Trane: beyond the blues

By Tiquisha Tobin

Trane: beyond the blues

By TiQuisha Tobin

Staff Writer

If you don’t know about John Coltrane, you will definetly want to get to know him. March 6 -10 the African American Theatre Department will be performing Trane: Beyond the Blues about the Jazz great, John Coltrane. The performance will be in the Thrust Theatre, at 8 p.m. There will be a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee.

Coltrane was born Sept. 23, 1926 in Hamlet, NC. He grew up in High Point, NC, and moved to Philadelphia, Penn., in June 1943. The saxaphonist joined Duke Ellington’s orchestra until mid-1954. Although his life was short, his real career spans from 1955 till 1967, during which he reshaped modern Jazz and influenced generations of other musicians. In the late part of 1957, Coletrane worked with Thelonous Monk and later joined Miles Davis in Jan., 1958 in a quartet. Coltrane’s life ended in 1966.

The play about Coltrane is written by Christine Rusch and directed by Nefertiti Burton. Burton got her undergraduate’s degree at Clark University and her master’s degree at the University of Massachusettes. This is her third year at U of L. Through the course of her career, she has directed numerous plays.

In the play, Trane: Beyond the Blues, the plot focuses on Coltrane’s life from the age of 12 until his death at age 40. Burton describes Coltrane as “a hard working artist, as well as a perfectionist,” and by watching the play, “you will learn something about some of the greatest Jazz artists that ever lived. . . as well as learn what it means to be a true artist.” It displays how he overcame drug use to become an influence of Jazz.

The cast includes: Stacy Brooks – John Coletrane, Joe Geathers- Miles Davis, Chris Bailey- Thelonious Monk, Cedric Rembert- Charlie Parker, Dorothy Bell, Kia Fisher, Catherine Hill, Melanie House, Shawn Knight, and Jorie Morales. Call 852-6814 for ticket information.

*Contains mature subject matter including simulated IV drug use and offensive language.