Skip to main content
Chasing Trane film image; man holding a saxophone and looking up

Ryan Oliver Plays John Coltrane

+ Chasing Trane Documentary

VIFF Live

Book Now Book Now

Ryan Oliver is one of Canada’s greatest tenor saxophonists, known for his work with Dee Daniels and the Shuffle Demons, and for his multiple Juno and Western Canadian Music Award nominations.

On September 25th, he’ll be bringing an all-star band to VIFF Centre for the first time, to play the music of John Coltrane in honour of that icon’s 100th birthday. This special performance will be paired with a screening of Chasing Trane, a 2016 documentary about John Coltrane directed by John Scheinfeld. This performance is part of Vancouver Celebrates John Coltrane, a city-wide celebration of the 100th birthday of John Coltrane.

Ryan Oliver – Tenor Saxophone
Nick Peck – Piano
Ken Lister – Bass
Jess Cahill – Drums

About the film: Chasing Trane (2016, 99 mins)
The definitive Coltrane documentary, John Scheinfeld’s film digs deep to illuminate the incredible artistic path of one of 20th century music’s most innovative iconoclasts. Interviews with the men who played with him (including Jimmy Heath and McCoy Tyner) are no more eloquent than the testimonies of those who heard him play, like Carlos Santana and John Densmore of the Doors, who describe an artist seemingly rearranging the very structure of their universe.

You could walk into this movie knowing nothing about Coltrane and walk out an impassioned convert.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety

A music titan gets his cinematic due.

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

 

Co-Presented with

Artist

Ryan Oliver

Date

Sept 25

Time

7:30 pm

Venue

VIFF Centre, VIFF Cinema

19+
159 min

Book Tickets

Friday September 25

7:30 pm
Guests/Q&As Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
Book Now

Film Credits

Producer

John Beug, Dave Harding, Scott Pascucci, Spencer Proffer, Mark Pinkus, Bruce Resnikoff

Screenwriter

John Scheinfeld

Cinematography

Stan Taylor

Editor

Peter S. Lynch II

Original Music

John Coltrane

Also Playing

Chungking Express + Chen Baker: Cantopop

162 min

Catch Chen Baker covering canto-pop classics and songs from Chungking Express prior to a screening of Wong Kar-Wai's breakthrough movie, a melancholy masterpiece of romantic longing from the Hong Kong new wave.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Andrea Superstein Sings Burt Bacharach + Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Film Screening

155 min

Local hero and Anglophile Mike Myers scored a massive comedy hit with this spot-on spoof of James Bond and his many imitators. Before the yucks, Andrea Superstein treats us to a set of timeless Burt Bacharach tunes.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Laura Crema + Jazz on a Summer's Day

160 min

Laura Crema celebrates the enduring influence of Anita O'Day with a performance that captures the wit, swing, and rhythmic daring that made O'Day a standout in jazz history — followed by one of the all-time great jazz concert films.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Ryan Oliver Plays John Coltrane + Chasing Trane Documentary

159 min

To celebrate the centenary of the great John Coltrane, we're hosting a live performance by saxophonist Ryan Oliver and his quartet, followed by a screening of the definitive documentary, Chasing Trane (99 min).

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Whispers in the Woods

Dir. Vincent Munier
94 min

A luxuriant, healing immersion in nature with ravishing wildlife photography, this is the cinematic equivalent of "forest bathing," a trip deep into the Vosges, France, with photographer Vincent Munier (The Velvet Queen), his father and his son.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Ask E. Jean

Dir. Ivy Meeropol
91 min

An inspiring and engaging portrait of E. Jean Carroll, the trailblazing journalist, author and advice columnist who stood up to power and beat Donald Trump in court, twice.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre