Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane (pictured), who signed to Blue Note in August 2010, makes his debut for the label with Spirit Fiction, released in the UK on Monday 18 June. Produced by Joe Lovano, with whom Coltrane plays alongside Dave Liebman in the Saxophone Summit, this is his first album since 2009’s Blending Times and features two distinct line-ups: his longstanding quartet with pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer EJ Strickland, and the quintet he used on his second album, The Round Box, released in 2000, and featuring trumpeter Ralph Alessi, pianist Geri Allen, bassist James Genus and drummer Eric Harland.

Coltrane says that Spirit Fiction “ultimately refers to the open ended idea of simply embracing imagination”, and to that end he has written six new pieces for the date alongside three Ralph Alessi tunes, Paul Motian’s ‘Fantasm’ and a rousing take of Ornette Coleman’s ‘Check Out Time’, featuring Lovano on tenor saxophone. Ravi releases his Blue Note debut 55 years after his father John Coltrane made his debut for the label with the landmark Blue Train album in 1957.

The forthcoming July issue of Jazzwise features Ravi Coltrane on the cover with an exclusive interview inside and hits the streets on 21 June. Don’t miss out click here to subscribe and get a great Edition Records CD too.

– Jon Newey