John Coltrane Memorial Concert, the world’s oldest performance tribute to the musical & spiritual legacy of John Coltrane, who inspired many, no matter the community or culture, to achieve musical, spiritual, and humanitarian heights never thought possible. The gathering is presented by the Boston-based Friends of John Coltrane Memorial Concert, Inc. (fJCMC), originally established as John Coltrane Memorial Concert in 1977 and incorporated in 2012. Producers of the concert are Leonard Brown and Emmett G. Price III.

The first concert was performed in Boston on the Sunday evening of the 10th year anniversary of Coltrane’s death, July 17, 1977, in the Friends of Great Black Music Loft, a performance space for creative arts established by master percussionist Syd Smart. The concert developed through the collective efforts of Syd Smart, bassist Hayes Burnet, and saxophonist Leonard Brown.

These musicians believed that:
–African American musicians should exert leadership in perpetuating, expanding, enhancing and defining the musical traditions of African American people.
–John Coltrane was one of the most remarkable musicians in history and worthy of a memorial tribute.
–The community of both listeners and musicians has a continued deep and abiding interest in and love for Coltrane’s music.

They organized a concert honoring Coltrane that featured exciting, beautiful and moving renditions of his musical compositions. The attendance and response was so overwhelming that a decision was made to hold the concert annually. Since then, the John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC) has gradually developed into a Boston tradition featuring many outstanding musicians.

Before coming to Northeastern University in 1986, the JCMC had several “homes”. By the early 1980’s it had outgrown the seating audience capacity of the Loft , moving to the Modern Theatre for one year and then to Emmanuel Church till 1985 when it was held at New England Life Hall.

In 1986, the JCMC came to Northeastern University, where it has been in residence over the past 26 years, providing the greater Boston and Cambridge communities with outstanding and memorable musical experiences. The Friends of the John Coltrane Memorial Concert (FJCMC) was incorporated as a separate entity in 2012. FJCMC is taking this opportunity to express sincere thanks to the law office of Wilmer Hale for its role in establishing this newly formed FJCMC, with special acknowledgements given to Stephen Olesky, Hal J. Leibowitz, Amy Segal and Jordan Schwartz.

The annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert has a tradition of presenting world class musicians and creative artists. The list includes Kamau Adilifu, Ahmad Alaadeen, De Ama Battle and the Art of Black Dance and Music, Amiri Baraka, Bill Barron, Gary Bartz, Edith and Alvin Batiste, Brother Blue, Cecil Bridgewater, Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra, Terri Lyne Carrington, George Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Carlos Cordova, Alan Dawson, Santi Debriano, Bill Dixon, Frank Foster, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Michael Harper, Nat Hentoff, Giovanni Hildago, Manenque Hildago, Yusef Lateef, Cecil McBee, Andy McGhee, Mulgrew Miller, Nancy Ostrovsky, Danilo Perez, Ralph Peterson, George Russell, Phaorah Sanders, Shirley Scott, Cecilia Smith, and McCoy Tyner.