July 21, 2026
Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves pay tribute to John Coltrane in celebration of the jazz legend’s centennial with Dedicated to You, a stunning album that features the acclaimed saxophonist and his quartet performing with the great vocalist. Together they offer new renditions of the six standards that appeared on the 1963 Impulse album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, as well as additional instrumental performances of compositions from Coltrane’s canon, to create an exquisite homage. The album—which is available for pre-order on Blue Note Store exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital download—is introduced today with the lead single “They Say It’s Wonderful.”
“John Coltrane, in his genius, developed a parallel sonic and intellectual understanding of ecumenical, 40s swing, and early R&B and post-bop, to create a sound that, while intellectually challenging, is emotionally stimulating,” says Marsalis. “His embodiment of all these sides of music is what any musician – of any style – should strive to achieve. It was our privilege to honor his contributions to jazz. We hope to have done justice to his ideals.”
It was inevitable that Marsalis would be approached with the idea of honoring Coltrane’s centennial. “I thought it was a great idea” he says,” but I wanted to take a road less travelled.” He was drawn to John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, which is considered among the ultimate examples of singer/ensemble synchronicity. But who to take the vocal chair? “At first I thought about male singers, but I decided to sleep on it,” Marsalis recalls, “and when I woke up the first thing I said was ‘Dianne Reeves.’ There is a magic sound within sound that we call ‘the thing,’ and Dianne’s got the thing. She’s heard a lot of people, which attracts me, and she adds so much emotional to whatever she does.”
Approaching ballads from a vocalist’s perspective, Reeves had the invaluable support of working as a teenager with Clark Terry. “Standards and good melody, that’s what we did,” she recalls of her time with the trumpet giant. “He knew every lyric and every melody. That’s my foundation. And he preached giving the song whatever it needs. Sometimes it needs space, sometimes a little embellishment, sometimes nothing at all. You have to figure out how to make it your story.” Moreover, as Reeves’ parents loved Johnny Hartman’s music, she knew the Coltrane/Hartman classic inside and out as a child.
When Marsalis’ longstanding quartet with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner met Reeves for the recording of Dedicated To You, the musical fit was seamless. “This was more of an integrated band thing, where the arrangements happened in the studio,” Marsalis explains. “The original album used a consistent form – piano intro, double time after the vocal, arpeggios at the end. We didn’t want to put the tunes in a box. We played each one together, then decided what had to be added or taken away.”
Reeves embraced the challenge. “Listening to all the great singers coming up, I learned that they stood in the band, not in front of the band. They saw themselves as co-creators of the sound. The members of Branford’s quartet and I all speak the same language, and we all came up with ideas.”
“John Coltrane was not about trying to destroy the norm,” Marsalis insists. “He came up like Picasso. He knew the tradition and then saw how to expand it. He didn’t think of songs as ‘vehicles,’ he was sympathetic to the songs he played, and that’s our goal, to be sympathetic to the music. Which is what we will continue to do when we begin touring with Dianne in the fall.” Reeves is equally excited about the prospects. “I can’t wait to see where we take the music. I told Branford we may even need to dance.”
