Documentary geared toward supreme fans
“Chasing Trane” is a documentary for John Coltrane superfans, and there is clearly no shortage of them.
The luminaries paying tribute in John Scheinfeld’s film include Bill Clinton, Sonny Rollins, John Densmore from the Doors, Carlos Santana, Cornel West and rapper Common — with Denzel Washington voicing passages from the artist’s interviews and liner notes as occasional narration. No matter the level of fame, everyone involved seem in childlike awe of the innovative jazz saxophonist and composer, who died in 1967 at age 40.
But the fast pace, loose structure and constant superlatives offer more for the already converted than for newcomers. “Chasing Trane” celebrates its subject with great passion, but it often feels like walking in late into a good party.
Scheinfeld’s approach runs in stark contrast to “Long Strange Trip,” the upcoming Grateful Dead documentary by Berkeley’s Amir Bar-Lev. Both have incredible resources and access. But while the latter film provides an entry for people who have never heard about the band — explaining the Dead to non-Deadheads — Scheinfeld rockets into the heart of fandom with tribute after tribute.
Some animations and still photos are used, with rapid pans as if a caffeinated Ken Burns is in charge of the edits. Washington is a wonderful voice, but his readings of Coltrane’s words don’t match seeing the artist in motion. The constant stream of still photos, with a recognizable actor’s voice, has a distancing effect.
The movie is strongest when Coltrane enthusiasts, collaborators and family members put his music in context; a high point of the film frames Coltrane’s song “Alabama” and its relation to church bombings in 1963.
Scheinfeld makes sure Coltrane’s music never stops throughout the movie, a heartbeat that also offers a timeline to the artist’s evolving talent. The musical score and narrative structure peak simultaneously, with the story behind Coltrane’s release of “A Love Supreme” in 1965.
Speakers offer both direct and cryptic compliments,
turning the giving of praise into a jazz-like art form in itself. Santana gets the best line: “John Coltrane’s sound rearranges molecular structure.”
There’s passion in his voice, and you want to feel what he’s feeling. The best chance is if you already loved Coltrane walking into the theater.
Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub