Coltrane, John 179quest that involved quitting drug usage, drinking, and, for
a while, smoking. He also became a vegetarian.
Later in 1957, Coltrane began playing a well-received
gig at New York’s Five Spot with the Th elonious Monk
Quartet. Coltrane had worked with pianist Monk while still
with the Davis Quintet and was keen when he was asked
to join him at the Five Spot. His work with Monk off ered
him a level of freedom not fully realized with Davis as he
explored the pianist’s improvisational techniques, which
inspired him to experiment with his own style in new ways.
Coltrane also began composing on a piano in his family’s
Manhattan apartment during his period with Monk.
Additionally in 1957, Bob Weinstock of the Prestige
label signed Coltrane to a two-year contract. However, that
same year, Coltrane obtained a special release from Pres-
tige to record Blue Train, an album that showcased his style
and strengths as a composer. A month earlier, Coltrane had
been asked to rejoin Miles Davis in a sextet with alto saxo-
phonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. By the end of 1958,
Coltrane had started accepting bookings as a bandleader
when not playing with the Davis sextet. In April 1959, Col-
trane signed a two-year contract with Atlantic Records and
released the classic Giant Steps, which includes “Syeeda’s
Song Flute” and “Naima,” written for his wife and daughter,
respectively. Th e album strengthened Coltrane’s reputation
as a bandleader.
In April 1960, Coltrane left Davis’s band to form the
John Coltrane Quartet, which, aft er a few personnel changes,
eventually included pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy
Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones. In 1960, Coltrane re-
corded My Favorite Th ings. Th e title piece, the critically and
popularly acclaimed arrangement of the Broadway show
song by Rodgers and Hammerstein, introduced Coltrane
on the soprano saxophone and included a repetitive bass
line played by Steve Davis that exemplifi ed Coltrane’s grow-
ing interest in Indian music. Davis was eventually replaced
by bassist Reggie Workman in the quartet. Coltrane later
attempted to use two bassists to capture Indian percussive
sounds by adding bassist Art Davis to the group. Finally,
there was Garrison on bass. In 1961, Coltrane added fl ut-
ist, alto saxophonist, and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy in the
band, making it a quintet.
By 1961, Coltrane, known to be rather prolifi c in the
studio, recorded Coltrane Plays the Blues and Coltrane’s
Sound. Additionally, he signed a contract with Impulse
Records and recorded his fi rst live album at the VillageIn 1951, as big bands became less economically viable,
Gillespie reduced his 16-piece band to a sextet. Aft er a short
stint with the sextet, Coltrane returned to Philadelphia to
study music theory and tenor saxophone at the Granoff
School of Music. His music theory instructor, Dennis San-
dole, advised him to listen to classical compositions and
apply the multiplicity of instrumentation he heard to his
single instrument. Th is exploration later inspired Coltrane
to work toward replicating a variety of tones that were not
normally associated with the saxophone’s sound.
At the beginning of 1952, Coltrane joined alto saxo-
phonist Earl Bostic’s band and the following year joined the
band of his idol, Johnny Hodges. However, Hodges fi red
him in 1954 because of Coltrane’s heroin addiction, a con-
dition that implicated the jazz culture of the time as well
as Coltrane’s attempt to self-medicate his chronic dental
problems.
During 1954–1955, Coltrane played a regular Monday
night jam session at New York’s Birdland. He also continued
playing rhythm and blues gigs in Philadelphia and other cities
to supplement his income, performing with Daisy Mae and
the Hepcats, King Kolax, and Moose Jackson, among others.
Even though rhythm and blues did not refl ect the musical
complexity that Coltrane valued, he appreciated the means
in which the form inspired a connection with its listeners.
On October 3, 1955, Coltrane married Juanita “Naima”
Grubbs. Her background in music, Muslim spirituality, and
daughter from a previous relationship, Syeeda, had a sig-
nifi cant impact on Coltrane’s personal life and the trajec-
tory of his musical vocation. Th roughout their relationship,
he moved the family between Philadelphia and New York,
depending on the circumstances of his career.
From 1955 to 1956 and then 1957 to 1960, Coltrane
played alto saxophone and later tenor saxophone with
the Miles Davis Quintet. During late 1955–1956 Coltrane
played an incomparable solo during “Bye Bye Blackbird”
and a critically acclaimed solo on Th elonious Monk’s
“Round Midnight” on trumpeter Davis’s album, ’Round
About Midnight. Coltrane experienced the freedom to ex-
plore new areas of his music with the fl exibility facilitated
by Davis’s approach to performance.
Miles Davis fi red Coltrane in 1956, most likely due to a
combination of Davis’s impatience with Coltrane’s drug
addiction and Coltrane’s discontent with Davis’s unpredict-
able band leadership. Coltrane returned home to Philadel-
phia and, at the beginning of 1957, commenced a spiritual