John Coltrane: a TV special for the centenary, with archive footage, historic concerts and tributes from contemporary artists

Marking the centenary of the birth of John Coltrane, Mezzo TV pays tribute to one of the giants of jazz history with a special lineup that, from 17 September to 1 October, weaves together precious archival footage, historic concerts and reinterpretations entrusted to some of the leading figures of the contemporary scene. The channel is available on tivùsat at number 49.

The celebrations opened on Thursday 17 September at 8.30pm with "John Coltrane, Live in Antibes", which brings together two 1965 performances recorded at the festivals of Juan-les-Pins, France, and Comblain-la-Tour, Belgium. Alongside the saxophonist were McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones — the lineup of the legendary Classic Quartet that accompanied Coltrane through one of the most fertile and radical phases of his career, the one marked by masterpieces such as "My Favorite Things" and "A Love Supreme".
That same evening, at 9.20pm, "Archie Shepp All Star, Tribute to John Coltrane" aired — a tribute led by one of the musicians who most directly picked up and developed Trane's artistic legacy.

The heart of the programming falls on Wednesday 23 September, the exact centenary of Coltrane's birth, born in 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina. At 8.30pm Mezzo TV will air the premiere of "Collier Plays Coltrane, Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few", followed at 9.30pm by "John Coltrane, Live in Comblain-la-Tour Jazz Festival".
The special will close on Thursday 1 October with two further broadcasts. At 8.30pm, the premiere of "Emile Parisien Quartet, Tribute to John Coltrane" will air, followed at 10.00pm by the premiere of "James Carter Trane, A Centennial Supreme, Jazz in Marciac".

The season thus builds a bridge between the live testimonies left by Coltrane and the interpretations of later generations, documenting the persistence of a legacy that continues to leave a deep mark on contemporary jazz: from tonal exploration to the freedom of improvisation, through to the spiritual tension that turned the American saxophonist into one of the most influential figures in 20th-century music.
Founded in 1988, Mezzo TV is distributed in nearly a hundred countries and, according to figures released by the broadcaster, reaches over 65 million subscribing households. In Italy it can be seen on channel 49 of tivùsat.

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