“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am.” —John Coltrane

From his infectious rendition of “My Favorite Things” to the devotional A Love Supreme, Coltrane’s music serves as soundtrack to a life in this rich film. His jazz awakening began with Charlie Parker, and he earned his chops with the best—Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and, most fruitfully, Miles Davis. His creative breakthrough came in 1959 with the album Giant Steps, and he continued to flourish as a bandleader and composer up to his untimely death at age 40. Director Scheinfeld also gives us John Coltrane the man, as family and friends reminisce and musicians (including Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, and Carlos Santana) consider his impact. Coltrane’s own words are voiced by Denzel Washington.