The John Coltrane House
1511 N. 33rd street in Philadelphia is where John Coltrane lived from 1952 to 1958, and is where he composed his landmark album Blue Train. Blue Train is still considered one of the greatest jazz albums ever made; the title track in particular has become a jazz standard, frequently covered and studied by musicians. The album’s mix of soulful blues and advanced harmonic structures has inspired countless artists.
The house is now protected by a National Register of Historic Places designation and there are plans to refurbish the house and potentially use it as a museum.
What is a Rider?
A rider is the area below a street sign that calls attention to notable people of Philadelphia (like John Coltrane) or areas of cultural importance (like the Avenue of the Arts or Philadelphia’s Gayborhood). In Philadelphia anyone can petition the mayor’s office to add an honorary rider to a street sign, and the city council can then approve the rider.
Some of the riders in this series exist in Philadelphia, like the John Coltrane rider. Others do not exist but we made them because we think they should!
