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A towering musical figure of the 20th century, saxophonist John Coltrane reset the parameters of jazz during his decade as a leader. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was one of the players at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed albums A Love Supreme (1965) and Ascension (1966).
He remains one of the most influential saxophonists in music history and has received numerous posthumous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize in 2007, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.