Executive Overview
One hundred years to the day after John Coltrane drew his first breath in Hamlet, North Carolina, the global jazz community stands suspended between retrospective reverence and radical forward-motion. Tonight, Swedish saxophonist and composer Elin Forkelid takes to the stage at Brussels’ prestigious Ancienne Belgique (AB), anchoring a landmark festival dedicated entirely to the Coltrane centenary. While the musical landscape is predictably saturated with celebratory tributes—an influx this author has historically approached with a measure of protective skepticism—Forkelid’s ongoing Plays For Trane project demands a swift recalibration of expectations.
Her journey with Coltrane’s towering legacy began hesitantly in 2018, when Stockholm’s renowned Fasching Jazzclub commissioned a dedicated concert and lecture series. Initially declining the offer out of profound respect for the source material, Forkelid’s eventual capitulation birthed a double LP that dared to transplant familiar jazz canons into uncharted sonic territory. Now, six years later, Forkelid reunites her formidable, piano-less quintet for Plays For Trane Vol. 2. Released as a single LP housed in a striking gatefold sleeve, this new installment narrows its lens exclusively onto Coltrane’s final, fiercely avant-garde creative epoch.
By eschewing the comforting nostalgia of the classic quartet format and stripping away the traditional piano anchoring, Forkelid and her collaborators—Vilhelm Bromander on double bass, Jon Fält on drums, Mattias Ståhl on vibraphone, and David Stackenäs on guitar—have forged an ensemble identity that Coltrane himself never formally inhabited. This deep-dive into the late-period catalog is an act of uncompromising artistic bravery. It tests the boundaries of contemporary listening, challenges the faithful, and firmly cements Forkelid not as a mimic, but as a peerless interpreter blazing her own trail through the cosmos.
Detailed Chronology: From Hesitation to Avant-Garde Mastery
To understand the weight of Plays For Trane Vol. 2, one must trace the evolutionary arc of Elin Forkelid’s relationship with the Coltrane songbook. The inception of the project in 2018 was fraught with professional anxiety. When Fasching Jazzclub first approached Forkelid to curate a commemorative concert and lecture series, her immediate instinct was refusal. The gravity of Coltrane’s discography—spanning the hard bop infrastructure of Prestige, the modal breakthroughs of Impulse!, and the cosmic, screaming free-jazz explorations of his final years—presents a daunting peak for any contemporary instrumentalist.
However, that initial reluctance proved to be her greatest asset. Freed from the burden of replication, Forkelid approached the compositions with analytical distance and structural fearlessness. The resulting 2020 double LP did not merely cover Coltrane; it abducted his melodies and transported them to landscapes their original architect never lived to see. It found a permanent home in the collections of discerning jazz enthusiasts worldwide.
Six years elapsed before the core quintet reconvened in the studio. Where the first volume cast a wide net across various eras of Coltrane’s prolific career, Volume 2 plunges headfirst into the turbulent waters of the saxophonist’s final years (1965–1967).
Side A: Into the Stratosphere
Side A wastes no time establishing its uncompromising ethos, opening with the ambitious, longest-running piece on the record: a sprawling medley comprising "Dearly Beloved," "Sun Star," and "Venus."
- "Dearly Beloved" originates from the 1965 Sun Ship sessions, marking some of the final studio documentations of Coltrane’s classic quartet.
- "Venus" pulls from the blistering, telepathic Interstellar Space duets with percussionist Rashied Ali.
From the needle drop, the performance initiates with an abrasive, free-form intensity. It is an exercise in controlled chaos where standard harmonic safety nets are abandoned. Only Forkelid’s saxophone serves as an anchor, wrestling with the primary theme while the rest of the rhythm section operates with fiercely independent agendas. This stylistic approach inevitably recalls the intense critical hostility directed at Coltrane during his final years—a period when conservative jazz critics accused him of abandoning melody for noise. Forkelid leans into this historical friction, pushing the material even further out into the sonic ether.
Mattias Ståhl’s vibraphone dances across cosmic intervals, taking no prisoners, while the rhythm section builds a turbulent undercurrent. While this fierce exploration will thrill devout free-jazz aficionados, it demands immense focus, proving to be a formidable listen even for established followers of Forkelid’s catalog. As the medley resolves into its final third, Forkelid seizes control, delivering a blistering solo panel that anchors the preceding storm.
The side concludes with "Expression," drawn directly from Coltrane’s final studio sessions. Here, the unexpected sonic architecture of the quintet truly reveals itself. The melody is articulated through a unique interplay of vibraphone and guitar—a tonal pairing foreign to Coltrane’s primary working bands. Supported by a locked-in, focused drum performance, the track unfolds as spiritual jazz of the highest order. While David Stackenäs’s guitar introduces a softer harmonic balance, Forkelid’s commanding saxophone performance ultimately dominates, making a definitive, flawless artistic statement.
Side B: Ballads, Ghosts, and Resolution
Side B pivots toward historical introspection without sacrificing avant-garde tension. It opens with "Naima," the sole survivor from the classic pre-modal canon to make the tracklist.
- An intentionally misleading, restless introduction temporarily misleads the listener before the iconic, sweeping melody finally locks into place.
- Ståhl’s vibraphone initiates a shimmering tonal shift, evoking memories of past interpretations while charting new territory.
- At the halfway mark, Stackenäs’s guitar weaves seamlessly into the arrangement, resulting in a mesmerizing, highly successful contemporary cover that easily wins over even the most skeptical listener.
The atmospheric journey continues with "Peace On Earth," a composition Coltrane famously unveiled during his historic 1966 Japanese tour. Here, Forkelid embraces a deeply avant-garde framework, driving the composition into ethereal, otherworldly dimensions.
The album closes with "Reverend King," a piece that originally surfaced on the posthumous Cosmic Music release. This track serves as a masterclass in synthesis, showcasing the quintessential Elin Forkelid voice that long-time admirers recognize and cherish. It stands out as the emotional and structural peak of the album, reminding listeners why her artistic vision commands such enduring respect.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Anatomy of a Piano-Less Quintet
To fully appreciate Plays For Trane Vol. 2, one must analyze the radical departure represented by its instrumentation. Throughout his legendary career, Coltrane’s foundational sound was heavily dictated by the percussive, harmonic architecture of the piano—most notably shaped by McCoy Tyner during the classic quartet years, and later explored through the spiritual, harp-and-piano-inflected realms overseen by Alice Coltrane.
Forkelid’s intentional omission of the piano fundamentally alters the acoustic physics of the music. In its place, she deploys a dynamic frontline and harmonic support system built around:
- Elin Forkelid: Tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones
- Vilhelm Bromander: Double bass
- Jon Fält: Drums
- Mattias Ståhl: Vibraphone
- David Stackenäs: Guitar
Historically, Coltrane maintained a strict separation between his core working groups and these specific peripheral instruments. His recorded encounters with the guitar were largely confined to casual Prestige blowing sessions—most notably alongside Kenny Burrell—while his interactions with the vibraphone were restricted to a single Atlantic Records date sharing the studio opposite Milt Jackson. By placing the vibraphone and guitar in constant, conversational friction, Forkelid’s quintet erects a sonic building that Coltrane himself never physically stood inside.
Furthermore, the creative partnership between Forkelid and Stackenäs is forged through deep, pre-existing collaborative synergy; the pair co-lead the critically acclaimed avant-jazz outfit SOL SOL, a project celebrated across European jazz circles for its adventurous textural palette. This pre-established rapport prevents the quintet from sounding like a collection of hired guns executing a tribute; rather, it functions as a tightly knit, telepathic collective organism.
Official Statements and Critical Reflections
Reflecting on the evolution of the project, contemporary critical reception has noted the profound philosophical parallel between Coltrane’s artistic trajectory and Forkelid’s current output. By the mid-1960s, John Coltrane had firmly established his technical mastery and commercial viability, affording him the ultimate artistic luxury: absolute freedom to follow his creative impulses down any rabbit hole, regardless of commercial consequence or critical approval.
In a similar vein, music critics and cultural commentators argue that Elin Forkelid has earned that exact same sovereign right through years of rigorous, uncompromising output. Plays For Trane Vol. 2 travels an immense geographical and stylistic distance from her initial 2020 exploration, with her intervening releases documenting a steady, unyielding march toward the outer limits of modern improvisation.
While purists may debate whether this level of abstraction represents the ideal vehicle for every listener’s palate—some traditionalists noting that the album sits firmly on the outer fringes of the avant-garde—nothing in this release diminishes the standing of Forkelid as an elite instrumentalist or her ensemble as a premiere European jazz unit. As Steve Williams of UK Vibe astutely observes in his critical appraisal:
"By now I’m tired of Coltrane covers; many are frail and benign. Forkelid delivers something in keeping with the direction Coltrane took in his later years. Coltrane had proved himself by then and was free to follow whatever music he felt drawn to; I think Forkelid has earned that same freedom."
Future Outlook: The Live Tour and Ongoing Legacy
As the jazz world pauses to honor a century of Coltrane, Elin Forkelid’s live schedule reflects an artist operating at the absolute peak of her international demand. Tonight’s performance at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels serves as the high-profile launchpad for an intensive autumn touring cycle that will take the Plays For Trane ensemble across major European jazz capitals.
Confirmed Tour Dates: Elin Forkelid Plays For Trane Live
- September 23, 2026: AB Brussels Festival, “Coltrane 100” (Belgium)
- October 14, 2026: Stockholm Jazz Festival (Sweden)
- October 15, 2026: Omnikvariatet, Uppsala (Sweden)
- October 22, 2026: Folk, Gothenburg (Sweden)
- October 23, 2026: Vår Lokal, Gnesta (Sweden)
- October 29, 2026: Berlin Jazz Fest (Germany)
Beyond the immediate touring commitments for Plays For Trane Vol. 2, Forkelid’s creative pipeline remains exceptionally vibrant. Her ongoing discographic footprint—bolstered by her work with Sail Cabin records, including solo endeavors such as Songs To Keep You Company On A Dark Night and her collaborative efforts with SOL SOL (Oscillations, Almost All Things Considered)—signals an artist whose creative engine shows no signs of slowing down.
As the centenary celebrations fade into history, the ripples of Forkelid’s radical reinterpretation will undoubtedly continue to challenge and inspire. By refusing to treat Coltrane’s catalog as a museum exhibit, she has ensured that the spirit of Interstellar Space and Sun Ship remains a living, breathing, and fiercely volatile force for the next generation of improvised music.
