Friends of

The

Coltrane Home

Ravi Coltrane

CEO and Chairman, Friends of The Coltrane Home

Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed saxophonist, band leader, composer, producer, and founder of the independent record company, RKM Music Since 1991. He has diligently forged a prominent career as a live performer, recording artist and producer, as well as an impressive list of other credits and accomplishments.

Born on Long Island, New York in 1965, the second son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after the Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Los Angeles, where Ravi first began developing his own personal interest in the arts. As a young man, he initially began playing the clarinet and switched to the saxophone in high school.

After his first tenure with Elvin Jones in the 1990s, Ravi found himself working alongside a list of names that reads like the Who’s Who of American Jazz and Pop, including: McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Michael Brecker, George Duke, Stanley Clark,  Jess “Tain” Watts, Branford Marsalis, Mark Turner, Jacky Terrasson, Joe Lovano, Joanne Brackeen, Gerry Gibbs, Graham Haynes, and Steve Coleman for whom he appears on several albums. Indeed, Ravi’s credits include recording on well over forty recordings as a sideman.

Michelle Coltrane

Chief Creative Officer

Born in Paris, France, Michelle Coltrane is the only daughter of Alice and John Coltrane. While living in Japan, Michelle worked as a DJ. She performed and arranged background vocals for prominent artists. Finding featured work in voiceovers, Michelle appeared on two popular Chevrolet commercials. She was also hired to compose a special piece of music “Colour of the Night”, which was featured at Space World Amusement Park in Japan.

Michelle has toured the US and France as a soloist, performing with artists such as Kenny Kirkland, Jeff Watts, Ronnie Laws, Billy Childs, Jack DeJohnette, Marvin Smitty Smith, Reggie Workman, The Gap Band and with the McCoy Tyner Trio at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Her first CD, “I Think of You,” is a classic and contemporary jazz collaboration with musician and composer Scott Hiltzik. The recording was well received by Jazz Times and won a YES Award, presented by blues artist Barbara Morrison. Michelle was a featured performer at the 2013 Panama Jazz Festival, and recent appearances include shows at The John Ford Amphitheater in Los Angeles, The Miami Jazz Festival, Vibratos in Bel Air California, H. O. M. E. (House of Music & Entertainment) in Beverly Hills, Bar 1912 in Beverly Hills, and Yoshis Jazz Club, Oakland.

Steve Fulgoni

President, Friends of The Coltrane Home

A resident of Dix Hills and long time Coltrane fan, Steve learned of the potential demolition of the Coltrane Home and formed a grass roots campaign to save it.  Steve founded the “Friends of the Coltrane Home” non-profit organization which was deeded ownership of the Coltrane Home by the Town of Huntington.  As the leader of the Coltrane Home team for more than a decade, Steve led the restoration efforts of The Home as well as the growth of the non-profit organization. After a brief absence from the Board, Steve returned as President of the Board of Directors in 2019.

Steve graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in Electrical Engineering and owns several businesses in various fields.  He brings his engineering and business management experience to the Coltrane Home organization.

Steve has lived in Huntington for more than 20 years and has volunteered his time to serve the community in many ways.  He served on the Board of the House Beautiful Civic Association, Half Hollow Historic Association and as a member of the Town’s Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Committee. He serves on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee of the Dix Hills Water District.

Steve has many interests, including woodworking and photography.  He serves on the Board of the Long Island Woodturner’s Association and Long Island Woodworker’s Club.  

Kathleen Hennessy

Vice President, Friends of The Coltrane Home

Kathleen considers the Coltrane Home project a labour of love and is a founding member of Friends of the Coltrane Home.

A graduate of Middlebury College, Ms. Hennessy has an extensive background in hospitality including as general manager of the Regattabar Jazz Club at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge and Restaurant Mirabelle in Boston, before becoming an owner/partner in Cena Restaurant. Ms. Hennessy is a founding partner of RKM Music Inc. and has Producer credits on several RKM recordings.

Ms. Hennessy also holds positions on the boards of SIM, The School of Improvisational Music and Davalois Fearon Dance Company.

Robert Hughes

Acting Secretary, Friends of The Coltrane Home

Robert C. Hughes is Huntington Town Historian.  Prior to his appointment as Town Historian in January 2002, he served as acting executive director of the Huntington Historical Society and was a member of the Huntington Historic Preservation Commission. Mr. Hughes was a member of the Huntington Historical Society Board of Trustees for six and half years, including three years as president.

He is the author of Cold Spring Harbor, and co-author of Northport, part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series. He has also written numerous articles about various aspects of Huntington’s history which can be found at www.huntingtonhistory.com.  In 2003, when Huntington celebrated the 350th anniversary of its founding, Mr. Hughes produced a video history of the town.

In addition to work with historical organizations, Mr. Hughes is president of the Huntington Rural Cemetery Association, Inc., and Eagle Dock Foundation, Inc. He also serves on the boards of the Van Wyck-Lefferts Tide Mill Sanctuary, Cold Spring Harbor Library, Leadership Huntington Foundation, and Friends of the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills.  He previously served for nine years on the Cold Spring Harbor Board of Education, including two terms as president.

Yasuhiro Fujioka

Coltrane Scholar, Board member, Friends of The Coltrane Home

Fuji is President of “Coltrane House of Osaka”, Kimono shop “Fujioka,” and is a freelance jazz writer/ producer/ photographer/ educator and the author of four books on the subject of John Coltrane. Fuji is a supplier of memorabilia to The Verve Music Group (NYC and Tokyo offices); Concord Records, CA; Warner Music, Japan; Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC and others, and a contributor to the Coltrane Collection for exhibiting at the National Museum of American History at Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC; High Point Historical Museum, High Point, NC, and Half Hollow Hills Community Library on Long Island, NY. Fuji is also a dedicated collector of Coltrane memorabilia since 1970 at age 17.

Hollis King

Creative Director, Board member, Friends of The Coltrane Home

Hollis King is the former vice president and creative director at the Verve Music Group, the largest jazz record label in the world. He was responsible for art direction of all CD packaging, logos, advertising, point-of-purchase, and signage. Studying advertising and design at New York City Community College, he later transferred to the School of Visual Arts where he studied with legendary artist Milton Glaser, his greatest influence and inspiration. King worked at several design studios before entering the music industry in 1994 as a graphic designer at GRP records, becoming creative director in 1997. Two years later, he joined the Verve Music Group, a Division of Universal Music Company and worked with some of the greatest musicians of all time. King has received numerous achievement awards and citations from Communication Arts, How, Print, AIGA, Graphis and the Society of Illustrators, as well as five Grammy nominations. Worked on Zora Neale Hurston “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Set Design for “Afropop Series” Public Television, Creative Direction and set Design for August Wilson American Century Cycle at the Greene Space.

Currently, Hollis runs his own creative company in New York and regularly lectures about creativity, and photography, at the School of Visual Arts, FIT, Art Directors Club and Society of Illustrators.  King also co-produced and art directed ESOSA Fashion Show 2012 for Fashion Week in NYC.

Roberto Diana

Treasurer, Friends of The Coltrane Home

A life-long lover of music, Roberto’s appreciation for the arts began as a young boy when he was given his first acoustic guitar. He soon realized the feeling music evoked in him was something that could be conveyed, and appreciated, universally. After moving from the suburbs of Italy to New York as a teenager, Roberto began working as a mason where he explored his passion for building and craftsmanship. Staying true to what he loved, he spent much of his free time performing in bands with friends. This proved to be a source of constant inspiration.

Over the course of his professional life, Roberto has developed a unique combination of skills as an accomplished, multifaceted professional with an extensive background as a corporate CPA. Roberto’s accounting and finance career began in 2002 with Deloitte, one of the world’s largest consulting firms. He subsequently served as VP and Director to a leading real estate investment company, where he managed a team responsible for the financial reporting of a large portfolio of NYC investment properties. Roberto is a licensed real estate agent and a member of the Long Island Board of Realtors.

I want to be a force for good

John Coltrane

The Music is in your heart, your soul, your spirit

Alice Coltrane