Ravi Coltrane

If Albert Einstein's son had grown up to become a theoretical physicist, he might have faced a situation comparable to that of jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. Like Einstein, Ravi's dad John Coltrane was a world-famous innovator who revolutionized his chosen field and is still an important influence on generations of followers. Such a weighty legacy would prove burdensome to most, but the younger Coltrane has upheld his family standard with grace. Like his dad, he's got an assertive tone and an impressive energy level, tempered by a more reflective side perhaps inspired by his mother (keyboardist and composer Alice Coltrane) and refined by his experiences as part of a generation that grew up listening to funk, soul and hip-hop instead of swing and bebop.