John Coltrane Feature Documentary

Spencer Proffer, along with colleagues, Dave Harding, Scott Pascucci {George Harrison: Living in the Material World; The Beatles: 8 Day A Week) and John Beug {Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival}, have have produced the authorized feature doc on John Coltrane and his socio cultural impact and music plus humanity on the world.  Set against the social, political and cultural landscape of the time, Chasing Trane brings saxophone great John Coltrane to life, as a man and an artist. The film, currently exhibiting on NETFLIX, is the definitive look at the boundary-shattering musician and composer whose influence continues to resonate around the world.

John Coltrane’s incredible story is told by the musicians who worked with him (Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Reggie Workman), musicians inspired by his fearless artistry and creative vision (Common, The Doors’ John Densmore, Wynton Marsalis, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Kamasi Washington), Coltrane’s children and biographers, and well-known admirers including President Bill Clinton and Dr. Cornel West. Although Coltrane did not participate in any television interviews and he recorded only a handful of radio interviews during his lifetime, he is an active and vibrant presence throughout the film, in his remarkable performance clips and in thoughts he expressed during print interviews.

In Chasing Trane, the words of John Coltrane are spoken by Denzel Washington.

TRAILER:   https://vimeopro.com/meteor17productions/chasing-trane-trailer

Written and directed by John Scheinfeld [The U.S. vs. John Lennon; Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)], Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary is a rich and compelling portrait of a remarkable artist that reveals the critical events, passions, experiences and challenges that shaped the life of John Coltrane and his revolutionary sounds.

The captivating film was produced with the support of the the record labels that collectively manage the Coltrane catalog.  They are The Concord Music Group, Universal Music Enterprises and Rhino/Warner Music.  

Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, features never-before-seen Coltrane family home movies, footage of Coltrane and his band in the studio (discovered in a California garage during production of the film), along with hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and rare television appearances from around the world. The smart, passionate, thought-provoking and uplifting film reveals the critical events, passions, experience, and challenges that shaped Coltrane’s life and his revolutionary sounds. It is a story of demons and darkness, of persistence and redemption. Above all, it is the incredible spiritual journey of a man who found himself and, in the process, created an extraordinary, iconic body of work that transcends all barriers of geography, race, religion and age.

After playing to critical and audience acclaim at its fall 2016 world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and at the Toronto International Film Festival, IDFA and DOC NYC, Chasing Trane’s was released to select theaters in the spring of 2017.

The film appeals to a broad, worldwide audience that will be touched by Coltrane’s very human story of demons and redemption. Told in a fresh and entertaining way, it is a film about hope, faith, optimism and the power of music to heal and to transform the world.

And there’s not a jazz superstar today…as well as influential figures such as Quincy Jones…and some rock and rollers (i.e. Sting, Bono, Carlos Santana) who don't admire Coltrane and/or claim him as an influence. But who is John Coltrane?

All of this is set against the social, political and culture landscape of his times (1926-1967). Our film is a rich and textured portrait of an artist that makes everything about Coltrane accessible, entertaining, insightful and inspirational.

Utilizing never-before-seen Coltrane family home movies, footage of John Coltrane and band in the studio (with Miles Davis and others) along with hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and rare television appearances from around the world, Coltrane’s incredible story is told by the musicians that worked with him along with musicians that have been inspired by his fearless artistry and creative vision.  We also have vital commentaries from Coltrane’s children and biographers, in addition to well-known admirers.

Chasing Trane reveals the critical events, passions, experiences and challenges that shaped the life of John Coltrane and his revolutionary sounds. It is a story of demons and darkness, of persistence and redemption. Above all else, it is the incredible spiritual journey of a man who found himself and, in the process, created an extraordinary body of work that transcends all barriers of geography, race, religion and age.

As a result, our movie is scored in its entirety with the music of John Coltrane. The creative team was granted unprecedented access to his entire catalogue of recordings on Prestige, Blue Note, Atlantic, Pablo and Impulse. The beauty, poignancy, energy, pain, and joy heard in nearly 50 Coltrane recordings from throughout his career bring alive the artist and the times in which he lived. Each composition used was carefully selected to support the emotional and uplifting content of nearly every scene in the film.

Chasing Trane explores the power and reach of the music of John Coltrane. It reveals the passions, ideas, experiences and the forces that shaped his life and inspired Coltrane's revolutionary sounds, all set against the social, political, cultural and spiritual landscape of the times.

This theatrical documentary and original soundtrack, offers a fresh and unique approach to the music anchored documentary art form. At its heart, the film is about hope, faith, optimism and the power of music to inspire, entertain, heal and to transform.

The producers of the film were, themselves, moved by this force, collectively stating, "We entered into this project with great respect for John Coltrane and his music. Our deep appreciation for both only increased during the production of the film, as we witnessed the profound impact that his music still has on so many people -- a breadth of audience that defies any simple categorization.”

The beauty, poignancy, energy, pain, insight and inspiration heard in this music will elevate the emotional resonance of the film and allow even those familiar with Coltrane’s music to hear it in a completely new and different way.

On November 17, 2017,  Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, was released by UMe on DVD and Blu-ray with exclusive bonus features. On the same date, Verve/UMe will release the film’s vital audio companion — Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary Original Soundtrack — on CD, 180-gram 2-LP vinyl, and digital audio.

The DVD and Blu-ray packages, include a booklet with an essay by Scheinfeld and rare photos seen in the film. The soundtrack’s booklet also includes rare photos from the film and an essay by journalist and film participant Ashley Kahn.

Independent Lens Presents ‘Chasing Trane’ Broadcast Premiere on November 6, 2017 on PBS;

Indie Lens Pop-Up Free Screening Events in Several U.S. Cities Through November 5, 2017

The GRAMMY Museum® Opens New John Coltrane Exhibit on November 17, 2017;