John Coltrane

A Love Supreme, by John Coltrane and his powerful quartet, remains a towering and seemingly untouchable jazz classic. But the virtuosic genre-benders in the Turtle Island Quartet have done it justice, re-working the seminal album for strings and winning a Grammy for their trouble. They perform a live version on this week's JazzSet.

After years of playing with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, the saxophonist emerged as a jazz virtuoso by the end of the 1950s. But it was the restless exploration to follow that made him a pioneer of American music.

The most influential jazz musician after bebop, the tenor saxophonist nurtured a career marked by rapid growth in improvisational technique and ideas. By the late 1950s, he had already produced his first masterpieces.

Turtle Island Quartet has just released A Love Supreme, a take on the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and others. Violinist David Balakrishnan and cellist Mark Summer discuss how they transformed the jazz masterpiece for string quartet.

Reviewer Tom Moon gives a listen to the classic 1959 jazz recording Kind of Blue. The album is considered a tour de force of improvisation in which Miles Davis confronts a radical notion in the recording process — and does so with grace and poise.

Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.

Boleros are a form of love song that originated in Cuba in the 19th century, and the lyrics reflect themes of bittersweet, unrequited, betrayed, or eternal love. Not all of these songs are strictly boleros, but they all maintain the tradition — and, more importantly, the feeling.

We asked NPR listeners to tell us their favorite love songs for Valentine's Day. They responded in droves, posting to the All Songs Considered blog. On this edition of All Songs Considered we share some of those songs and the stories behind them. Hear a mix of music to fall in love with, from the Magnetic Fields and Arcade Fire to the Temptations and Sam Cooke.

On the liner notes of A Love Supreme, John Coltrane describes how studies of Eastern religions –- particularly Sufism –- transformed his life. Along with its religious undertones, the album has great jazz sets, including solos by pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison.

Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is frequently cited as being the best-selling jazz album in history. Released in 1959, this classic from the master trumpeter has sold more than five million copies and is still going.

Of all of his albums, John Coltrane selected one as his favorite: Blue Train. Released in 1957, the record is frequently cited as one of the most important in the history of jazz. The 1997 reissue has several bonus tracks, as well as video and interview clips.

Larry Appelbaum of the Library of Congress recordings division talks about previously undiscovered tapes of a 1957 Carnegie Hall performance of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane.

In November 1957, an unprecedented lineup of jazz artists performed at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, including Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. The recordings from that night were once lost, but were rediscovered earlier this year.

Glenn Miller's "In the Mood," Edward R. Murrow's wartime broadcasts from London and Public Enemy's influential hip-hop album Fear of a Black Planet are among the recordings added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

For lovers of jazz music, the year 2005 brought a wealth of reissues by critical artists from Jelly Roll Morton to John Coltrane. The music, the result of exhaustive archival and restoration work, adds new details to one of America's richest musical traditions.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall. It's a long-forgotten recording of a 1957 benefit concert, which has never been released until now.

On the liner notes of A Love Supreme, John Coltrane describes how studies of Eastern religions –- particularly Sufism –- transformed his life. Along with its religious undertones, the album has great jazz sets, including solos by pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison.

Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is frequently cited as being the best-selling jazz album in history. Released in 1959, this classic from the master trumpeter has sold more than five million copies and is still going.

Evolving out of 1950s bebop, hard bop incorporates elements of gospel, soul and R&B. One of the style's biggest supporters, Blue Note Records, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. And while jazz has progressed since then, hard bop is still heard in many modern jazz recordings. Hear five classics.

Even though there's a stunning array of color in autumn, there's something inherently melancholy about watching the leaves drop. Let these five confessionals prepare you for a season of the high lonesome — a time before a chilly mood meets the rake's progress.

Sooner or later, a dinner function might come up out of nowhere and catch you sleeping on the iconic saxophonist's discography. So here's a five-song primer to one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.

Here's a chance for all baseball-loving jazz fans to get into the swing of the season with a few jazz songs that take their inspiration from the boys of summer. It's America's greatest art form celebrating the Great American Pastime.

For jazz musicians, playing at the Village Vanguard is a special event. To record there is a rite of passage. How can you not bring your best stuff, knowing who brought theirs before? Here are five notable glimpses into the world's most famous jazz joint.

Every year, Valentine's Day brings the same old sappy cards, chocolates, and heart-shaped jewelry — stuff that's nowhere near as special as retailers would have you believe. Why not impress your sweetheart with some music inspired by love instead?

It's a fair bet that three-quarters of all songs have something to do with love, with maybe half of those coming out in its favor. Here are five lovesick tunes crafted by jazz legends, Broadway hitmakers, and new talents.

To many, autumn is the most pleasant season in which to visit New York: The sight of leaves turning colors and falling through Central Park is breathtaking. If you're daydreaming about New York, you'll need a soundtrack, courtesy of WDUQ.