Ravi Coltrane -tenor and soprano saxophonist, bandleader, and composer- has fronted a variety of jazz lineups; recorded critically-hailed albums as leader; produced recordings by other artists -including for his mother; worked as sideman for jazz luminaries; overseen important jazz reissues; and founded an independent record label. Seventeen years since finding his life's path, it seems music was Ravi's destiny from the outset.

Born the second son of John and Alice Coltrane in 1965 in Long Island, New York and raised in the Los Angeles area, he was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. Starting in middle school, Ravi began playing clarinet, though he grew up hearing a variety of music:

"My mother was playing piano and organ in the house, everyday. She took us to her performances and to recording sessions. She played my father's LP's and recordings of classical music. Early on, I listened to a lot of R&B, Soul music, popular music of the day- James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Motown music, Earth Wind and Fire. Later I got into Prince, The Beatles; I listened to more Symphonic music- Stravinsky, Dvorak. I was a big fan of film scores. Jazz music was something I always appreciated but I had to reach my late teens and go through profound family changes before the music became a dominant force in my life." . . . [more]