GREENSBORO, Ga. — Festival Hall, Greensboro’s premier arts venue and cultural center presents the second show of the 2022 Jazz Series, The Jazz Legacy Project:  John Coltrane, The Beauty of the Struggle, Thursday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Throughout John Coltrane’s life, he struggled to beat addiction, struggled to be a better person, and struggled to find his own voice on the saxophone. From his early days with Miles Davis through A Love Supreme, Coltrane turned those struggles into some of the most beautiful and important music ever created.

“John Coltrane’s music is so inspiring because of his relentless search for something more:  more beautiful, more compelling, more spiritual,” The Jazz Legacy Project saxophonist, John Sandfort stated. “He was not content with being a genius saxophonist; John Coltrane wanted his music to reflect the beauty and struggle of our search for a better version of ourselves.”

Jazz tenor saxophonist, John Sandfort landed in Atlanta, Georgia after spending portions of his career in Chicago, Ill., Long Island, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y. After receiving his degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., John was an active presence on the Chicago music scene performing with many of Chicago’s great jazz musicians including George Fludas, Jodie Christian, Jeff Parker, and many others. While in Chicago, he became a member of critically acclaimed Sony recording artist Mighty Blue Kings, appearing on the Mighty Blue Kings Sony release “Live From Chicago,” as well as the independent releases “A Christmas Album,” and “Alive In The City.” With Mighty Blue Kings, John has toured extensively in the United States and Europe, sharing bills with B.B. King, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Buddy Guy, and many others.

Sandfort plays regularly with many of the Southeast’s finest musicians and just recently recorded his debut CD, Southbound, for Hot Shoe Records. This straight-ahead jazz recording features trumpeter Joe Gransden, drummer Clay Hulet, bassist Craig Shaw, and pianist Michael T. Jones.

 “Sandfort is a wonderful player and I look forward to hearing him perform with the rest of The Jazz Legacy Project in June,” says Festival Hall director, Nicole Chillemi. “This will be such a great night to celebrate the music of the incomparable John Coltrane.”

The Jazz Legacy Project:  John Coltrane, The Beauty of the Struggle is the second of a three-part jazz series at Festival Hall this year. Each program is roughly 90 minutes, with the goal of bringing the casual jazz listener inside the minds and music of the most influential and interesting American musicians of all time.  The life and music of the artist/composer is entertainingly narrated by the drummer, Mr. Justin Varnes, and seminal jazz pieces are played to illuminate the narration.  These are NOT tribute concerts in the sense that the musicians are trying to recreate the original performances, but instead to celebrate the essence and accomplishments of the particular artist.

The Jazz Legacy Project:  John Coltrane, The Beauty of the Struggle is on Thursday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20 for general admission. For tickets and more information, visit www.festivalhallga.com. This program is sponsored in part by Visit Lake Oconee.  www.visitlakeoconee.com.