Born in Hamlet, NC, John William Coltrane emerged as one of the most innovative and influential jazz musicians of the 20...

Born in Hamlet, NC, John William Coltrane emerged as one of the most innovative and influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. After high school Coltrane moved to Philadelphia where he attended music school. He made his professional debut in 1945 and collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis in milestone recordings before forming his own group in 1960. In the years before his death at age forty, he “...achieved the rare feat of establishing avant garde jazz, temporarily, as popular music,” according to critic Martin Williams. Image: A John Coltrane mural by artist Scott Nurkin (@themuralshop) in Hamlet, North Carolina. photographer Jared Caldwell. This mural is a part of the NC Musicians Murals Trail (@ncmusicianmurals). Alt text: A mural of a man playing the saxophone. #BlackHistoryMonth #NChistory #ComeHearNC #Hamlet #JohnColetrane #jazz #NCMMTrail