Ravi Coltrane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ravi Coltrane
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Coltrane in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 6, 1965 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | RCA, Savoy, Blue Note, ECM |
Ravi Coltrane (born August 6, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist. He is also a record producer and helps run the RKM Music record label. He has produced music for artists like pianist Luis Perdomo, guitarist David Gilmore, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi.
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About Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane is the son of two famous jazz musicians: saxophonist John Coltrane and jazz harpist Alice Coltrane. He was born in 1965 and was named after the famous sitar player Ravi Shankar. Ravi grew up in Los Angeles, California. His father, John Coltrane, passed away when Ravi was less than two years old.
Ravi went to El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California, graduating in 1983. Later, in 1986, he studied music at the California Institute of the Arts. He focused on playing the saxophone.
His Musical Journey
Ravi Coltrane has worked with many important musicians. Steve Coleman was a big influence on his music. Ravi has also played with jazz legends like Geri Allen, Kenny Barron, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and Branford Marsalis.
In 1997, Ravi released his first album as a band leader, called Moving Pictures. Before this, he had played on over thirty other recordings as a sideman, meaning he played with other artists. For Moving Pictures, he worked with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, and pianist Michael Cain. After this, he toured with his own band.
His second album, From the Round Box, came out in 2000. For this album, he played with pianist Geri Allen, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, bassist James Genus, and drummer Eric Harland. In 2002, he released Mad 6, his first album with Sony. His album In Flux came out in 2005.
In 2005, Ravi Coltrane traveled to India. He was part of a group of American jazz musicians. They went on a tour to help people learn about HIV/AIDS. Other musicians on this tour included Al Jarreau, Earl Klugh, and George Duke. Ravi performed in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. In Delhi, he even met Ravi Shankar, the person he was named after!
Ravi Coltrane's quartet has played at many famous jazz festivals. These include the Monterey Jazz Festival (in 2001 and 2013), the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival (in 2004), and the Vienna Jazz Festival (in 2005).
In 2008, Ravi joined a group called the Blue Note 7. This group was formed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records, a famous jazz label. They recorded an album called Mosaic in 2008. The album was released in 2009, and the group toured the United States to promote it. They played music from various Blue Note artists.
Ravi performed at the Village Vanguard in 2013. In 2016, he went to Australia to play at the opening of Bird's Basement. This was the first international location of the famous Birdland jazz club. He returned to Australia in 2017 to play more shows.
His Life Outside Music
Ravi Coltrane was born on August 6, 1965, in Long Island, New York. As a child, he was shy. He was interested in photography and film and thought about working in those fields. He first started playing the clarinet, but later switched to the saxophone in high school.
A difficult time for Ravi was in 1982. His older brother, John Coltrane Jr., passed away. This sad event made Ravi think deeply about his life. It also led him to rediscover his love for music. He decided to study music more seriously. He enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts in 1986.
After graduating, Ravi moved to Queens, New York, in 1991. He found an apartment with space to practice his music. There, he worked with and learned from many great musicians. These included Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney, Joanne Brackeen, and Steve Coleman.
In 1991, Ravi met Kathleen Hennessy while playing with Elvin Jones. They got married in 1999. They have two sons named William and Aaron.
Today, Ravi Coltrane lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is the Chairman of The Coltrane Home. This organization works to protect and preserve the home of his parents, John and Alice Coltrane, in Dix Hills, Long Island. It is now a museum and research center.
Gallery
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Ravi Coltrane with McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride, Roy Haynes and Michael Brecker performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 14, 2004.
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Ravi Coltrane (left, in black shirt) with Terell Stafford and Charnett Moffett at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 13, 2005.
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Ravi Coltrane at Bonnaroo, 2007.
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Ravi Coltrane performing with the Blue Note 7 at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 4, 2009.
Albums and Music
Ravi Coltrane has released several albums as a band leader. He has also played on many albums with other artists.
Albums as a Leader
- 1998: Moving Pictures
- 2000: From the Round Box
- 2002: Mad 6
- 2005: In Flux
- 2009: Blending Times
- 2012: Spirit Fiction
With The Blue Note 7
- 2009: Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records
Albums as a Sideman
Ravi Coltrane has played on albums with many different musicians. Here are some of them:
- With Ralph Alessi: Wiry Strong (2011), Imaginary Friends (2019)
- With Rashied Ali: No One in Particular (2001)
- With Cindy Blackman: In the Now (1998)
- With Terence Blanchard: Magnetic (2013)
- With James Carney: Pure Heart (2020)
- With Billy Childs: The Child Within (1996)
- With Steve Coleman: He played on several albums with Steve Coleman and his groups, including A tale of 3 cities, the EP (1994), Def Trance Beat (Modalities of Rhythm) (1995), and Lucidarium (2004).
- With Scott Colley: Initial Wisdom (2002)
- With Alice Coltrane: Translinear Light (2004)
- With Art Davis: A Time Remembered (1995)
- With Jack DeJohnette: In Movement (2016)
- With Dave Douglas: Orange Afternoons (2011)
- With Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma (2010)
- With David Gilmore: Ritualism (2001)
- With Elvin Jones: In Europe (1991), Going Home (1992)
- With Ryan Kisor: Minor Mutiny (1992)
- With Bheki Mseleku: Beauty of the Sunrise (1996)
- With Tisziji Muñoz: He played on many albums with Tisziji Muñoz, starting in 2000.
- With David Murray: MX (1992)
- With Luis Perdomo: Focus Point (2005)
- With Wallace Roney: Munchin' (1993), Mistérios (1994), No Job Too Big or Small (1999)
- With Bob Thiele Collective: Lion Hearted (1993)
- With Jeff "Tain" Watts: Bar Talk (2002)
- With Yosuke Yamashita: Canvas in Vigor (1996), Wind of the Age (1997)
- With Brandee Younger: Soul Awakening (2019)
- With Glenn Zaleski: My Ideal (2014)
- With Jason Palmer: Songbook (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Ravi Coltrane para niños
