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Piano, bass, and drums took center stage on March 21 at Symphony Hall, encircled by the traditional string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After a brief introduction from Carlos Simon, composer chair of the BSO and curator of this concert in collaboration with the Coltrane Estate, a picture of John Coltrane with his saxophone was cast above the orchestra. Posed with his hand behind his head and his finger on his lip, Coltrane’s pensive expression loomed over the stage, almost like he, too, was waiting for the concert to start. Out walked conductor Edwin Outwater and trumpet soloist Terence Blanchard, who took his place in the center stage quartet, trumpet in hand. With a firm stance, Blanchard brought the trumpet to his lips, and so began a night of bluesy musings commemorating the life and music of jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane.

Starting strong with Coltrane’s “Blue Train,” orchestrated by Erik Jekabson, the trumpet proudly emerged as the narrator of this 1957 jazz standard. Soon it was accompanied by the mellowness of the bass played by Dave Zinno, the cleverness of the piano played by Ben Cook, and the flyness of the drums played by George Darrah. Together, they slowly climbed mountains of tempos, alternating between a pulsating plunge and a freewheeling flow. From this point on, it was clear that this would be no normal performance from the BSO.

Changing tracks, the strings and winds slowly ushered the orchestra into the next song, setting the atmosphere for an intimate performance of “Naima,” composed by Coltrane in 1959 for his first wife Juanita Naima Coltrane and orchestrated by Andy Milne. Blanchard’s trumpet glided in with long and delicate blasts, truly capturing the desire of this lyrical ballad.

The celebration took an energetic and lively shift with the standout performance of Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” orchestrated by Steven Feifke. The BSO perfectly paid homage to the explorative and improvisational sound that Coltrane coined. The strengths of this performance lay in the skilled fluttering of Blanchard’s trumpet and Darrah’s delightful drum solo. From beginning to end, the BSO revived the famous theme of “Giant Steps,” bringing a new understanding to how the symphony can blend into genres outside of “traditional” classical music. Outwater remained hyper and dynamic in his conducting throughout the piece, turning to the audience with the big finish.

Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie,” orchestrated by Andy Milne, and Guy Wood’s “My One and Only Love,” orchestrated by Ben Morris, were both creative in the way the orchestra was uniquely used to create starkly different tones. Milne’s orchestration artfully incorporated a xylophone that tiptoed through the eerie tune, while Morris’ arrangement was tender and complemented by the dainty sound of a triangle.

Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme, Part I: Acknowledgement” was the striking finale of the first act. Orchestrated by Milne, this piece uplifted and memorialized Coltrane’s musical impact and personal journey. As Cook, Darrah, and Zinno took their cues off of Blanchard and his trumpet, the other musicians in the symphony raised their voices, chanting “a love supreme.” As the voices and instruments slowly dropped off, the piece ended with the deep resonance of the bass, communicating devotion.

After the intermission, Blanchard shared anecdotes about his admiration of Coltrane.

“I’ve always loved John Coltrane’s music. I’ve always loved his story. He’s been an inspiration to me for a number of reasons, not only because of his music but the type of person he was,” Blanchard said.

Perfectly setting the stage for the second act’s new era of Coltrane, he continued speaking.

“He’s a shining example for all of us in terms of the things that are really important to life, as evidenced by the tune we finished the first half of the set with, ‘A Love Supreme,’” he said.

Returning to the music, BSO came back from intermission with Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” orchestrated by Simon. The orchestra came in like thunder going into soft rain. Symbolizing the start of a new era of introspection, Outwater controlled the storm as Blanchard gently breathed through his trumpet, like it was an extension of himself.

The most stirring and emotive performance of the second act was Coltrane’s “Alabama,” also orchestrated by Simon. Blanchard gave a personal introduction to the song, describing how it led him to tears.

“Being a musician, sometimes we forget why the music is really created,” he said, before explaining how the piece was written for the four girls who were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

“It made me realize where the music really comes from, it comes from your heart and your soul,” he said.

The piece erupted into harmonious chaos and intense mourning until the lonely trumpet entered. The orchestra’s intro to the piece paired with the weight of the tragedy, and Blanchard played his trumpet fully bent over, expressing tortured emotion and grief. The orchestration of this piece communicated Coltrane’s nature and what messages he conveyed through his music.

As the finale, the BSO played Coltrane’s rendition of Richard Rodgers’ “My Favorite Things,” orchestrated by Jonathan Bingham. Elaborately bringing together the classical elements of the orchestra and the magical energy of the jazz quartet, the finale was less like a concert ending and more like a cozy and nostalgic get-together, toasting to Coltrane’s multigenerational legacy. Blanchard played his trumpet one last time with a humble stance before being met with a well-deserved standing ovation.

The first image of Coltrane returned to the screen, but with a new energy to his expression after a very well-executed and revealing concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

—Staff writer Makayla I. Gathers can be reached at makayla.gathers@thecrimson.com.