San Francisco church leader pleads for return of stolen historic saxophone
Archbishop Reverend Franzo King, who founded the Saint John Coltrane Church 60 years ago as a spiritual hub for jazz lovers and had used the Selmer Mark VI Tenor saxophone in church services for five decades, said the saxophone was stolen earlier this year from his front porch.
"This cherished instrument was a cornerstone of his musical ministry, and also carried a profound historical significance -- the mouthpiece is a gift from Alice Coltrane and previously used by John Coltrane," the family wrote in a GoFundMe page to replace the instrument if the original is not recovered.
"We humbly seek your support in raising funds for replacing this special instrument of the same type and quality," the campaign said.
As of Monday, the fundraiser had received more than $5,900 of its $30,000 goal.
"Your generosity will restore a vital piece of Archbishop King's musical ministry, and will also serve as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of 'A Love Supreme' (1965-2025) and John Coltrane's timeless contribution to the highest order of artistic and spiritual expression," the family added.
Coltrane's 33-minute signature piece, "A Love Supreme," had been used to accompany the church's weekly meditation services.
"It's our hope that someone, out of charity and love, will appreciate who St. John Will-I-Am Coltrane was and understand the importance of our work," King said. "That would be our hope and our prayer, that someone will return it."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
29 minutes ago
- UPI
1 killed, 1 hospitalized following plane crash in South Dakota
July 28 (UPI) -- A small plane crashed early Monday in southwestern South Dakota, killing one of two occupants of the aircraft, with the second being transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The fire department in New Underwood, a city of some 538 people located about 150 miles southwest of Pierre, said in a statement it was notified of the single-engine airplane crash in the 22800 block of 159th Avenue at about 6 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, responders located the two occupants of the plane, extracted them from the aircraft and performed emergency medical procedures, it said. Authorities said one of the occupants was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was transported by life-flight to Monument Hospital. The identities of the victims were not made public. The National Transportation Safety Board, which identified the involved aircraft as a Piper PA-22-150, said it was investigating the crash. The incident follows a weekend in which three people were killed in a small plane crash in Idaho, and three people were killed in a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
UPI
11 hours ago
- UPI
Cedar Point coaster strands riders for a fourth time in one month
July 28 (UPI) -- Siren's Curse, the newest thrill ride at Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park, stranded riders temporarily for at least the fourth time since it opened at the end of June. The ride is the first so-called tilt coaster in the United States, featuring a section track that disconnects from its starting position, turns 90 degrees and attaches to a steep decline track. Park officials confirmed to the Akron Beacon-Journal that the ride came to a stop mid-tilt on Tuesday. Spokesman Tony Clark compared the issue to a "check-engine light." "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride. It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely," he said. Siren's Curse had previously stranded riders July 19, July 2 and June 28, its first day of public operation. No injuries were reported from any of the incidents.
UPI
11 hours ago
- UPI
Watch: Alligator removed from shoulder of Florida's Turnpike
July 28 (UPI) -- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel responded to Florida's Turnpike in Miami-Dade County to remove an alligator on the emergency shoulder. The Florida Highway Patrol said two lanes of traffic were blocked while FWC officers worked to capture the gator in the southbound lines, near the exit to Northwest 74th Street. The alligator, estimated to be about 9 feet long, was safely removed from the highway and relocated to a nearby canal. "The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP)," the FWC said in a statement provided to WPBF-TV. "The goal of SNAP is to proactively address alligator threats in developed areas while conserving alligators in Florida. SNAP uses contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property."
