Coltrane 100: Lovano, Aldana, Makhathini, Oh, Watts

Coltrane 100: Lovano, Aldana, Makhathini, Oh, Watts at Barbican Hall

Coltrane 100 is a tribute to the saxophonist John Coltrane, marking the centenary of his birth in 2026. Five musicians take part: saxophonists Joe Lovano and Melissa Aldana, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, double bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts.

Joe Lovano, an American saxophonist, clarinettist and flautist in the post-bop tradition, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952 and has recorded for Black Saint. Melissa Aldana, a Chilean tenor saxophonist born in Santiago in 1988, has been active since 2004 and records for Blue Note; her work focuses on narrative and identity. Nduduzo Makhathini, a South African pianist born in 1982, draws on South African musical and spiritual traditions and on the legacy of McCoy Tyner. Linda May Han Oh, an Australian double bassist and composer born in Malaysia in 1984, is an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, and her work spans ensemble writing, film and collaborative performance. Jeff "Tain" Watts brings decades of experience alongside many of the defining artists of modern jazz.

Lovano has said the quintet will treat Coltrane's compositions as a springboard for personal expression, aiming to create in the spirit of Coltrane rather than to recreate his music. The concert takes place at Barbican Hall, a concert venue on Silk Street in London.