Vincent Thekal (saxophone) ; Casimir Liberski (piano) ; Jasen Weaver (upright bass) ; Armando Luongo (drums)
It would have been unthinkable to let the year 2026 pass without paying tribute to John Coltrane, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday on 23 September. A leading figure on the tenor saxophone and in the history of jazz, he first cut his teeth playing with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. He then established himself as an outstanding composer and innovator with the recording of *Giant Steps* in 1959, a pivotal year during which he also reunited with Miles Davis to take part in the legendary *Kind of Blue*.
He subsequently formed his iconic quartet with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison. With them, he explored new horizons and played a part in the emergence of free jazz, whilst continuing to record gems in a more classical style, such as *Ballads* and *Coltrane Plays the Blues*. In 1964, he released *A Love Supreme*, an absolute masterpiece whose impact would extend far beyond the boundaries of jazz. In this spiritual vein, several major albums would follow on the Impulse! label, right up until his untimely death in 1967, at the age of just 40. His funeral itself was a veritable musical and spiritual journey that will remain forever etched in the history of music.
Today, it is the saxophonist Vincent Thekal who takes on this legendary figure. With his rich, full sound – capable of filling our club like no other – and backed by a band hand-picked for the occasion, he will do justice to “Trane” with as much passion as he does respect.
