The John and Alice Coltrane Home, Photo by Joshua Scott
The Dix Hills home of John Coltrane, the pioneering jazz musician and composer, and his wife, Alice, an accomplished and influential musician and spiritual leader, was recently named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
John Coltrane was revolutionizing the jazz world and Alice was already a respected musician when they moved to Dix Hills in 1964. “A Love Supreme,” regarded as a modern masterpiece, was composed in an upstairs bedroom. Alice Coltrane added harp and organ to her mastery of piano and made groundbreaking recordings in the basement studio.
“John and Alice Coltrane sought to elevate minds and hearts of society through their musical offerings,” said their daughter, Michelle Coltrane. “The alliance with the National Trust for Historic Preservation will allow us to uphold my parents’ mission of supporting generations of artists and musicians and commemorate their achievements and values, which are deeply embodied in their legacy.”
The National Trust will bring its nearly 70 years of expertise to help the Friends of the John and Alice Coltrane Home implement a vision for the property—now vacant and in disrepair but largely intact.
“The Coltranes’ message is one of courage, commitment and compassion,” said Ron Stein, president, Friends of the John and Alice Coltrane Home. “With the Home as our base, we will reach outward with that message to educate, lift up and inspire our youth, empower girls and young women, encourage the creative spirit in all, and bring people together around the healing and hopeful power of music.”
Coltrane Home Earns African-American Heritage Grant from National Trust