Arts & Culture Why John Coltrane still matters John Coltrane.Photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer September 18, 2026 long read Jazz experts, scholars detail how iconic saxophonist, who would have turned 100 this year, reshaped most American musical genre Nearly 60 years after his last recording, trailblazing jazz saxophonist John Coltrane’s legacy remains as vital as ever. Coltrane, who died of liver cancer at 40 in 1967, is widely credited with reshaping jazz in the late 1950s and early ’60s. The Pulitzer Prize board awarded him a posthumous special career citation in 2007. Fans will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sept. 23. Coltrane play...