What John Coltrane's saxophones tell us about his style and legacy

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published June 17, 2026 at 11:59 AM EDT

John Coltrane's saxophone. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History,
Gift of Jowcol Music LLC) — John Coltrane's saxophone. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Gift of Jowcol Music LLC)

Few musicians have changed American music quite like John Coltrane did.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan talks with Smithsonian Institution curator Krystal Klingenberg about his legacy and improvisational style through the lens of one of his saxophones.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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