Greatly influence by John Coltrane
People at times have told Doug that he
sounded like John Coltrane. “I’ve
always tried to find myself through
whatever kind of music that I’m playing,”
explained Webb, who went on to say
that “when you’re playing your
influences come out—people have told
me I sound like Stan Getz too.”
At sessions, it’s not an uncommon
experience for him to be asked to play
like Clarence Clemons, Junior Walker or
even Kenny G, which Doug clearly takes
in stride. “I’m fairly good at capturing
something about their playing—but I’m
not playing exact licks,” says Webb.
of times before his passing in March of
2014. Penland’s credits as a drummer,
read like the who’s who of the music
business from Frank Sinatra, Herbie
Handcock and Carlos Santana to Chaka
Kahn and the Supremes.
According to Ralph Penland, when hard
bop saxophonist Steve Grossman first
came on the scene in New York,
everybody was angry at him and thought
he was playing too much like John
Coltrane, who had just died. Because
everyone had such a deep spiritual
connection to Coltrane, Grossman’s
playing upset people according to
Penland’s recount of the jazz scene in
New York at the time.
“Well, it didn’t upset Miles Davis,”
thought Webb, pointing out that
Grossman “became Miles sax player.”
Ralph’s story was interesting to Doug,
because Grossman never sounded like
Coltrane to him, noting that Steve “took
the music in a new direction.”
Ralph Penland
“I will definitely admit to having been
greatly influenced by Coltrane,” Doug
added, before relating a discussion he’d
had with the late great Ralph Penland—a
drummer Doug had worked with 100’s
In discussing John Coltrane with Doug,
it was easy to sense that he’d fully
adopted that same searching, always
trying to do something different
approach in his own career. “I would
say that his music inspires me more
than probably any other artist—it
inspires me to want to play,” Webb
offered freely, reflecting on Coltrane’s
impact.