Product Description

A copiously researched study of saxophone legend John Coltrane's signature album. Among the images published here for the first time are Coltrane's hand-written poem "A Love Supreme" that was printed in the original album and in-studio photographs of Coltrane and his sidemen recording "A Love Supreme" in 1964. Written with the full co-operation of the Coltrane family and featuring the voices of musicians, producers and writers of the 1960s, Kahn has also unearthed rare, unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison. The book also features commentary from contemporary music stars including Carlos Santana, Bono, Phil Lesh, Patti Smith, Ravi Shankar and Steve Reich.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119147 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

The Times
'Thoroughly absorbing'

The Independent
'We get the man, the mission, the methodology...a well-researched, transparently written, passionately felt book’

The Wire
‘A concise, highly readable and well researched biography…uncovering plenty of new facts and some amazing new photographs’

Customer Reviews

A must for any 'A Love Supreme' devotee
This effort by Ashley Kahn is superb. I wasn't born when 'A Love Supreme' was released and as much John Coltrane's pinnacle LP moved me before reading this book it now moves me more (if that is possible). The LP moves many, and I feel the reason for this is the honesty of emotion displayed by Coltrane and the quartet. The book provides a background mood of the times at a general level, vietnam, civil rights movement and on personal levels of JC and the other members of the quartet. Ashley Kahn devles into each track of the LP, explaining structure, inspiration and execution. The book is interspersed with relevant quotes from a sphere of people connected to the quartet or from the world of jazz - these make for a coherent and informative journey to the creation, making and impact of one of the greatest LP's ever made. The book also includes background information sections on the Impulse! label and Rudy Van Gelder's production, providing insight and depth to the story of 'A Love Supreme'.

Comprehensive, readable - a very worthwhile project.
Ashley Kahn has produced another fascinating book about the creation of a jazz masterpiece. It's as good as his book on the making of "Kind Of Blue" - and I thoroughly recommend them both.

As in his "K.O.B." project, he leads us through his subject's life, concentrating on his musical life, but with enough personal detail to give us a flesh-and-blood, three dimentional Coltrane. As he approaches the moment when the great album was made, Kahn moves in closer and closer, giving us ever increasing detail of Coltrane's musical activities, relationships with colleagues, relationships with record industry figures and the background to his position and status .

The detail to the lead-up to "A.L.S." and the making of the album is comprehensive - possibly even exhaustive - and a compelling read.

Details such as the choice of the cover photograph - a mere snap by producer Bob Thiele but judged by Coltrane as the "best photo - ever" of him. The actual bromide used for the artwork is illustrated, creased and dog-eared after years of careless handling. As a photographer, I was intrigued by this.

The aftermath is similarly closely observed - fascinating comment from contemporary figures and from those since who have been touched by this remarkable music.

It's a shame that Kahn's book came out just prior to what may be the definitive version of the record, remastered from original, uncompressed, un-EQ'd tapes held at Abbey Road, the 'Deluxe Edition', featuring the tracks recorded with Archie Shepp and Art Davis that Coltrane acknowledged but never used and also the legendary live performance of the whole piece at the Antibes jazz festival, the only complete live version ever recorded and the last time Coltrane played the entire piece.

Coltrane was evidently a man of few words. Of all the many photos of him in this book, there are only three showing him with a smile - and one of those is a fake. The shot of him shaking hands on a deal with record bosses is a typical gruesome PR number.

Coltrane was a deeply serious man who wanted to leave the music to do the talking, which it does, of course. However, this book by Ashley Kahn is a most interesting and enjoyable adjunct to what comes out of your stereo system speakers.

Heart Warming
I am not a jazz fan but after reading this book and since buying the album I wish I was. The beauty and complexity of the music comes to life in these pages, the hard graft that made it possible is suitably praised, the hours Coltrane spent perfecting his trade can only be admired. And Admiration is a massive theme in this tribute to a Love Supreme. Both the Author and the hundreds quoted and interviewed seem to have a debt to Coltrane and his quartet for this exceptional piece of music. I am inspired to listen and understand more.