In the world of jazz, saxophone giant John Coltrane was so big, so powerful, so deep, so out there that almost half a century later jazz musicians are still wailing in his shadow.

Coltrane, says New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff, was the John Henry of jazz, the John Wayne, the Paul Bunyon — the giant.

Whether with Miles Davis or Thelonious Monk or in straight-up solo on his own, Coltrane broke the rules and made new ones in his search for the jazz divine in “Love Supreme,” in his sound.

This hour On Point: John Coltrane, and the story of a sound.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Ben Ratliff, jazz critic for The New York Times and author of “Coltrane: The Story of A Sound.”

Roy Haynes, drummer who played with John Coltrane, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Sarah Vaughn and many other jazz notables. He’s out with a new 4-disc boxed set of his music “A Life in the Time: The Roy Haynes Story.”

Tags: jazz, John Coltrane, Music