I. A Movement for John Coltrane

This movement for John Coltrane
starts anywhere in our world,
maybe here in our
keyed
up
room,
waiting for a player —

Some twilight —
any kind of evening in the twentieth century,
say about nine tonight, here, on the stand,
band in the room,
waiting
for a player —

This warm cafe after nightfall, where
women & men walk in & take their seat with you & me —
there's jazz folk
walk'n in the door from towns all around, they take their seat & listen for the Leader to show —
here on the stand,
band in the room, hope in the room, waiting
for a player —

This movement begins in the night, in the city, there's a
bright idea going down & people taking seats with you & me & people taking sides —
someone says I am, I am, I am your friend, while others in the corner doubt the reality of "I am your friend" —

then a man named John Coltrane takes
his place
on
the stand —
he's the player, he begins, he plays in the style of "Sheets of Sound" they call it, he plays tenor saxophone in cascade of tones —
now burning, now carressing, now crying yes I am your inspiration to the people huddled in the corner whispering
"...Civil disobedience..."
they say —

He begins a movement to the tune of far reaching feelings buried deep in American people, a movement more important than armaments, a movement for the loss of loved ones who died in Birmingham —
Trane's the player, here on the stand, band in the room,
Coltrane is "Chief" again —

& after awhile, the audience
gets it —
the audience (that's you & me) we begin responding,
we begin hearing the Coltrane notes
tumbling out of his horn —
& some of us listen up,
to the tune of Africa Brass — Ascension — A Love Supreme — his sheets of sound are modulating into Alabama reflecting the speech of Dr. King who said:

"Not since the days of catacombs has God's house weathered such violence..."

& some of us hear their fears dissolving in Coltrane notes
now burning, now soothing, now seething, playing
you are my freedom & some of us
really stand up to that —

the audience applauds & Injustice falls down —
the audience stands up & gives applause & all Oppressors
fall down —
Trane's the player, band in the room, it's
Freedom time again —

II. His Music In Harmony with History

The time is, the year is, number Nineteen Sixty —
it's a season for opening up those new ears, like we say —
for opening up those new eyes, like we see —
for hearing the well-articulated tones of Coltrane
blowing counterpoint —
sounding polyrhythm to Montgomery —
sounding to the tune of Civil Rights Act —
it's Number Sixty in the Lord's year —

The time is, the year is, number Nineteen Sixty Three, a season for growing up, for stepping up, for stepping up the tempo,
the tempo is growing free — it's number Sixty Three in the
Lord's year —
it's a generation of people moving, growing, with saxophone you are my freedom music — the music of the John Coltrane quintet is new in the year of sixty-three — they take their place on the stand in the heart of people crying freedom everywhere, telling of the dispossessed, raising their voice with the Coltrane Voice, saying America get it on —
with all the living people in the
cram
packed
city neighborhood — & all the gutter people in the back road
take
their
stand
on Coltrane's stand, in Coltrane's world, in the year of
Sixty Three — his sheets of sound are
playing freedom new for
all people now, for all people now —

& Coltrane plays
the thousands of tones of masses of people moving through
city neighborhoods —
& Coltrane plays
the memory of four little girls who died in a church in Alabama —
yes it's Alabama
in his horn again, & this time it's Birmingham
& King raising the call again
& this time in the horn again, the twisting, bending, relentless in his horn again, about fire hoses, police dogs, putting bodies
on the line — only now burning, now seething, now
soothing in his horn again —
only now —
it's King raising the call again —
now loving, now saying America, let freedom sound, let freedom strong — let freedom strength, are you my strength?
Are we your strength?
Are we your
playing freedom new for all people now —

& thousands of demonstrators marching into history in the year of Sixty Three, marching past the saxophone of John Coltrane —
his music in harmony with history —
with history —

& the audience —
do I understand?

& the audience —
do you understand?

& the audience -- do we understand?
& all people of Americas standing together that day in Sixty-Three as Martin invites his audience to listen & Dream with him & what kind of world will it be, where everyone realizes their inner strength as Martin Luther King does? & what kind of world will it be, where everyone realizes their
inner harmony as John Coltrane does?
& King predicts a season of suffering, & Trane plays the consolation of suffering people,
of all who endure injustice, for all people who hardship together —
his music plays: "We shall endure together, we shall suffer a love supreme, together until I am your enemy is spoken no more —"
& the horn put away in the year of Sixty Seven —
the player gone, the stand vacant, & the audience —
do you understand the message?
& the audience —
do I understand?
& the message is the player
can be you and me —
yes, we understand