Lost Performance Film: Coltrane and Getz Face Off in Historic 1960 Jazz Set

March 27, 1960

I recently wrote about John Coltrane’s final tour with Miles Davis in 1960, sharing some music from those legendary performances. Now, I have something even better—video. Thanks to Ricky Schultz for sending the link.

That tour was part of Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic, featuring not just Miles and Trane but also Oscar Peterson’s group and Stan Getz. On March 27th, during a stop in Germany, a local TV station in Düsseldorf invited the musicians to perform in the studio.

Miles, feeling under the weather, sat this one out. But Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb stepped in and delivered an unforgettable set. They played On Green Dolphin Street, Walkin’, and The Theme. Then, Stan Getz joined them for a ballad medley featuring Autumn Leaves, What’s New, and Moonlight in Vermont. For Thelonious Monk’s Rifftide (Hackensack), Wynton Kelly handed over the piano chair to Oscar Peterson for a fiery exchange.

The contrast between Coltrane and Getz is striking—Trane, a disciple of Bird, pushing forward with his cascading sheets of sound; Getz, a son of Pres, smooth and lyrical. Their styles couldn’t be more different, yet together, they create something remarkable. Of course Stan more than holds his own with Trane. It’s not so much a battle of the tenor but a class in individuality.

This is 34 minutes of jazz at its absolute peak, captured on film. Some of this footage has surfaced on YouTube, but this is the entire performance—a rare document of jazz history in motion.

Next time, how to survive in an AI world.

Until we meet again, let your conscience be your guide.