As a composer and bandleader, Ravi Coltrane creates music that is harmonically mysterious, melodically enticing and rhythmically compelling.

The second son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was born just two years before his father’s death and raised in a Los Angeles household filled with a global array of music. After attending CalArts, he worked closely with alto saxophonist Steve Coleman, the conceptualist behind the M-BASE Collective. Rather than rushing forward and capitalizing on his name, Ravi paid extensive musical dues, gaining invaluable experience working with heavyweights such as Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, McCoy Tyner, Geri Allen, and Kenny Barron.

It wasn’t until his early 30s, after appearing on some three-dozen albums as a sideman, that Ravi decided to record his first album as a leader. The result was 1997’s impressive Moving Pictures, a confident session featuring drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Lonnie Plaxico and pianist Michael Cain. With every subsequent release, Ravi’s music has attained greater depth and personality. His latest album, In Flux, captures the insinuating lyricism and slippery harmonic vocabulary that has come to define his sound. Beyond his growing stature as a bandleader, Ravi has truly stepped forward to accept his legacy in recent years. He convinced his mother to return to public performance after a quarter-century hiatus, and joined her for several celebrated concerts (including one for SFJAZZ). He has also taken over the late Michael Brecker’s chair in Saxophone Summit, teaming up with tenor giants Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman to explore his father’s music.

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