Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
Abramorama | Release Date: April 14, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Christian Science MonitorGloria GoodaleApr 21, 2017
Coltrane’s final phase of “free jazz” is also amply documented, with stunning concert and music clips throughout. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyApr 13, 2017
Smartly shaped and vigorously told by prolific documentarian John Scheinfeld (Who Is Harry Nilsson, The U.S. vs. John Lennon), the film bulges with insights offered by everyone from family members and close collaborators to the likes of Cornel West and Bill Clinton. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyApr 14, 2017
Chasing Trane streamlines the story of the jazz saxophonist, but it does so in a way that doesn’t feel like cheating. Scheinfeld’s approach is to give the viewer the forest, point out a few trees and get out, confident that those trees will inspire the viewer to spend more time in the forest. Read full review
80
VarietyOwen GleibermanApr 13, 2017
“Chasing Trane” is a seductive piece of middle-of-the-road documentary filmmaking; it gives you the basics, but beautifully. Read full review
75
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonJun 27, 2017
Some are born great, others achieve greatness, and in the documentary Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, we meet a musician who falls squarely in the latter camp. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMay 4, 2017
This is a general-interest documentary, not one for the wonks or jazzbos. But the music, as we keep hearing from the cited experts, friends and admirers, covered so many different styles, Chasing Trane rides right past its own prescribed length of track. Read full review
75
Washington PostPat PaduaApr 27, 2017
In Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, documentarian John Scheinfeld shows that the music of one of jazz’s most experimental saxophone players still speaks to audiences today. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayApr 20, 2017
When “Chasing Trane” serves up mesmerizing footage of Coltrane lost in the middle of a long solo, the film communicates something beyond words. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyMay 3, 2017
The documentary variously consists of archival performance footage, home movies, photographs, pointlessly flashy graphics, and many, many talking heads. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergApr 13, 2017
While the recordings are wall-to-wall, this somewhat busy documentary rarely accords time for simply listening. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubApr 27, 2017
Chasing Trane celebrates its subject with great passion, but it often feels like walking in late into a good party. Read full review
50
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlApr 13, 2017
It’s hard not to wish, as Scheinfeld's restless film hustles along to touch its next base, that we could just sit and listen to more from Shorter, who actually has insight to share. Lord knows the movie won’t make time to let us hear some John Coltrane. Read full review
40
The New YorkerRichard BrodyApr 13, 2017
A dully conventional film about a brilliantly unconventional musician. Read full review
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