Today is the 100th birthday of John Coltrane. Coltrane is one of the most acclaimed of all jazz instrumentalists. His life and music have been honored all this year, and the celebrations will continue for months to come.

Happy 100th Birthday John! September 23, 2026

In a recorded interview on March 22, 1960 Coltrane was asked about his sometimes challenging, seemingly chaotic solos. The interviewer described his playing as “untenor-like, unbeautiful, unjust-about-everything-you-can-think-of.” (That was rough.) When the interviewer asked him if he felt angry, Coltrane replied in his soft but empathic voice, “No, I don’t [feel angry]…The reason I play so many things at one time, you see, [is that] I haven’t sorted them out. I have a bag of things I’m trying to work through and get the one essential. … There are some set things I know…that will take me out of the ordinary path, but I haven’t worked them through and I’m not familiar with them enough to take the one single line through, so I play all of them and acclimate my ears so I can hear and use them.”

I’ve thought about Coltrane’s words many times over the years. They remain an ever-present inspiration to me as I attempt to grow apples and plants in new and seemingly chaotic ways that I hope "will take me out of the ordinary path." Often I too “play” them all at once. (Multi-factorial synergy! ) One day maybe I’ll find that one essential. Or not.

This morning we tickled 32F for the first time since spring. No frost visible on the lawn, but this is a harbinger of things to come.