“When you interview over 30 diverse people about an artist who has been gone for nearly 40 years, you realize that this isn’t just some artist who plays the saxophone well. This is an artist who was on a mission that was deeper and greater than we could have ever imagined. He was not just playing jazz, he was not just improvising—he was pushing the limits of himself, his instrument, his music, and his spirit."
- Joseph Vella, PopMatters 2007
Debuted in 2007, the Traneumentary was a pioneering documentary podcast series devoted to the artistry and recordings of John Coltrane. The series was produced by Joseph Vella and ran in weekly installments throughout the year. An illustrious collection of guests including Jimmy Cobb, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins and many more share their personal accounts of John Coltrane and his music.
The Traneumentary was the first podcast series devoted to a legendary musical artist combining in-depth personal narratives and track commentaries. United by a deep respect and love for Coltrane’s legacy, the series remains the only collaborative effort involving the joint support of four major record labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Impulse and Atlantic.
Introduced in the "Pursuits" column of the Wall St Journal, the series was highly ranked by numerous music sites. It was featured on NPR, in the Los Angeles Times and selected as a top podcast series of 2007 by iTunes. Join us as we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the groundbreaking Traneumentary.
The Traneumentary Story
In the summer of 2006, I was contacted by Concord Records to create a podcast episode on a John Coltrane box set entitled Fearless Leader. After reviewing the material, I felt would be nearly impossible, and somewhat a disservice, to create a single podcast episode on such an intense and profound artist. Having spent countless hours listening to Coltrane myself, I knew his essence transcended the music and left something deeper within those who embraced it. I had a bigger and better plan to introduce Coltrane to the emerging podcast audience and proceeded to contact my record label colleagues at Atlantic, Blue Note and Impulse. I told them about Concord’s request and suggested a way we could all work together. I wanted to celebrate and introduce the great music of John Coltrane through his most famous recordings but also through personal stories and accounts from a variety of musicians, producers, writers and educators. Within thirty minutes, the Traneumentary was born.
Track excerpts used in this episode:
• "I Want To Talk About You"
• "On Green Dolphin Street"
• "My Favorite Things"
• "Acknowledgement"
• "My One & Only Love"