Seb Record club Essay
John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme was recorded December 1964, released early 1965. It was shaped by Coltrane’s spiritual journey and the intense social and political disorder in America. Love Supreme became a musical prayer for peace during crisis.
Part 1 ‘Acknowledgement’ of Love Supreme was Coltrane’s thanks to God representing his spiritual awakening which allowed him to overcome his drug addiction. Coltrane grew up in a Christian household; he went to church every Sunday which led to his first musical encounters. Having a community surrounded by music impacted his later playing but didn’t seek out a label and had a deeper feeling for higher worlds than earth. Love Supreme has a gospel feel with prayer-like songs. Coltrane’s father was a preacher and Love Supreme is a Gospel sung through the saxophone. Sonny Rollins describes him as ‘about the big picture. He was celestial.’ (Chasing Trane The John Coltrane Documentary, 2019). Coltrane took inspiration from Albert Einstein and was drawn to the big questions of life. He was inspired by the idea of the infinite and how science, music and maths worked simultaneously together as a universal truth. Coltrane often questioned his religion, but never did anything about it ‘I just couldn’t believe that one God could be right because if he’s right, somebody else has gotta be wrong.’ (Chasing Trane 2019). It’s almost like Coltrane got the answers to his big questions through his saxophone and would spend hours practising. In 1963 Coltrane met Alice and she provided him with a sense of normality giving him a family and stability, which he didn’t always have growing up. Alice gave him time to explore and space to create. When writing Love Supreme he secluded himself and just pursued his writing. Although this made him absent at home, Alice understood the mission he was on and respected the space he needed to do so. She described the moment he came downstairs and had finished writing, “like Moses coming down from the mountain” (Sundays, 2017). Coltrane was finally satisfied with his work ‘it’s the first time I have everything ready’. (Chasing Trane 2019). He had a spiritual connection with the horn using it as a tool and messenger to the world. His album reinforced this as he was in control, able to accomplish what he was made to do. Many interoperate A Love Supreme as a goodbye as Coltrane put all his practise and findings into the album as a gift to God leaving a legacy to the following generations. Coltrane became ill in 1966 passing away in 1967 and his final albums can be interpreted as him leaving us with parts of himself. His final challenge was to leave the world with stories told through his work. Even when Coltrane passed away Alice described it as a beautiful moment of transition, love supreme was his goodbye and way of saying ‘THANK YOU GOD’ (Kahn, 2003). He gave another dimension to American music, deeply rooted with African experience. He saw music as humanity playing what he felt aiming to give the listener a picture of some of the wonderful things he sensed in the universe. Pharoh Sanders also shaped spiritual jazz, his ‘the creator has a master plan’ (Sanders, 2003),recorded in 1969, is often seen as a continuation of the spiritual jazz groundwork laid by Coltrane. “The Creator” echoes the melodic and rhythmic structures in love supreme particularly its modal, repetitive nature. Both albums have a meditative feeling ‘my music is the spiritual expression of what I am my faith, my knowledge my being.’ (Chasing Trane 2019) He was able to leave some heaven behind and love supreme was an expression of his faith. Arguably ‘Sanders’ recordings as a leader after the death of John Coltrane’’ (Beckett, 2022). Coltrane was his mentor and Sanders continued Coltrane’s legacy.
Part 2 ‘resolution’ represents the determination of overcoming drug addiction and personal struggles and returning on his spiritual journey. Coltrane was finally satisfied doing his own project, with experience around the studio however he faced many challenges to get there. Coltrane grew up in a busy household with extended family. He lost his dad, uncle and both grandparents in two years. This changed the dynamic for Coltrane as he became the man of the house, turning to music as a coping mechanism. His mum left to work in Philadelphia after the passing of Coltrane’s father, and Coltrane eventually joined her wanting to study music. His mum made sacrifices allowing him to study, and he started taking private lessons. He pursued any music work he got and from 1949-51 he was playing with Dizzy Gillespie. Philadelphia was known for its vibrant African American community’s post WWII. The areas were filled with bars and clubs playing live music of all styles. Dizzy saw potential in Coltrane but had a strict no drugs policy and in December 1950 he caught Coltrane and Jimmy Heath taking drugs and kicked them both out. ‘I stayed in absurdity for a while- happy to play what was expected’ (Chasing Trane 2019), he had no creative motivation. Drugs corrupted him, ruining the start of his career however Miles Davis inspired him to be better. In 1955 he regularly joined Miles playing in his quintet. This was regarded as the band to be in as Miles was the face of new modern sounds. Coltrane’s career seemed to be peaking however ‘there was a miss guided notion that artistic ability was enhanced by drugs.’ (Chasing Trane 2019), Coltrane became a victim to heroin and Miles fired him. This was the shock of his life, depending on the work to build a home and support his family, Coltrane’s career was on the line and he had to either dedicate himself to a clean existence or accept failure. Finally, he went cold turkey locking himself away to clean up. “I experienced, thanks to God, a spiritual awakening that led to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, I humbly asked that I be given the means and the privilege to make people happy through music.’’ (Karoïevski, 2022), God reminded him of his dedication to his craft. Coltrane’s playing became better and his mind was cleared returning to New York on a mission. Philosophy really helped Coltrane make the decision to choose a clean existence, and through help from Yusef Lateef, Coltrane started exploring spirituality of the East which A Love Supreme rooted from. Lateef was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist interested in intercultural music particularly the eastern sound. Coltrane was drawn to modal music and both musicians saw music as a spiritual journey. Lateef describes “With each project I try to do something I have never done before.” (Rudolph, 2014). Coltrane was also always searching for new ways of pushing himself and said, ‘we should challenge ourselves’ (Kahn, 2003). Lateef and Coltrane shared ideas inspired by other European composers and theorists. Lateef didn’t refer to his music as jazz, ‘he calls his music “autophysiopsychic,” which means music coming from one’s physical, mental and spiritual self.’ (Rudolph, 2012). Coltrane needed a spiritual awakening to put him in the pathway to writing a Love Supreme. After overcoming addiction, he was on a mission working alongside Thelonious Monk aiming to find his identity within the scene. Coltrane was deeply inspired by Lateef and his compositions and started trying to find his own sound. Elvin Jones the bassist for a love supreme described the album as ‘not even jazz. (Kahn, 2003). Coltrane started focusing on what felt right instead of fitting in.
Part 3 ‘pursuance’ represents the chaotic search for spiritual understanding, signifying the relentless efforts of overcoming obstacles on a spiritual path. This can relate to the struggles of being an African American at the time. Black music became a response to being terrorised. Coltrane was born in Hamlet but raised in High Point which suffered from a lot of racism, and the African American church was the primary source holding his community together. His early experiences in church influenced A Love Supreme which is deeply rooted in the blues tradition with a gospel feel and chanting on the album which was the first time Coltrane had his voice recorded. Growing up in the South Coltrane wanted things to be better but never talked about it, instead he would communicate through his music. The civil rights movement was a social movement in America from the 1850s to 1968 aiming to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement affecting African Americans hugely. Political violence towards black people increased during this time. On September 15th, 1963, the 16th street Baptist church bombing in Alabama, Birmingham took place, murdering four young African American girls. The tragedy inspired Coltrane to compose his earliest protest piece ‘Alabama’. (Coltrane, 1963). Coltrane developed the melody over Martin Luther Kings ‘I have a dream’ speech. (Luther King, 1963). They both represented the best of human spirit using expression to fight for what they believed in. Jazz became more spiritual filled with charged expression. Hard bop and West-Coast jazz remained however during the 60s music was used as a tool for black radicalization, exploring a peaceful way to fight back against racial injustice. There was a shift in 1965 in America, towards black empowerment. Coltrane was a huge figure in the black community allowing people to be proud of their heritage. A Love Supreme celebrated African American identity breaking the boundaries of conventional bebop. This album was a masterpiece filled with spirituality and hope, Santana describes it as ‘soulful, stories told through his music -showing experiences -Coltrane played life.’ (Chasing Trane 2019).
Overall, A Love Supreme is a celebration of life. ‘Coltrane’s evolution was his embracing the world’(Ofiaja, 2015). Coltrane challenged the world wanting to understand it fully and in doing so wrote one of the most influential albums, A Love Supreme.
Reference list
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Chasing Trane The John Coltrane Documentary, (2019). [Film ] Abramorama. 9 Sep. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.34af9d96-5c8e-b8c3-907c-52125b957d9b?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb [Accessed 13 May 2026].
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Luther King, M. (1963). I have a dream .
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Sanders, P. (2003). The Creator Has a Master Plan. [Vinyl] Wonder Station, Tokyo: Venus/ Tetsuo Hara.
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