A Centenary Celebration with Denys Baptiste and Gary Crosby
Two of the UK’s most acclaimed jazz musicians come together to celebrate the music and legacy of John Coltrane in his centenary year.
One Jazz returns to the beautiful and intimate Chapel at North London’s Abney Park Cemetery for a very special afternoon of music: Coltrane at 100, featuring saxophonist Denys Baptiste and bassist Gary Crosby.
The concert continues a series of hugely successful and sold-out One Jazz events at the restored Abney Park Chapel, bringing some of the UK’s leading jazz musicians to one of London’s most atmospheric and unique performance spaces.
Celebrating Coltrane’s spiritual music
Baptiste and Crosby will explore a selection of classics from John Coltrane’s extraordinary spiritual jazz repertoire, paying tribute to a musician whose influence continues to reach far beyond the world of jazz.
Both musicians have a deep connection with Coltrane’s music.
Gary Crosby is one of the most important figures in the history of British jazz. A revered bassist and educator, he is the founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, the pioneering organisation that has helped nurture generations of young and diverse jazz talent in the UK. Crosby is also the first — and remains the only — jazz musician to have received the Queen’s Medal for Music.
Denys Baptiste, himself a Tomorrow’s Warrior, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding saxophonists of his generation. His playing combines a profound knowledge of jazz tradition with a distinctive contemporary voice.
Together, they are devoted students of Coltrane’s music, making this concert a particularly personal celebration of his legacy.
Limited tickets for this event can be bought on the Abney Park Trust website.
John Coltrane at 100
John Coltrane was born in September 1926 and died in 1967, aged just 40.
In a career spanning only two decades, he transformed jazz and left an influence that continues to resonate across music and culture. Alongside figures such as Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, Coltrane stands among the handful of musicians whose impact extends far beyond their own musical era.
Through the brilliance and majesty of his saxophone playing, his constantly evolving approach to composition and his profound spiritual quest, Coltrane created a body of work that has echoed through the decades.
At its centre is A Love Supreme, his seminal 1964 recording and 1965 release, one of the most celebrated musical works of the 20th century — in jazz or any other genre.
The phrase “spiritual jazz” is sometimes overused, but with Coltrane it is entirely appropriate. His music reaches simultaneously towards the spirit, the soul, the mind and the body.
A special afternoon of music
Coltrane at 100 will be an opportunity to hear two giants of British jazz paying tribute to one of their greatest musical heroes.
Set in the intimate surroundings of the restored Abney Park Chapel, this promises to be a very special afternoon of live jazz — celebrating John Coltrane’s extraordinary music, his spiritual vision and the continuing power of his legacy.
One Jazz Presents: Afternoon Jazz at the Chapel — Coltrane at 100
Denys Baptiste & Gary Crosby
Celebrating the spiritual music of John Coltrane