Coltrane Street
by ChrisApril 15th, 2005 12:50 am
This may seem silly. If it does, I don’t really much care what you think.
Why doesn’t Philadelphia have a major street named for John Coltrane, one of the major innovators in the only truly American art form? When the United States, as we now know it, is just another chapter in some kid’s history book, Jazz will be listed as our nation’s artistic contribution to humankind and yet somehow, in the town he claimed as his home, there is no major street or building or transit line or bridge named for John Coltrane. More fool us. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, more fool you.
Not that the naming of a street, or bridge, or whatever does any work of art, or any person’s body of artistic works, let alone any human being’s existence, justice…
Good night.
