Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

As you'd expect, this documentary offers a close-up view of the different phases of the life of John Coltrane through lots of family photos and footage of his performing and through the remembrances of family and friends who loved and understood him.

But what's really special is that the mix of interviews, from Sonny Rawlins to Wynton Marsalis, from Cornel West to Bill Clinton, captures how deeply Coltrane's life and art inspired people who happen to be both famous and highly articulate about how Coltrane affected them.

If you're not familiar with Coltrane's music, this may be the best introduction you'll find. If you are familiar, you're still likely to learn something new, because the documtary carefully traces Coltrane's musical development. But its greatest strength is how movingly people describe their experiences of Coltrane.