In August 1965, saxophonist John Coltrane took the stage at the DownBeat jazz festival in Chicago with a new band member, young experimentalist Archie Shepp. Their performance featured free-form improvisation, moving away from structured compositions, and reportedly caused many in the audience to leave. A DownBeat reviewer criticized the performance as "tasteless," noting that Coltrane and Shepp seemed focused on outplaying each other rather than creating cohesive music. At the time, Coltrane was already a towering figure in jazz, having left the legendary Miles Davis ensemble and recorded the bestselling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue (1959). He had also released the influential Giant Steps (1960), had a radio hit with his version of My Favorite Things, and in 1965, released A Love Supreme, a spiritually driven album that earned a Grammy nomination. Despite his acclaim, Coltrane would die of liver cancer in 1967 at the age of 40. Ben Ratliff, a writer and Coltrane biographer, noted that Coltrane’s decision to embrace avant-garde styles "torched his commercial appeal," but he was driven by a desire to explore new musical frontiers. To mark the 100th anniversary of Coltrane’s birth, previously unreleased recordings of his nightclub performances are being shared. These recordings, known as the Tiberi Tapes, were made by Frank Tiberi, who used a hidden microphone in his overcoat to record Coltrane’s performances from 1960 to 1964. Tiberi amassed over 60 hours of music, which he later shared with fellow musicians and students. Saxophonist Joe Lovano, who played with Tiberi in the 1970s, described the recordings as astonishing, noting that Coltrane would stretch single tunes for 35 minutes or more, allowing the music to guide him. Lovano mentioned that Coltrane’s pianist, McCoy Tyner, confirmed that the band was aware of the recordings and gave Tiberi their blessing. Now 97, Tiberi recently gave the tapes to Coltrane’s record label, Impulse!, for preservation. A compilation of 11 newly mastered tracks from the recordings was released, offering a glimpse into Coltrane’s creative process and the dynamic energy of his performances. In June 1965, Coltrane recorded Ascension, a 40-minute, unrehearsed piece that marked a turning point in his career. The album, featuring chaotic and intense solos, was so unconventional that many listeners struggled to understand it. In 1966, Coltrane continued to push boundaries by incorporating experimental musicians like saxophonist Albert Ayler. During a performance with Ayler, two drummers, and Coltrane’s wife, pianist Alice Coltrane, at New York’s Lincoln Center, many audience members reportedly left during the hour-long set. Writer Amiri Baraka described the sound as "frightening," and saxophonist Dave Liebman estimated that nearly half the audience walked out. Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis described Coltrane’s later work as deeply spiritual, connecting improvisation to the broader history of music. Melissa Aldana, a contemporary saxophonist, noted that Coltrane was always searching for a unique sound, unbound by musical conventions. While his audiences may have dwindled in his later years, his music continues to inspire new generations. Ascension, once considered difficult to understand, has seen a resurgence in popularity and was reissued this year. Lewis encourages listeners to "Don’t analyse him, just hear. Open up your heart and receive the message."