Open Soundcheck: Ravi Coltrane & Terence Blanchard
The Open Soundcheck series gives jazz fans a rare glimpse into the creative process, as Ravi Coltrane and Terence Blanchard prepare for their upcoming Miles Davis & John Coltrane Centennial concerts at SFJAZZ. This open rehearsal in the Miner Auditorium precedes what promises to be a historic celebration of two jazz titans.
Ravi Coltrane brings the legacy of both his legendary parents — saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Alice Coltrane — while maintaining his own distinctive voice in contemporary jazz. As CapitalBop noted, "Coltrane proved himself to be the inheritor of marvelous genes, but not at all because he simply emulated his father. Instead, he demonstrated an arresting ability to define his own, powerful way forward." His playing combines spiritual inquiry with heady post-bop explorations, moving between contemplative soprano saxophone meditations and powerful tenor work that recalls influences like Branford Marsalis and Joe Henderson as much as his father.
Eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard, the New Orleans trumpeter who emerged from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, brings his own rich musical heritage to the collaboration. A master of both straight-ahead jazz and boundary-crossing composition, Blanchard has spent decades bridging traditional and contemporary styles while addressing social justice themes through his music.
The centennial celebration they're preparing for honors the profound musical connection between Miles Davis and John Coltrane, who together created some of the most important recordings of the 20th century. This Open Soundcheck offers an intimate opportunity to witness how two masters from different generations approach this monumental repertoire — hearing the music take shape through their collaborative process before it reaches the concert stage.
As WQHS Radio observed about Ravi's performances: "This kind of music requires an approach that is simultaneously active and casual, never zoning out as a listener, yet open to accepting the inevitable inability to perfectly follow the work of a genius in real-time."