Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. A Love Supreme Part I: Acknowledgement - John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet, Bob Thiele, George Douglas, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones
2. Part II: Resolution - Bob Thiele, John Coltrane Quartet, George Douglas
3. Part III: Pursuance - John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet, Bob Thiele, George Douglas, Rudy Van Gelder
4. Part IV: Psalm - Bob Thiele, George Douglas, John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet, Rudy Van Gelder

Disc 2:

1. Introduction By André Francis - Andre Francis
2. A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement - John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones
3. A Love Supreme, Part 2: Resolution - John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones
4. A Love Supreme, Part 3: Pursuance - John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones
5. A Love Supreme, Part 4: Psalm - John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones
6. A Love Supreme, Part II-Resolution - John Coltrane, John Coltrane Quartet, Bob Thiele, George Douglas, Rudy Van Gelder
7. A Love Supreme, Part 2: Resolution - John Coltrane
8. A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement - Bob Thiele, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Art Davis, Archie Shepp, Elvin Jones
9. A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement - Bob Thiele, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Art Davis, Archie Shepp, Elvin Jones

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26177 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-11
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .37 pounds
• Running time: 110 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sharing space on the archetypal coffee table with Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme is one of the classic recordings, reaching far beyond its natural jazz audience. This handsomely packaged fold-out set has the rightfully fêted original 1964 recording on disc one, and is bolstered (as if any bolstering were needed) by the tantalising extras on disc two.

All the tracks have been re-mastered by Rudy Van Gelder, who's currently immersed in a restoration programme for much of his old engineering work. This disc is taken from a flawless 1965 master discovered in EMI's London vaults, without the compression or equalisation found on previous CD releases.

Disc two's showpiece is a recording of the only time the suite was performed live in its entirety, at the sixth Antibes Jazz Festival in 1965, where Coltrane was the crowning act. Although previously available in bootlegged form, this is its first authorised release. It might be heretical to say this, but the live entity poses a serious challenge to the studio original. The recording quality is surprisingly immediate, and the extended work-out is like a fresh draught of a favourite potion. It might not be as studied and refined as the studio version, but Coltrane's blowing has a fearsome, brutal edge, particularly once the tenor-drum battle with Elvin Jones erupts during "Pursuance", the leader's controlled howling scraping out his horn's smooth throat-lining.

From Coltrane's own reference tapes, there are also two alternative takes each of "Resolution" and "Acknowledgement", the latter featuring bassist Art Davis and tenor man Archie Shepp, with the latter's contributions sounding somewhat scrappy and hesitant. It's plain to see why these takes weren't used, but they still provide a fascinating insight, tape drop-outs and all. –-Martin Longley

CD Description
A LOVE SUPREME is the essential example of the genius of John Coltrane. In what has become the apotheosis of jazz music, this eminently accessible work bridges the gap between music and spirituality, between art and life. With the ultimateincarnation of the jazz quartet, Coltrane brings together all of his turbulent elements into a cohesive paean to spirituality, one which is fully appreciable by the uninitiated. ALOVE SUPREME is a 33-minute work divided into four movements. "Acknowledgment" starts the album with a heraldic summoning from Coltrane's tenor saxophone, full and joyous, which approximates the tone of the prayer he provides in the album's liner notes. The solo that follows reveals an artist whosespiritual depth and emotional urgency are matched by an adherence to logic and a resolve to achieve one goal above all--communication. Each simple musical statement is either followed by a motivic development or countered with a conversational response. Coltrane climaxes with a distilled four-note motif echoing the album's title, which he plays with by sequencing it through a wide array of tonalities. Finally, the band comes in, reiterating this idea, chanting the mantra "A Love Supreme." "Acknowledgment" is followed by the torrential release of "Resolution," whose melody Coltrane fervently states to the animated accompaniment of his superb rhythm section. Laying the groundwork is drummer Elvin Jones, who approximates the effect of multiple percussionists feeding off of each other, creating an enormous texture of rhythm. McCoy Tyner's colorful piano clusters act as gusts of wind supporting Trane's soaring expressions. Bassist Jimmy Garrision takes the low road, keeping everyone on track. With support like this, Coltrane is free to explore the uncharted depths of his soul. On "Resolution," we can hear the very fabric of Trane's voice being stretched to the limit, as if even the horn which he has mastered is not a worthy enough vehicle for this man's spirit. The rousing "Pursuance" features some vigorously swinging playing from Tyner, furiously followed by Coltrane's climaxes in an inspired hurling of ideas. Bassist Garrison brings us to A LOVE SUPREME's conclusion, an extended "Psalm" that acts as a resolved denouement in which Trane slowly muses over a lush bed of tranquil sounds--almost as if he were reflecting upon the wisdom achieved at this apex of his spiritual journey. Although the music is slowed, the level of intensity is maintained, as if we've reached a plateau upon which we may ponder what is pronounced in the liner notes, "Elation--Elegance--Exaltation--All from God." Via John Coltrane.

Customer Reviews

The only version to get.
To those of you who perhaps bought this album on Vinyl in the 60s as I did, and have been so disappointed with all the CD re-issues to date, then finally your patience has been rewarded.

All previous CD reissues have had a nasty tinny quality to Elvin Jones's cymbal sound, and Coltrane's tenor sounded hard and ugly. Even the Impulse 24 bit remaster was horrible.

This re-issue is gorgeous -- even if you own this recording, unless it is on anything other than pristine vinyl :-), it is well worth a re-purchase.

The bonus is that the live French recording (the only time Love Supreme was played as a suite live) is both sufficiently different and exciting to sometimes make the choice of which version to listen to a problem.

Coltane's love reigns supreme
Here is the definitive edition of one of the landmark albums of the twentieth century. The new source tape and some deft production really do make a significant difference to our appreciation of Coltane’s achievement. The outtakes and a classic live Antibes performance reclaimed from what was effectively a bootleg also provide us with fresh perspectives on ‘A Love Supreme’, as it moves towards forty years in our presence.

An unfathomable amount of development has taken place in the jazz world since this extraordinary work was recorded, of course. But it still retains the capacity to surprise, entice and delight even the most over-educated ears; surely a true testimony to its greatness. Winnowing sax, uncomplicated melodic sophistication, subtle modal development, percussive ingenuity (not just from the drummer) and a spirit of blazing (but well-tempered) spiritual passion make these inter-twining tracks what they are: wholly entrancing.

As if all this wasn’t enough, there is also a new book which helps to fill in the background to the album, the era that witnessed its birth and the creative force behind it. ‘A Love Supreme: The Creation of John Coltrane’s Classic Album’ by Ashley Kahn (Granta Books 2002 (ISBN: 186207545X), has a Foreword by percussion legend Elvin Jones. It is full of information and insight, of course. But nothing can surpass the sonic delights so lovingly re-mastered on this CD. The story is, above all else, in those notes and in the personality and atmosphere that reveals them to be something inexplicably transcendent.

A Total Classic
John Coltrane was a giant on the tenor saxophone and this was one of his finest hours. The quartet is legendary. They work together like a perfect family. Coltrane's intense searching lifestyle eventually led him to explore the spiritual regions in the early 1960's and this 'spirit' informs the music. This is a classic album but we are also treated to a wonderful 'live' set too. Coltrane's playing on this is really amazing giving himself more time to stretch out his solo explorations/improvisations. It is largely structured according to the original but by no means simply a 'live' performance of the recorded work. It exists in its own right and the recording quality of this CD is better than the previous 'pirate' issue I owned. We're also treated to another two out-takes and finally to two sessions featuring Archie Shepp and another bassist. These last two are interesting but don't grab me as much as the rest of the CD. This is a classic album by a true giant playing jazz that goes beyond what mostly passes for jazz today and we get all the bonus tracks. It was such an important event that it's worth getting all the extra stuff and it's not too expensive either. Coltrane extended the range of the saxophone via harmonics etc whilst his style was certainly intense but, more than this, it was the language of the spirit - his spirit. The message from deep within his being needed to get out and he found the new forms of language necessary for this. In this sense his playing is authentic and truly original. He always has a tremendous sense of presence and in this piece, dedicated to The Source of All Love, every note is inspired by his heart-felt devotion - it's like a musical meditation. He played his saxophone so much every day of his life that his playing was a fine-tuned instrument to his inner life.
If you just wanted one Coltrane CD, or wanted to get to know him, then start with this CD and if you like it then check out all that happened later i.e. OM, Meditations, Transition etc.