An Introduction to the Music of John Coltrane

The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents

Kris Allen:
An Introduction to the Music of John Coltrane

Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Online via Zoom

The common wisdom about the saxophonist John Coltrane is that he was the last major figure in the evolution of jazz”- Ben Ratliff (from Coltrane: The Story of A Sound)

“Believe me, we all know that this word which so many seem to fear today, “Freedom” has a hell of a lot to do with this music”- (John Coltrane from a letter to Don DeMichael)

This lecture will be a sprint through the highlights of the musical life of saxophonist/composer/bandleader John Coltrane, the cultural context in which it was created and received, and its varied artistic, philosophical, political and spiritual legacies.  His too-short but intense public career  featured many abrupt changes and distinct phases, and he is widely considered to be the most influential jazz musician from the 1960's onward. His quartet (featuring Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison) instigated a seismic shift in the expectations of what a jazz performance entailed and represented, and he helped to usher in the concept of "world" music. He was an important figure in the Civil Rights and Black Arts movements of the 1960's. You're sure to hear something new or to see something old in a fresh light!

Kris Allen is the Lyell B. Clay Artist in Residence in Jazz and Lecturer in Music at Williams and the director of the Williams jazz ensemble program. A native of the Hartford CT area and a protégé of the great Jackie McLean, Kris has forged a clear conceptual and aural identity as a saxophonist, composer, bandleader and recording artist appearing on dozens of albums. His latest release as a leader, June, is his third critically acclaimed album for the Truth Revolution Recording Collective.

Kris’s work has been honored with numerous awards and commissions, including a Macdowell Artist’s Colony fellowship and the Connecticut Office of the Arts fellowship. He currently tours widely as the leader of his own quartet/quintet and as a member of the collaboratively led “Triangle Offense” trio with bassist Matt Dwonszyk and Jonathan Barber, and the experimental jazz/electronic duo "Allen LANZ." 

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Ticket information:

Admission is $10 for OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Museum members, and $15 for the general public.

Admission is free for students, staff and faculty from Berkshire Community College, MCLA, Simon's Rock, and Williams; youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards.

Pre-registration is required. Register safely and securely online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9am-4pm) to register by phone with a credit card.