THIS IS the first of what will be a series of many detailed essays exploring the beloved album A Love Supreme. This recording is very important to me personally. My book John Coltrane: His Life and Music began with A Love Supreme. One day in 1978, re-listening to the album after hearing it a number of times, I “heard” Coltrane reciting the poem in Part IV, “Psalm,” and it blew my mind. That was the day that I decided that I had to write about Coltrane.
Lewis - our teacher - thank you. Insightful essay. Look forward to more of your thoughts. What always stands out to me is their professionalism one day laying down the crucible recording with Johnny Hartman and the next day the material released as Both Djrections at Once. 24 hours apart and completely different approaches to music. Coltrane was apparently looking at why things had a beginning middle and end. And they laid this art music down drove back to the city and played three sets. Pros. Some of the thoughts about structure of musical lines and parsing have much in common with linguistics and in turn computer programming. Deep and heavy stuff. I see the shape, form and overlaps with it all thanks again
Lewis I couldn't resist this comment. At the North Sea Jazz Festival this summer, Charles Tolliver led/conducted an incredible performance of his arrangement of Africa/Brass. Just after, Ashley Kahn led a group discussion with Charles, Lakeisha Benjamin and Brandee Younger on spirituality and jazz which he started by playing Coltrane on his laptop. The questions and the direction he took the musicians was, to me, ignorant, simplistic, and moronic. We had to get up and walk away and frankly I lost all respect for him. This was an example of how gatekeeping in jazz works by self appointed pontificators. I'm glad I got that off my chest.
Thank you Sandeep. I'm curious to hear more about what went wrong there. Please write to me by private email. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that Tolliver's version of Africa/Brass is online somewhere--will look for it. THANK YOU
Lewis, your newsletter is a gem and has me in a quandary! I'm a paid subscriber to a half-dozen already, and a Patreon supporter of two others. I wish I could pony up for yours, but I'm tapped out (for now). Being a bit older than you, and pensioned off doesn't help.
In the small town in New Jersey, where I grew up, it was my great good fortune to have a public library where a jazz aficionado must have been choosing the records which could be borrowed. In the mid-60's I was a fledgling guitar player and beginning to listen seriously to jazz - as seriously as I could, given my limited exposure. But as you must know, the NYC area was blessed with several radio stations that played jazz (WADO, WLIB, WRVR) and the DJs helped introduce me to a lot of great music. I followed up my favourites by finding their records and taking them home for extended listening sessions. Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery Dave Brubeck and eventually, John Coltrane became the pillars of my jazz exposure, along with many others.
When A Love Supreme came into the library, I borrowed it and got into it. I knew it was profound, an important statement. My 16 year-old mind didn't really know how to comprehend it, other than "sheets of sound" as my subscription to Downbeat told me. The spoken word section seemed interesting, although I was eons away from understanding its meaning.
Over the years, I have explored many artists, many styles, many eras, and twenty years ago began learning to play jazz guitar, which I continue now, in my dotage. I listen to Coltrane regularly, but save this masterpiece for when I'm alone (my wife favours funk, more than sheets of sound, and Apartment 901 is a bit small). The day that Coltrane's death was publicized, I was in shock - the memory of where I was and how I felt stays with me, just as Otis Redding's does. They are up there with JFK's, and in some ways, the loss feels deeper.
Thanks for your erudite writing, Lewis. You have a great newsletter, and I'm gonna find a way to help pay my way one of these days!
Thanks much for these great memories. No worries about paying--I appreciate your reading and subscribing. By the way, I too started with public libraries, WLIB and WRVR. I'll talk about that some day. THANK YOU TERRY
Great read. I wrote a paper on this album in university, and it was my first introduction to Coltrane and his music more than twenty years ago. I ended up buying the then new Legacy box set put together by his son Ravi, and enjoyed the thematic arranging of that set. This essay brought back memories, and I've been listening to Love Supreme again. Look forward to reading future essays from you on it!
THANKS JAY!
I enjoyed your discussion at the Westport Ct. library on A Love Supreme. Keep up the good work !
Thank you Greg! This series is of course much more in depth. THANK YOU
Lewis - our teacher - thank you. Insightful essay. Look forward to more of your thoughts. What always stands out to me is their professionalism one day laying down the crucible recording with Johnny Hartman and the next day the material released as Both Djrections at Once. 24 hours apart and completely different approaches to music. Coltrane was apparently looking at why things had a beginning middle and end. And they laid this art music down drove back to the city and played three sets. Pros. Some of the thoughts about structure of musical lines and parsing have much in common with linguistics and in turn computer programming. Deep and heavy stuff. I see the shape, form and overlaps with it all thanks again
Great comments David! THANK YOU
Lewis I couldn't resist this comment. At the North Sea Jazz Festival this summer, Charles Tolliver led/conducted an incredible performance of his arrangement of Africa/Brass. Just after, Ashley Kahn led a group discussion with Charles, Lakeisha Benjamin and Brandee Younger on spirituality and jazz which he started by playing Coltrane on his laptop. The questions and the direction he took the musicians was, to me, ignorant, simplistic, and moronic. We had to get up and walk away and frankly I lost all respect for him. This was an example of how gatekeeping in jazz works by self appointed pontificators. I'm glad I got that off my chest.
Thank you Sandeep. I'm curious to hear more about what went wrong there. Please write to me by private email. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that Tolliver's version of Africa/Brass is online somewhere--will look for it. THANK YOU
Looking forward to reading more about "A Love Supreme." Thanks!
Thanks—this will be more than 10 essays! THANKS GERARD
Well, I'm excited to hear that!
Lewis, your newsletter is a gem and has me in a quandary! I'm a paid subscriber to a half-dozen already, and a Patreon supporter of two others. I wish I could pony up for yours, but I'm tapped out (for now). Being a bit older than you, and pensioned off doesn't help.
In the small town in New Jersey, where I grew up, it was my great good fortune to have a public library where a jazz aficionado must have been choosing the records which could be borrowed. In the mid-60's I was a fledgling guitar player and beginning to listen seriously to jazz - as seriously as I could, given my limited exposure. But as you must know, the NYC area was blessed with several radio stations that played jazz (WADO, WLIB, WRVR) and the DJs helped introduce me to a lot of great music. I followed up my favourites by finding their records and taking them home for extended listening sessions. Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery Dave Brubeck and eventually, John Coltrane became the pillars of my jazz exposure, along with many others.
When A Love Supreme came into the library, I borrowed it and got into it. I knew it was profound, an important statement. My 16 year-old mind didn't really know how to comprehend it, other than "sheets of sound" as my subscription to Downbeat told me. The spoken word section seemed interesting, although I was eons away from understanding its meaning.
Over the years, I have explored many artists, many styles, many eras, and twenty years ago began learning to play jazz guitar, which I continue now, in my dotage. I listen to Coltrane regularly, but save this masterpiece for when I'm alone (my wife favours funk, more than sheets of sound, and Apartment 901 is a bit small). The day that Coltrane's death was publicized, I was in shock - the memory of where I was and how I felt stays with me, just as Otis Redding's does. They are up there with JFK's, and in some ways, the loss feels deeper.
Thanks for your erudite writing, Lewis. You have a great newsletter, and I'm gonna find a way to help pay my way one of these days!
Thanks much for these great memories. No worries about paying--I appreciate your reading and subscribing. By the way, I too started with public libraries, WLIB and WRVR. I'll talk about that some day. THANK YOU TERRY
Great read. I wrote a paper on this album in university, and it was my first introduction to Coltrane and his music more than twenty years ago. I ended up buying the then new Legacy box set put together by his son Ravi, and enjoyed the thematic arranging of that set. This essay brought back memories, and I've been listening to Love Supreme again. Look forward to reading future essays from you on it!
Thanks much Ian. Yes, I remember talking with Ravi when he was putting together that interesting set. THANK YOU IAN!
Thanks for these , really looking forward to digging in
Great!