What do Chaka Khan, Ariana Grande, OutKast and Beastie Boys have in common? Jazz legend John Coltrane.
On her 1982 self-titled album, Khan sampled the 1960 Coltrane gem “Giant Steps” for “Be-Bop Medley.” Grande’s 2019 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “7 Rings” interpolates the melody of the seminal jazz saxophonist’s 1961 freestyle take on the Sound of Music classic “My Favorite Things.” Hip-hop icons OutKast covered “My Favorite Things” in their own inimitable style on the pair’s Grammy-winning album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. And Beastie Boys tapped into the Coltrane catalog by sampling “Part 1: Acknowledgement” from the late artist’s 1965 masterpiece, A Love Supreme, for its “Song for Junior” on 1998’s Hello Nasty, which sold more than 3 million copies, according to Luminate.
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These are just some of the artists who have interacted with Coltrane’s work. The late genius inspired everyone from David Bowie to Mac Miller and infiltrated popular culture through prestige film and TV such as Vanilla Sky, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. Such use of Coltrane’s music speaks volumes of the artist’s legacy and explains why Verve Label Group is supporting a yearlong global celebration of the 100th anniversary of John William Coltrane’s birth on Sept. 23.
