a love supreme

Some of the most enduring masterpieces, whether they are works of art, literature, or music, have always found a common point of reference: the artist trying to juggle his personal life with his creative urges. True inspiration in such instances can't get any better than a writer, an artist or musician performing a balancing act between family and his creative vision.

For John Coltrane, in 1964, as Ashley Kahn put it, "...inspiration coincided with dirty plates and diapers." It is no surprise then, that Trane, trying to balance family matters with his own creative energies, took some breaks in the action to come up with one of jazz's (& popular music's) most enduring masterpieces of all time, A Love Supreme.

A Love Supreme is the high-water mark of Trane's career, one of his best-known efforts to this very day. At the same time, it is a full-blown glimpse at the man himself, a perfect self-revealing statement. Long before hip-hop artists & rappers gave God the glory & lots of shout-outs to the Almighty in their liner note credits, Coltrane stepped outside the box of jazz elites & gave God credit where credit was due. In the man's own words: "I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music...I feel this has been granted through His grace." This album is a seminal gift to God, a four-part song of praise which has stood the test of time & then some.

With the sound of a gong & Jimmy Garrison's bowed bass kicking things off, "Acknowledgement" is the John Coltrane show, a fitting introduction indeed, with the leader soloing his heart out. Near the end of this piece, he begins to chant out "A Love Supreme," a chant which still leaves its impact long after the last notes of music fade away & Garrison takes up a double-stopped interlude which segues right into "Resolution." Now it's McCoy Tyner's turn to shine, step out into the spotlight. And does he, as always, deliver a cooking & cascading solo before Trane re-enters to drive the heart of Part Two on home. This seamless transition between soloists, especially with John & McCoy, confirms how tightly linked this quartet was as a unit of stellar musicians, more so than ever on this effort.

Part Three, "Pursuance," begins with a drum solo by Elvin Jones, & when it comes to awesome drumming, Jones always proved his mettle as one of the most explosive, one of the most intense drummers around, right up there with Art Blakey. Once Jones gets things in order tempo-wise,

Trane enters to establish a theme before passing the soloist baton once more to Tyner, who again delivers a brilliant solo. Coltrane returns at full throttle, never letting up for roughly two & a half minutes; eventually, like a runner whose energy is almost spent, he jumps into the restatement of the theme. Jones closes things off with a fusillade of snare & cymbals, a signal for Jimmy Garrison to make his presence felt on bass. If there was a bassist who could go it alone (no accompaniment whatsoever) & keep things interesting, Jimmy Garrison was that man. For roughly three minutes, he stated his case as one of the premier jazz bassists ever to roam the earth, double-stops, guitar-like strumming & all, as if to say the upright bass was never meant to be a monophonic instrument. His presentation, one of the most beautiful on this recording, segues directly into Part Four, "Psalm."

What can be said about "Psalm"? This is Trane sounding reflective & urgent in the same breath, an incantatory delivery for the ages. In fact, we're hearing the sound of a man laying bare his soul on tape, an awesome point of closure for an already outstanding song suite, a dramatic performance full of power & heartfelt passion.

For roughly 45 years, A Love Supreme has found ways to endure, to make an impact on us, the listeners. If anyone hasn't bought this recording yet, they should. Not only does this album reveal the Classic Quartet at the peak of its musical powers; it also reveals John Coltrane as the fearless leader taking another step on an ongoing spiritual journey, giving God the glory as he went along.