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John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 - July 17, 1967), nicknamed Trane, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Although recordings of his work from as early as 1946 exist, Coltrane's recording career did not begin in earnest until 1955. From 1957 onward he recorded and produced dozens of albums, many of them not released until years after his death. He achieved extraordinary popularity, while also responding to a religious awakening that has made him a source of spiritual inspiration. Coltrane has been credited with reshaping modern jazz and being the predominant influence on successive generations of saxophonists. Like tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Ben Webster before him, Coltrane fundamentally altered expectations for the instrument. Coltrane received a posthumous Special Citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2007 for his "masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship and iconic centrality to the history of jazz."
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