“Music can touch people in so many ways, yet it can be so intangible,” says Andy Sheppard, who is following the Jazz sous les Pommiers festival with an extended residency at Coutances. “Jazz, in particular, delivers its message directly from performer to listener.”

Certain performers manage to add an extra layer to their music, over and above what the instruments themselves can deliver, Andy Sheppard believes. This quality can even be found in recorded music, as Andy Sheppard discovered when he first heard John Coltrane’s work, which drove him to launch his musical career in the space of just a few weeks at the age of 19.

“Some artists drop into the world from a different dimension: it comes naturally to some, others work at it. John Coltrane was dogged and determined, building a seamless delivery until he was ready to perform. Then he played completely freely within a disciplined and structured musical performance.”
Recordings of John Coltrane’s towering musical landmark, Giant Steps, have been available for 50 years now. A very good annotated presentation of a 1959 Coltrane recording has been posted by Dan Cohen on YouTube.

“I’m just preparing to record a radio documentary about John Coltrane with BBC Radio 4 and they asked me what music they should use to open the programme. It had to be Giant Steps,” says Andy Sheppard.

“Coltrane took a very complicated progression and played it at an incredible speed. I still study it from time to time: it’s incredibly difficult to do it well. But John Coltrane was on a mission and once he was satisfied with one piece he would drop it and move on to the next challenge.”

Andy Sheppard keeps a recording of Giant Steps in his car and plays it to raise flagging spirits on long journeys. “When it’s dark or the trip is a long one, it’s really good for lifting the gloom, like a light pointing the way ahead in the darkness.