John Coltrane is inarguably one of the most influential and visionary artists of the 20th century. Like all great musicians, Coltrane would reinvent himself at various stages in his career, and many would argue that with 1964’s “A Love Supreme,” Coltrane had reached the pinnacle of his artistic expression. The compositions were previously thought to have only existed on record in two forms. The first from its original studio release, and from a live recording in Antibes, France from 1965. “A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle”, recorded at the Penthouse by late Seattle saxophonist Joe Brazil, marks the third known recording of Coltrane’s masterwork.
“A Love Supreme” is the stuff of legend. The original rendition was recorded at the hallowed Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, NJ, a place where many of jazz’s greatest progenitors would create and record art. That’s exactly what Coltrane, drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Jimmy Garrison would do when they entered the studio on Dec. 9, 1964. The album has since become a staple of any jazz aficionado’s collection, it’s raw emotive power still unrivaled. However, “A Love Supreme,” is not only powerful, it is spiritual.
The piece’s long-standing reverence only makes the release of the recently surfaced live recording all the more monumental. For this performance, Coltrane’s classic quartet is joined by saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Carlos Ward, as well as additional bassist Donald Rafael Garrett. The septet’s rendition of Coltrane’s masterwork pushes the compositions to new levels, ending up in new and exciting places throughout the performance.
Anyone previously familiar with “A Love Supreme”, will recognize its main themes in each of the four main skeletons, but in this performance lives a raw, and an extremely pertinent energy that steers the audience to new destinations. The Seattle performance is faster, heavier and darker than its predecessors, Jones thrashes away at the arrangements aggressively and calculated in a way only he could deliver.
Coltrane is master of his craft, there isn’t much that can be said about his revolutionary and oftentimes eclectic style of playing that hasn’t been said already, and in these recordings, he lives up to his reputation. Perhaps equally important as his playing, Coltrane’s use of space allowed musicians he assembled to truly shine. The saxophone solos Sanders delivers are akin to that of a heavy metal electric guitar, and Tyner re-affirms himself as one of jazz’s most important and dynamic pianists. Including two bass players allowed for an interesting dynamic of complex, polyrhythmic undertones. Its unconventionality is only matched by its mastery.
And so with the release of “A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle,” listeners are offered a glimpse into one of music’s most important figures performing one of his most important works with some of the greatest musicians of the time. If you haven’t heard it yet, what the fuck are you waiting for?
“A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle” is available in stores and online, via Impulse Records
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