Title: Jazz and Eastern Culture

To: University of Chicago, Dept. of Music, Ethno-Musicology Program

By: David Lee Grilly, PhD

Date: 08/22/2002, revised on 06/14/2017

I. Introduction

This thesis discusses how both religion and music from the East have influenced jazz

musicians. Jazz has been called “America’s classical music.” This truly distinctive American

art form is rooted in a combination of syncopated African rhythms, blues music originating

from the work songs of slaves, and popular songs played by New Orleans brass marching

bands. Behind these basic musical elements are European principles of harmony practiced on

instruments originating in Europe. In addition to the African and European musical

influences on jazz, the spiritual foundation of most African American jazz musicians has

been the gospel church. In contrast, most white jazz musicians have had a Judeo-Christian

spiritual background, one not as lively as that of the African American gospel church but

following the same religious doctrine. For its first fifty years, starting in the early 1900s, jazz

should be classified culturally as Western and, more specifically, American because all the

trends in the evolution of jazz at that time reflected original ideas developed in America by

Americans. However, jazz became a world music beginning in the late fifties and early

sixties. The leading edge of jazz dramatically shifted under the influence of Eastern musical

concepts and religion. Both music and religion from the East have complemented one

another to help American jazz evolve into a truly global music. In addition, since the early

seventies, an ever-growing number of jazz musicians have adopted Nichiren Buddhism as

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one of the major spiritual paths from the East. This Buddhist practice brings forth a state of

inner happiness profoundly influencing the music produced by these jazz musicians.

Trends, be they Eastern or Western, cannot exist without leaders. Throughout the history of

jazz, central figures have led each major trend. Ragtime’s primary artist was Jelly Roll

Morton. Dixieland and the hot jazz of the twenties had King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and

Coleman Hawkins as predominant artists. The swing movement from 1935 to after WWII

was headed by Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers, and Artie Shaw. Bebop developed

from the early to the late forties and had at its forefront Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

Cool jazz was created by Miles Davis in 1949 and popularized by Gerry Mulligan and Dave

Brubeck. The post-bop era of the early to mid-fifties saw the likes of Sonny Rollins and Max

Roach at the forefront, along with many other influential and accomplished players. Ornette

Coleman led the trend in the late fifties called “the new thing,” which gave rise to the free-

jazz movement of the sixties. At the helm of free jazz was tenor saxophonist John Coltrane,

who bore many cultural influences, both musical and spiritual, from the East. After the near-

death experience of jazz in the seventies within the United States, a teenaged trumpet genius,

Wynton Marsalis, led the neoclassical trend in jazz beginning in the mid-eighties, pumping

new life into mainstream jazz. Taking jazz into the third millennium was an influential

faction of musicians who practice Nichiren Buddhism, a religion originating in Japan and

now practiced in nearly two hundred countries. At the forefront of this movement are

musicians such as pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Buster

Williams, guitarist Larry Coryell, and flutist Nestor Torres. These world-renowned artists

bring a new, positive attitude to our international jazz culture—both musicians and listeners

—centering on the concept that “music is life.”

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II. John Coltrane’s Spiritual Influences

John Coltrane (also known as Trane) is the American jazz musician who contributed the

most to the evolution of jazz by using non-Western cultural practices. Trane’s music is both

beautiful and uplifting, making the study of his music highly valuable. The emotions he

communicated through his spontaneous compositions were infused with a deep religious

element, bringing “the mind of God” to jazz audiences around the world. A brief look at

Trane’s development demonstrates how his music and life became absorbed in the cultures

of the East.

Coltrane Finds God Within

John Coltrane was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, on September 23, 1926. Trane had a

foundation of both religion and music discipline in his youth. His religious roots came from

his grandfather—a Methodist minister—and mother. Trane excelled in grade school, but

after he discovered music, his attention focused there and not on his academic studies. He

played clarinet throughout high school and became a first-chair player there and in

community bands. Trane’s exposure to the bond between music and religion came initially

from his mother and grandfather but was reinforced by the fact that his community band

director was a minister. (1)

Although he became a disciplined musician, he fell into the negative environment jazz

musicians were in at that time. The bop revolution brought with it the horrific consequences

of heroin addiction. Many jazz musicians who wished to emulate Charlie “Bird” Parker

emulated his deadly drug habit. Trane had the unfortunate fate to fall into a heavy drug and

alcohol addiction. Given Trane’s drug use and unreliability while in Dizzy Gillespie’s band,

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Dizzy let him go. For the next five years his abuse of drugs and alcohol would greatly hold

him back. In 1955, Trane would be asked to become a part of the Miles Davis Quintet, one

of the most prestigious groups in jazz at that time. After two years, Trane’s bad habits would

ruin this relationship. Trane would show up to gigs with dirty clothes that looked slept in and

worse. According to Davis, he’d “be standing up there when he wasn’t nodding [off]—

picking his nose”. So fed up was Miles with Trane that at one point he slapped Trane and

punched him in the stomach. A life-and-death struggle would be needed for Trane to defeat

his negative habits. He had a tremendous need for a profound spiritual awakening. (2)

The involuntary separation from Miles brought Trane into the deepest depression of his life.

This lowest point—in the spring of 1957—would mark the beginning of a new John

Coltrane, one that would eventually change the entire course of jazz throughout the world.

He had a momentous religious experience. As he rested in bed going through the physical

and psychological pain of ending both heroin and alcohol addiction, he was touched by God.

He made a pact that if he could get through this torment he would devote his talent to God

and “would make music that would bring people to experience the same kind of revelations

he was experiencing.” From this experience, Trane gained a new sense of purpose because

he was now “playing for God.” As pretentious as this may sound, especially to those who are

skeptical of any religion, Trane’s religious quest was sincere because it touched all areas of

his life. (3)

Trane’s Spiritual Quest

Earlier I stated that jazz is a secular music even though the spiritual roots of the jazz

musician once came from the gospel church, however, Trane never subscribed to any

particular religion. His view of God was not founded on the Virgin Mary, Jesus, Jehovah, or

Allah. Rather he saw “God as the unity of all people and all things. All paths that led to the

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Absolute, ultimate reality, were equally valid … a force that is truly good.” He thought

man’s hope lies in discovering this unity of paths. This view strongly parallels the

philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism, which has as its goal transforming one’s destiny by

fusing with the “ultimate reality” for the sake of absolute unbreakable individual happiness

and world peace. Absolute unbreakable happiness, simply put, places greater importance on

enjoying the process than enjoying the final result. Coltrane would spend the remaining

years of his life exploring the gateway provided by an inner God toward infinite sonic

possibility. His cosmic conception of the Absolute, that he was a part of God and God was a

part of him, brought him to produce music that seemed superhuman. He was to live a truly

religious life and express his religion through his music. (4)

Coltrane wasn’t alone in his quest for religion, nor was he the only one of his peers to search

for it in the traditions of the East. Islam spread like wildfire among black musicians in the

1940s and ’50s, and many of these new Muslims were close to Coltrane. McCoy Tyner,

Trane’s principal pianist throughout the sixties was a Muslim. It was Yusef Lateef who

suggested to Coltrane that he read the Qur’an, the poetry of Kahlil Gibran, and the works of

Jiddu Krishnamurti. Musician Bill Basson turned him on to Autobiography of a Yogi, by

Paramahansa Yogananda. Reflecting upon this network of spiritual exchanges within the

community of musicians, Coltrane said, “I think the majority of musicians are interested in

truth, you know—they’ve got to be because a musical thing is truth.” (5)

In December 1964, Coltrane recorded what came to be his best-known, best-selling album, A

Love Supreme. The album is made up of sections titled “Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,”

“Pursuance,” and “Psalm.” A Love Supreme is an expression of a pilgrim’s process, and

perhaps it is just this that made the album so popular. Coltrane’s relationship with Eastern

religious traditions is represented in the chanting at the end of this album, making it the final

revelation. Coltrane and other group members chant the words “a love supreme” in unison,

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telling us that humans greatest purpose to seek religious beliefs and that God is everywhere.

(6)

III. Coltrane’s Musical Influences

Trane’s Modal Experiments in the Fifties

During the fifties, Trane was exposed to modal concepts in composition and improvisation.

This allowed him to later adapt his approach to a style modeled on the classical Indian

ensemble, also a modally based improvisational music. While in the revolutionary big band

of Dizzy Gillespie in 1949, he was first exposed to modal concepts in jazz through George

Russell’s composition “Cubana Be Cubana Bop,” in which Trane was featured on a rather

lengthy solo. Trane’s last two years in the Miles Davis Sextet (1958–59) produced two

outstanding albums, A Kind of Blue and Milestones. This music demonstrated the result of

Trane’s exploration and experimentation with different scales, emotions, and genres of

music, bringing him to the upper echelon of jazz. It also showed how Coltrane’s exploration

was “really part of a broader mission, to discover the universalities in music.” Through this

new, modal approach, Miles and Coltrane “expanded the language of jazz” for future jazz

musicians to explore. (7)

The modal style of jazz presented on these two albums was an experiment in simplicity. In

most jazz pieces, the chords change about once every other measure. In modal jazz,

improvisation stays on the same chord (e.g., a D minor 7th) for what could be a seemingly

endless series of eight or sixteen measure sections. The freedom of modal jazz also poses a

challenge: to make coherent and interesting music with a minimum of harmonic guidelines.

The soloist must be inventive while using a horizontal, lyrical, melodic approach (like that of

Lester Young and Paul Desmond) rather than a vertical approach (like that of Coleman

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Hawkins and that on Trane’s Giant Steps). The music Trane would embark on in the sixties

took the modal approach to its extremes—to total chaos. (For examples, listen to the albums

Om and Ascension.) Most importantly, the modal concept would give Trane the freedom he

needed to express himself spiritually, in much the same way as an Indian raga displays its

religious message. (8)

Elements of Classical Indian Music Relevant to Trane’s Music

The Sanskrit word raga originally meant “mood” or “emotion.” In classical Indian music, a

musician creates a mood not only by combining ascending and descending scales, but by

using them expressively—that is, deciding which notes to make dominant, which to end a

phrase, and which sequences of notes to typically use. Such tangible qualities combine to

make the intangible raga, something best experienced rather than described. Like the

appreciation of great literature, true appreciation of a raga in all its dimensions demands

familiarity with the musical language and culture being expressed. Yet even casual listeners

are fascinated by the artistry of a maestro improvising a beautiful story of mood and color

during a performance. Ultimately, it is the capacity to feel the music that truly matters for

both listeners and performers. Despite the technical complexities, this music is profoundly

spiritual in nature, regardless of the religion of the musicians or audience. A raga is very

similar to a mode in Western music, although the half-step, whole-step succession is unique

and the number of ragas is vast. In addition, Indian ragas played on Indian instruments use

microtonal inflections. (9) This is a common part of jazz improvisation. However, it wasn’t

until Trane’s playing in the sixties that these inflections sounded Eastern instead of “bluesy.”

Classical Indian music of both the North (Hindustani) and the South (Carnatic) is based on a

tradition reaching back perhaps three thousand years. The essence of Indian music is the art

of improvisation, using the fundamental interplay between swara (notes) and tala (rhythm).

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The infinite variety of ragas and the unbelievable complexities of Indian rhythm patterns,

together with an amazing assortment of vocal techniques and instruments of all classes, has

produced a genre of music that has engaged brilliant musicians and demanding listeners for

centuries. The surface has only been scratched, as the music continuously evolves, both

taking from and giving to other musical cultures while maintaining its own vigorous and

distinctive identity. Other genres’ musicians such as fusion-jazz guitarist John McLaughlin

and classical Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin have interacted intensely with Indian

musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, and L. Shankar to produce brilliant fusion

music that transcends boundaries and the abilities of most musicians. (10)

Elements of Indian Music Trane Adopted

Indian music and jazz have improvisation in common. To play Indian music, you must first

master your instrument and you must be able to improvise. Trane both possessed the mastery

and was one of the greatest improvisers in American jazz. He also had tremendous talent,

sincerity, and the desire to work assiduously. Modern jazz and Indian music both demand

great discipline. As a start toward mastering a new Eastern-influenced style of jazz, Trane

listened to recordings of Indian masters such as Mani Iyer (who played mridangam, a two-

headed drum) and Rajaratnam Pillai (who played nadaswaram, a double-reed instrument

similar to the oboe). In 1961, Trane began listening closely to Indian music, especially that

of the sitarist Ravi Shankar. Coltrane’s interest in scales and modes from India and

elsewhere was part of his broader mission to discover the universalities in music. “Certainly,

the popular music of England is not that of South America,” explained Coltrane. “But take

away their purely ethnic characteristics—that is, their folkloric aspect—and you’ll discover

the presence of the same pentatonic sonority, of comparable modal structures. It’s this

universal aspect of music that interests me and attracts me; that’s what I’m aiming for.”

Drawing upon the universal aspect of music as inspiration, Coltrane recorded a track titled

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“India.” This piece is characterized by a musical chant that never moves from the G pedal

point, much like the North Indian music he was listening to at the time. Jazz scholars have

found that the probable source of the tune is a recorded Vedic chant that seems to have been

issued around that time. The melody of the singer on the recording is nearly identical to that

of Coltrane. (11)

Indian musician Ravi Shankar and Nigerian drummer Michael Babatunde Olatunji

influenced Coltrane to combine their styles into such jazz pieces as “Dahomey Dance” and

“India.” These types of music prompted Coltrane to say, “I’ve already been looking into

those approaches to music, as in India, in which particular sounds and scales are intended to

produce specific emotional meanings. I’ve got to keep probing. There’s so much more to

do.” Coltrane’s work in integrating aspects of international music with jazz created new

areas for him and future jazz musicians to explore. Trane helped spawn the trend to include

instruments from all around the world in jazz groups, and in so doing he helped to make jazz

an even more international music. (12)

Coltrane said, “I’ve really got to work and study more approaches to writing. I’ve already

been looking into those approaches to music, as in India, in which particular sounds and

scales are intended to produce specific emotional meanings. I’ve got to keep probing.

There’s so much more to do.” Coltrane’s international influences began during the period in

which “My Favorite Things” became a Coltrane standard. The use of a drone in the bass on

this and other numbers may have been inspired by the drones used in Indian music. One can

hear the Indian influence in the melodic improvising—in the use of little motifs , an Indian

way much more than a jazz way of improvising. Jazz artists tend to use longer, free-flowing

melodies. (The criticisms of Coltrane’s music reflect the trouble some listeners have in

hearing his music as lyrical, since he eschews song-like melodies in the vein of, say, Charlie

Parker.) African concepts of space and of rhythmic repetition are essential here as well. In

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fact, West African drumming groups will repeat one section until the leader gives a cue to go

on to the next, much as Coltrane does in “My Favorite Things.” (13)

One of the major influences on the turn Coltrane’s music took in the early sixties was

Bismillah Khan, a star and master of the Indian shahnai. This can be heard when one listens

to the nasal quality of Trane’s soprano-saxophone playing. The soprano was added to his

arsenal of woodwinds because of its ability to produce a sound resembling that of the Indian

shahnai. In addition, Bismillah Khan and Trane were at the same place spiritually. Where

others see conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan sees

only a divine unity. In a similar manner, Trane was a soft-spoken, gentle, spiritual human

being with a wonderful sense of humor. Once when he was with Miles, a white fan came up

to him and said, “I don’t like that music you’re playing. It sounds like nigger hate music.”

Trane remarked, “I didn’t know what to say. I was shocked and just walked away.” Although

he was hurt, there was no hate in him. (14)

In 1966, the second-to-last year of his life, Trane produced an album entitled Meditations.

Although Trane continued to be revered as a spiritual man in search of the truth, the album

was not appreciated by critics or listeners. Even his most admired influence, Ravi Shankar,

had this to say: “I was much disturbed by his music. Here was a vegetarian who was

studying yoga and reading the Bhagavad Gita, yet in whose music I still hear so much

turmoil.” Trane’s approach to style at this point in his musical journey abandons pure lyrical

melody and chooses to “flail in the world.” He was digging deeper and deeper into his soul

and attempting to bring it out—be it angry, tormented, or beautiful—to his listeners. His

group at that time followed suit with his two drummers, Elvin Jones and Rashid Ali,

providing a loud polyrhythmic “downtown din,” his pianist, McCoy Tyner, pounding out

left-hand pedal tones reflective of “God in pain” and his fellow tenor saxophonist Pharaoh

Sanders screeching, screaming, and howling across the entire range of the instrument. (15)

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After Trane’s Death

Trane’s death, on July 17, 1967, left the jazz world saddened and at a great impasse.

Coltrane’s influence on an entire style of jazz continued well into the seventies. Free jazz

(originally known as “the new thing”), for which Coltrane acted as guru until his death,

gradually faded away. However, rock legend Jimi Hendrix captured Trane’s ideas in his own

style of acid rock. Hendrix used an Indian modal approach to his improvisation as well as

outrageous forms of behavior to build exasperating excitement, much like Trane in his later

recordings. Miles Davis came out with an electric “outside” album called Bitches Brew using

Trane-like modal, polyrhythmic, and atonal concepts. This set off an entirely new trend in

jazz called fusion. The guitar player from this album, John McLaughlin, would become the

leader of this trend in the seventies. Fusion musicians would continue to seek out masters of

Indian music such as Ravi Shankar. But this music failed to reach people on any kind of

spiritual level and gradually faded in the early eighties. (16)

IV. Japan as an Eastern Influence on American Jazz

Japan, both musically and spiritually, has had a significant influence on jazz. Japan’s music

utilizes the pentatonic scale, which is very similar to the blues scale used in jazz.

In classical Japanese ensembles, the koto and shimesan interact harmonically, giving parallel

fourths and dissonant major and minor seconds. These characteristics have given some of

America’s top jazz composers, such as Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck, musical ideas to

work with. Although none of these composers have used these ideas in pursuit of conveying

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a lifelong spiritual message, as did John Coltrane with Indian music, they are worthy of

mention in this essay.

Horace Silver’s hard-bop quintet paid a visit to Japan in 1962. The compositions “Too Much

Sake,” “Sayonara Blues,” “Tokyo Blues,” “Cherry Blossom,” and “Ah!” resulted from this

engagement. Dave Brubeck’s famous quartet visited Japan in spring of 1964. “Tokyo

Traffic,” “Rising Sun,” “Toki’s Theme,” “Fujiyama,” “Zen Is When,” “The City Is Crying,”

and “Osaka Blues Koto” came from this experience. In addition to composers for small

ensembles, big-band composer Toshiko Akiyoshi has won countless jazz polls for her

brilliant compositions and arrangements. One can hear the Japanese influence throughout her

music. And last but not least is Duke Ellington’s “Far East Suite.” This fifteen-minute

composition continues to be performed in jazz festivals throughout the world by Ellingtonian

bands put together for each special occasion. This piece was featured at the Chicago Jazz

Festival in 1999. (17)

Japan’s Spiritual Contribution

Even greater of an influence on jazz than traditional Japanese musical elements is Japan’s

spiritual contribution through Nichiren Buddhism. Gautama Buddha appeared in India

around 2,500 years ago in what is now modern Nepal. His enlightenment to eternal,

universal reality was most clearly and deeply articulated in the Lotus Sutra, which he taught

in the last eight years of his life. From India, Buddhism migrated in two directions. It flowed

into Southeast Asia, where Hiniyana Buddhism developed, and to China, where Mahayana

Buddhism developed. In China, the theoretical principles of Buddhism and in particular the

Lotus Sutra were conceptualized further. These teachings then migrated first to Korea and

then Japan. (18)

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In the thirteenth century, Nichiren Daishonin (great high priest of the Sun Lotus) revealed

the truth hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra. According to Nichiren, the workings of the

universe are an expression of a single law: Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the title and essence of

the Lotus Sutra. When anyone chants this phrase each day, they can put themselves in

rhythm with the universe, unlock their hidden potential, and change their destiny. Through

this harmonization with one’s environment they lead happier lives. Nichiren Buddhism gives

one the power to change incredible suffering into unlimited happiness and help one become

a positive influence on their community.

The organization Soka Gakkai International has helped people from over two hundred

countries find out about this life philosophy and correctly develop their practice of it.

Jazz Musicians Embrace Nichiren Buddhism

In the early seventies, Americans all across the country began to become aware of the

Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. Over the past forty years, thousands of Americans began

practicing this philosophy, along with ten million Japanese and believers from many

countries worldwide. Because believers come from all walks of life, several famous

personalities from music, film, and television have begun the practice. Among them are

Patrick Duffy, Tina Turner, and Herbie Hancock. Although Herbie Hancock is the most

well-known of them, other famous jazz musicians who are Nichiren Buddhists are Buster

Williams (bass), Wayne Shorter (saxophone), Larry Coryell (guitar), Shinzo Uno (trumpet),

the late Harold Land (saxophone), Mike Clark (drums), Nester Torres (flute), and most

recently Carlos Santana (guitar). In addition to these famous, internationally renowned jazz

musicians, countless other great musicians (jazz and otherwise) embrace this faith.

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The life of Herbie Hancock demonstrates how a jazz musician who embraces Nichiren

Buddhism can set a new course of hope for the third millennium. At sixty years of age,

Hancock displays a youthful spirit. It always feels as if he is entering a new phase of life and

still growing and developing. Although he seems to have achieved all there is to achieve as a

great jazz musician, he feels ready to climb even higher. Hancock’s musical philosophy

throughout his career has never wavered. “Music is an expression of what it is to live,” he

says. His attitude is that musicians should bring people hope, not use music as a vehicle for

self-gratification. Music should bring out the most venerable aspects of one’s inner being. In

short, his philosophy is that “music is life.” (19)

Herbie Hancock worked with Miles Davis from 1963 through 1968, along with his colleague

Wayne Shorter, internationally acclaimed saxophonist. After leaving Miles he had the

opportunity to work with bass player Buster Williams. This quiet, mellow person impressed

Herbie with his ability to bring out an astonishing, positive reaction from the audience.

Herbie felt quite empty and depressed at the time. He needed to know what had such a strong

positive influence on Buster as a jazz performer. Buster told him about Nichiren Buddhism

and that what he was really looking for was inside of him not outside. Herbie found this

philosophy profound and accessible, and in the autumn of 1972 he began to practice this

philosophy. A “new melody” began to reverberate within his life. (20)

As Herbie continued to practice the chanting of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, he continued to

have success after success in his music career. In 1973 his group, The Head Hunters, led the

fusion movement in popularity as well as record sales. His groups continue to pack concert

halls worldwide. He continues to compose music for film and television, as well as

advertising jingles. He has won seven Grammy Awards. In 1987 he won an Oscar for his

musical score in the film Round Midnight. At the Oscar awards ceremony, he declared, “I

used to think that music brought people happiness, that it had the power to change people’s

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hearts. But now I know that personal growth is the source for creating better and deeper

music. I will continue to do my best to contribute to the development of music while

polishing the spirit to earnestly seek what it is to be truly human.” (21)

Please note: since the time the original version of this thesis was written Herbie Hancock’s

achievements include several Grammys and recently being appointed professor and lecturer

at Harvard University. And most recently as of January 2017, Mr. Hancock co-authored a

book with internationally renowned saxophonist Wayne Shorter and Soka Gakkai

International President Daisaku Ikeda entitled: Reaching Beyond, Improvisations on Jazz,

Buddhism and a Joyful Life.

V. ConclusionBoth the music and spirituality from the East have had a profound influence on jazz

musicians. John Coltrane’s life was that of a great musician reaching out to the world as he

searched for a profound philosophy of life. In his quest to find both musical and spiritual

influences from the East, he left the world with some of the greatest music ever conceived.

The reason John Coltrane embraced religions from many cultures was to fill a profound

need. When this need was left unfulfilled, the result was a deadly addiction to heroin and

alcohol. Once he submitted himself to his inner god, a god that was neither Christian, Jewish,

nor Muslim, but rather the god of the universe, he was able to spend the remaining ten years

of his life “preaching” the absolute dignity of life through his saxophone. He found that

adopting Indian, African, and Arabic concepts of music in a traditional small jazz ensemble

allowed him the freedom to express the innermost and most venerable aspects of his own

spirituality. In Herbie Hancock, we can see a great jazz musician who has found a great

philosophy of life from the East and who continues to change his destiny. Before practicing

this philosophy, his life was empty and he was an unhappy person, despite his relative

success as a musician. Since he embraced Nichiren Buddhism, his personal happiness and

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musical achievement continue to soar. Herbie Hancock and millions of other people who

have embraced this philosophy have realized that happiness must be created by changing

their inner lives. As jazz musicians worldwide continue to find and practice this tremendous

life philosophy, the promise of jazz music to raise people’s spirits and give them hope has

become a reality.

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Sources:

Ascension, John Coltrane and his Quest; Eric Nisenson(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (16)

John Coltrane; Bill Cole

(7) (8)

John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the sixties; Frank Kofsky (15)

Chasin’ The Trane, The Music and Mystic of John Coltrane; J.C. Thomas (13),(14)

The Melodic and Polyrhythmic Development of John Coltrane’s Spontaneous Composition in a Racist Society; Karlton Edward Hester (11)

World Music the Rough Guide: Latin and NorthAmerican, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific; Simon Broughton and Mark Ellingham(12)

Traditional African and Oriental Music; Otto Karolyi (9), (10)

Living Buddhism May 2002 Edition; World Tribune Press (18) (19) (20) (21)

The book “The Buddha in Your Mirror is an excellent guide to practicing Nichiren Buddhism” published by Middleway Press and is available at the bookstores throughoutthe U.S. . Herbie Hancock wrote the introduction to this book.

Album Cover Liner Notes: Dave Brubeck’s Impressions of Japan; Horace Silver TokyoBlues (17)

* * * * * * * * * *

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