WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

The Twin City came to High Point for the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival on Sunday, Sept. 2. When veteran radio personality Rene Vaughn asked if Winston-Salem was in the house, they represented well. Linda from Winston-Salem didn’t want to give her last name, “But you can use my first name.” she said, and then laughs. She commented on the performance by the children of John Coltrane.

“I didn’t know the Coltrane children were so talented. They were really good. I met Michelle after her performance and bought her CD. I can’t wait to listen to on my way back to Winston.”

Ravi and Michelle Coltrane made their father proud. It was the first time the siblings performed on the same show. “It was a great feeling being here with my sister. She sounded great too,” Ravi said. He sounded great as well. He paid tribute to his mom, Alice Coltrane, playing a few of her classics.

The resemblance to his dad is striking. “It was good to the legacy of John Coltrane to continue to live through his children. When I saw their performance, I said wow,” said Kwabena Jjemba Falson from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival was in its last night Sunday night at Oak Hollow Lake Park in High Point.

The vibe was high in The Point as legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo, his son Juan and legend in her own right, daughter Sheila E., took us on a Latin jazz and salsa musical journey.

Diane Reeves gave the crowd a scatting performance that would have made the late Ella Fitzgerald proud. Reeves’ voice range was amazing!

One of my favorite moments of the festival was the instrument presentation to middle and high school music students. The students had to write an essay on jazz. I caught up with one of the winners, Joshua Hines. “My essay was about how jazz and music influence my life and now it’s what I want to do,” he said.  Hines won a Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Series saxophone.  His mom said, “He loves jazz. He’s the future.”