Please join Ars Nova Workshop in celebrating the life and legacy of John Coltrane on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, with Irreversible Entanglements performing Ascension and the legendary trio of Odean Pope, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille, at the Mandell Theater on Friday, September 25, 2026.

John Coltrane changed the course of music, but his story is also deeply rooted in Philadelphia. In 2026, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Ars Nova Workshop will present COLTRANE 100 — a citywide constellation of performances, conversations, exhibitions, listening events, community gatherings, educational programs, and neighborhood activations honoring Coltrane’s enduring legacy and Philadelphia’s central role in shaping it. Developed in collaboration with the John and Alice Coltrane estate, artists, scholars, community leaders, and cultural partners across the city, the initiative will unfold across venues, libraries, public spaces, and neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

This generation-spanning double bill features Irreversible Entanglements, a free-jazz quintet with an experimental punk mentality, consisting of poet/vocalist Camae Ayewa (often known as Moor Mother), bassist Luke Stewart, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and drummer Tcheser Holmes. Along with several special guests, they’ll interpret the music of Coltrane’s landmark 1966 album Ascension. The bill also includes a trio of giants, all of whom have carried the legendary saxophonist’s innovations forward into the 21st century: saxophonist Odean Pope, a friend of Trane’s who honed his own skills at informal sessions at the Strawberry Mansion home; bassist Reggie Workman, a member of the John Coltrane Quartet in the early 1960s, appearing on albums like Africa Brass and Live at the Village Vanguard; and drummer Andrew Cyrille, whose storied career includes work with Cecil Taylor and Trio 3 with Workman and Oliver Lake.