John Coltrane: Countdown

After being traumatically beaten into space by the Soviet Unionmomentarily making Communism seem scientifically and technologically superiorthe U.S. played catch-up with an urgency unseen since Pearl Harbor. Soon our own rockets began lifting off, most of which collapsed back onto the launch pad in fiery embarrassment or careened out of control and had to be detonated. Still, we were determined. And nowhere was our newfound sense of national purpose better expressed than in John Coltrane's "Countdown," the most technically advanced saxophone solo to date. Why, if an American could accomplish this, we could go to the Moon!