LOCAL jazz legends came together at Strings in Newport to celebrate the music of a giant of the genre, John Coltrane.

Nick Page, on guitar, was joined by Gary Plumley on tenor saxophone, Jon Thorne on upright bass and Ken Black on drums and percussion. What a line-up! And what a celebration of Coltrane's life and musical legacy!

It was not only a celebration, but also an education, as Nick introduced every piece, played in chronological order, so the thoughtful audience could appreciate the background, musical approach, and Coltrane's influences.

High energy pieces were interspersed with sublimely sensitive phases, the latter including "Naima", "Syeeda's Song Flute" and "Lonnie's Lament". "Resolution" took us deep into the spiritual "A Love Supreme" album, while "Body and Soul" was the deserved encore that sent us home wiser and happier.

Strings is a great venue, open to every kind of live music, with new lights that create a club atmosphere and perfect sound delivery worthy of the musicians who run the place. The Nick Page Quartet certainly graced the Strings stage, and Coltrane himself would have been well pleased.

Bob White