebration is the first-ever release of the long-mythologized Tiberi Tapes, a set of private live recordings captured by musician Frank Tiberi between 1961 and 1965 in clubs across New York and Philadelphia. These recordings document Coltrane in constant motion, revealing new dimensions of his improvisational language through a treasure trove of previously unheard performances. Set for release via Impulse! Records, the collection will debut in September 2026, preceded by a Record Store Day preview.
On the unveiling of the fabled tapes later this year and the Coltrane year-long celebration, Jamie Krents, President and CEO of UMe and Verve Label Group, says, “The Tiberi tapes have literally been the stuff of legend in the world of John Coltrane until now. We’re thrilled to finally get to share these recordings of Coltrane’s musical evolution with the world. It’s a true privilege and honor for the team at Impulse! to release unheard music from one of the absolute icons of music as we celebrate his centennial.”
On September 23, the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth, the Hollywood Bowl hosts the LA premiere of Coltrane 100: Legacy, a symphonic celebration with new arrangements of Coltrane’s popular and groundbreaking works newly reinterpreted, expanded, and reimagined for orchestra by the most lauded arrangers of the current era, including GRAMMY nominated Carlos Simon. As Coltrane himself explored and expanded upon his compositions in every performance, that quest to discover new meaning in the pieces continues today. The Hollywood Bowl performance features soloist Lakecia Benjamin, a critically hailed saxophonist who was acclaimed for her 2020 album of John and Alice Coltrane compositions. Benjamin will be backed by her touring band and a 16-piece orchestra. Wynton Marsalis closes the evening in his final performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Coltrane 100: Legacy makes its St. Louis debut with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on February 28 with soloist Joe Lovano, conducted by Edwin Outwater. Tickets are on sale now.
Impulse! Records and partner labels will celebrate Coltrane’s catalog throughout 2026 with an extensive slate of releases that honor both the breadth and depth of his recorded legacy. Impluse! Records releases include Africa/Brass (April 24) ready to pre-order here, Impressions (May 22), Ascension (June 12), Meditations (August 14), Live at Birdland (October 23), and the Essential John Coltrane, a Target-exclusive limited-edition 2LP that’s available now.
Impulse! Records has also today unveiled the first-ever official music video for A Love Supreme: “Acknowledgement,” the suite’s opening movement, directed by award-winning filmmaker AG Rojas. Filmed on Kodak Double-X black-and-white 16mm, the live-action work meticulously recreates Van Gelder Studio as it appeared on the day A Love Supreme was recorded, December 9, 1964, transforming the space into an immersive, spiritual meditation on Coltrane’s most enduring masterpiece. In conjunction with the premiere of A Love Supreme: “Acknowledgement,” COLTRANE 100 will appear on YouTube billboards in New York City’s Times Square and along the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles., marking Coltrane’s centennial across two global cultural capitals.
Craft Recordings is looking back at Coltrane’s earliest days as a leader with a curated collection of originals and standards. Available for pre-order, The Best of John Coltrane (March 13) draws from the saxophonist’s 1957–1958 sessions—a period of rapid artistic evolution as he established his sound and cemented his legacy as an innovative force in jazz music. Look out for more releases coming later in the year from this pivotal period of Trane’s career.
Rhino Records kicked off the Centennial with the 1960-1964 Mono (Rhino High Fidelity) box set, bringing together Giant Steps, Coltrane Jazz, My Favorite Things, Olé Coltrane, Coltrane Plays The Blues, and Coltrane’s Sound. The collection is AAA cut from the original analog mono master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl at Optimal and limited to 2,000 individually numbered copies. The records are presented in glossy gatefold jackets with the alternate French cover art and the original U.S. cover art inside the gatefolds, and exclusive new liner notes by music writer Syd Schwartz.
COLTRANE 100 extends into the public sphere as a wide-ranging cultural moment. This year, both The John & Alice Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, New York and The John Coltrane House in Philadelphia will open to the public for the first time. John and Alice Coltrane lived, composed, recorded, and pursued spiritual study during a period of profound artistic transformation during their time in the New York home, and Coltrane came of age as a creative innovator within the local music community while living in the Philadelphia House. The Coltrane Estate leads the preservation and activation of these two sites as a centerpiece of furthering the Coltrane legacy. In 2026, the Homes anchor two major off site Centennial initiatives: in New York, a collaboration with ShapeShifter Plus focused on performance, education, and new creation; and in Philadelphia, a multi-month, citywide tribute presented with Ars Nova Workshop that situates Coltrane’s work within the city that shaped his artistic foundations with an emphasis on youth engagement.
Museum-level collaborations—including a partnership with Devon Turnbull (OJAS) during Art of Noise at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum—will place his recordings within contemporary sound and design culture.
Modern listening culture is also central to the centennial. Sonos Radio has curated a John Coltrane takeover on its exclusive Impulse! Records station, live now on Radio HD, offering listeners a deeply contextualized journey through Coltrane’s catalog and underscoring his continued relevance within today’s high-fidelity and streaming ecosystems. Additionally, communal listening experiences will be celebrated through dedicated A Love Supreme vinyl events in New York and Los Angeles with The Record Club, a monthly series known for immersive, audiophile-focused listening sessions. The centennial will also include a limited-edition collaboration with Brooklyn-based menswear brand Corridor, founded by Dan Snyder, translating Coltrane’s legacy into their music and art based designs. The John Coltrane Estate will continue its partnership with the design studio/clothing company Online Ceramics during the centennial celebration, with a new Coltrane 100 capsule collection debuting this year. Perryscope Productions, John Coltrane’s official merchandising and licensing representatives who oversee the official John Coltrane online store, will offer exclusives of wearables and collectables throughout the year that highlight John’s incredible career.
