A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

John Coltrane
A Love Supreme
1964
Jazz
Impulse!

1. Part 1: Acknowledgment
2. Part 2: Resolution
3. Part 3: Pursuance
4. Part 4: Psalm
(Also included is a 497x477 album cover .jpeg)

No matter what...it is God.
He is gracious and merciful.
It is most important that I know Thee.
Words, sounds, speech, men, memory,
Thoughts, fears, and emotions - time -
All related...All made in one.
Blessed be his name.

From the liner notes of A Love Supreme

I hope I'm not offending any jazz buffs out there, but I think that The Roots is actually a pretty good gateway to the world of jazz. So, here goes. I just got home from a 3 hour hardcore show and my ears needed some soothing, and naturally I put on some John Coltrane. A Love Supreme is his masterpiece, and the sound of this album is probably what most of us think about when the word jazz crosses our ears.

A Love Supreme is John Coltrane's ode to God. There is a deep spiritual underlying meaning behind each track, and the liner notes of the album feature a poem, entitled "A Love Supreme," as an offering to God, written by Coltrane himself. The last track of the album, "Psalm," is actually what is called a "wordless recitation" of the poem. There are no vocals, but instead John's sax solo plays exactly one note per syllable of the poem, reading it out loud with music.

It's a very feel good album. I put it on when I just want to relax and hear some laid-back, crisp sounding jazz to sit and think to. McCoy Tyner's piano is sharp and grabbing, while John Coltrane's tenor saxaphone is smooth and warm. A Love Supreme has made it to the top of many a best-of jazz list, and even the high reaches of best-of all time countdowns. This is definitely a great album to start to delve into the scary genre of jazz with, and just an all around perfect performance that is very accessible for listeners of any musical preference.

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