But there was a discipline, it was just that we didn't understand. We thought he was formless, but I think now he was tormented by order, what was outside it. He tore apart the plot - see his music was immediately on top of his own life. Echoing. As if, when he was playing he was lost and hunting for the right accidental notes. Listening to him was like talking to Coleman. You were both changing direction with every sentence, sometimes in the middle, using each other as a springboard through the dark. You were moving so fast it was unimportant to finish and clear everything. He would be describing something in 27 ways. There was pain and gentleness everything jammed into each number. .Michael Ondaatje
About This Quote
In the poem 'The Music of Changes' by Arthur Rimbaud, he describes music as a metaphor for life. He says that in a way, music is a story in itself and the listener can relate to it. In this quote, he is saying that in a sense, the music that John Coltrane composed 'Equinox,' was a story about his life - both his past and present. He was making use of his whole life in every note he played. In 'Equinox,' Coltrane is trying to find his own path in life and at times, he finds himself lost and confused, but then finds his way back to where he came from through the notes of music.
Source: Coming Through Slaughter
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