"John Coltrane," by Martin Smith

Non-fiction, 2003

A book focusing on the socio-political environment into which John Coltrane emerged in the 1950s and 60s. There are touches of biography and descriptions of the music, though this book's simplicity is its main strength and weakness; the idiocy of racism is writ large, in black and white, although at other times, the simple language struggles to reflect the lyricism and complexities of Coltrane's music. But still, reading is no replacement for listening, and while the book doesn't entirely inspire an investigation into the music and those wonderful orange Impulse! spines, there's plenty to get to grips with nonetheless.