A Love Supreme
Encyclopedia
A Love Supreme is a studio album
recorded by John Coltrane
's quartet in December 1964 and released by Impulse! Records
(catalogue number AS-77) in February 1965. It is generally considered to be among Coltrane's greatest works, as it melded the hard bop
sensibilities of his early career with the free jazz
style he adopted later.
The quartet recorded the album in one session on December 9, 1964, at the Van Gelder Studio
in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
. Coltrane's home
in Dix Hills
, Long Island, has been suggested as the site of inspiration for A Love Supreme.
, broken up into tracks: "Acknowledgement" (which contains the mantra
that gave the suite its name), "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm." It is intended to be a spiritual album, broadly representative of a personal struggle for purity, and expresses the artist's deep gratitude as he admits to his talent and instrument as being owned not by him but by a spiritual higher power.
The album begins with the bang of a gong
(tam-tam), followed by cymbal washes. Jimmy Garrison
follows on bass with the four-note motif which structures the entire movement. Coltrane's solo follows. Besides soloing upon variations of the motif, at one point Coltrane repeats the four notes over and over in different modulations. After many repetitions, the motif becomes the vocal chant "A Love Supreme", sung by Coltrane (accompanying himself via overdubs).
In the final movement, Coltrane performs what he calls a "musical narration" (Lewis Porter
describes it as a "wordless 'recitation'") of a devotional poem he included in the liner notes. That is, Coltrane "plays" the words of the poem on saxophone, but does not actually speak them. Some scholars have suggested that this performance is a homage to the sermon
s of African-American preachers. The poem (and, in his own way, Coltrane's solo) ends with the cry "Elation. Elegance. Exaltation. All from God. Thank you God. Amen."
's "Treasures of American History", part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution
. In 2003, the album was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
. The publication called it a "legendary album-long hymn of praise" and stated "The indelible four-note theme of the first movement, 'Acknowledgment,' is the humble foundation of the suite. But Coltrane's majestic, often violent blowing (famously described as 'sheets of sound') is never self-aggrandizing. Aloft with his classic quartet..., Coltrane soars with nothing but gratitude and joy. You can't help but go with him." The Penguin Guide to Jazz
selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" and awarded it a "crown" stating "It is without precedent and parallel, and though it must also be one of the best loved jazz records of all time it somehow remains remote from critical pigeonholing" calling it "immensely concentrated and rich."
The album's influence has been extensive and diverse. Musicians ranging from tenor Joshua Redman
to the rockstar Bono
of U2
have singled out the influence of the album on their own work. Guitarists John McLaughlin
and Carlos Santana
have each credited the album as one of their greatest early influences.
and bassist Art Davis
, did not feature Coltrane chanting "a love supreme," one reason he chose to issue the quartet version.
The only live performance of the "Love Supreme" suite, from a July 26, 1965, performance at the Festival Mondial du Jazz Antibes, Juan-les-Pins
, France
, was also remastered and released in a 2002 two-CD set by Impulse! Records
with the original album and additional studio outtakes. This performance was considerably more dissonant than the studio version, and features an extended drum solo preceding the bass solo on "Pursuance".
and Carlos Santana
recorded a guitar version of "Acknowledgement," which they titled as "A Love Supreme" on their 1973 collaboration Love Devotion Surrender
. At the time, both were devotees of guru Sri Chinmoy
.
Will Downing
released an R&B cover version of the main theme, with the co-operation of John's widow Alice Coltrane
, which reached number fourteen in the UK singles chart
in 1988. Gumball
recorded a rock/alternative/jazz version of A Love Supreme and was a bonus track on the Japanese release of the 1994 release Revolution On Ice
. The suite also forms four tracks on the 2002 Branford Marsalis
Quartet album entitled Footsteps of our Fathers, and another Marsalis version is on a DVD "A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam". Branford's brother Wynton
recorded the suite in 2003 with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Sections of the suite have been performed by the David Murray
Octet, the Ballistic Brothers
, and the Bob Mintzer Big Band. Turtle Island String Quartet released their album A Love Supreme in 2007, and the album features a cover version of the suite, along with other covers of various Coltrane charts.
A 1995 album titled Variations on A Love Supreme
was composed by Fabrizio Cassol
and Kris Defoort
.
José James
re-recorded two tracks in 2007 from A Love Supreme as a double A-Side limited-edition 10" for Brownswood Records which was available at concerts and by mail order. "Equinox" and "Resolution" were the tracks in question. James, previously a young rapper
, added vocals to the tracks in a style reminiscent to some of Gil Scott Heron. Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling
recorded a cover of "Resolution" for his album Man in the Air
. In this recording, Elling set lyrics to the song in his signature style, vocalese
.
)
Side one
Side two
Disc two
Additional musicians
Production
Compact Disc reissue
Deluxe edition
SACD
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
recorded by John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
's quartet in December 1964 and released by Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
(catalogue number AS-77) in February 1965. It is generally considered to be among Coltrane's greatest works, as it melded the hard bop
Hard bop
Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...
sensibilities of his early career with the free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
style he adopted later.
The quartet recorded the album in one session on December 9, 1964, at the Van Gelder Studio
Van Gelder Studio
The Van Gelder Studio is a recording studio located at 445 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. It was set up in 1959 by Rudy Van Gelder and has been used to record many albums released by major jazz labels such as Verve Records, Blue Note, Prestige and CTI Records.-Background:After having...
in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Coltrane's home
John Coltrane Home
The John Coltrane Home is a house in the Dix Hills neighborhood of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, where saxophonist John Coltrane resided from 1964 until his death in 1967. It was in this home that he composed his landmark work, A Love Supreme....
in Dix Hills
Dix Hills, New York
Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet (and a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Dix Hills was named the 19th most affluent U.S. neighborhood by Forbes in 2008.. It is one...
, Long Island, has been suggested as the site of inspiration for A Love Supreme.
Music
The album is a four-part suiteSuite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
, broken up into tracks: "Acknowledgement" (which contains the mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
that gave the suite its name), "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm." It is intended to be a spiritual album, broadly representative of a personal struggle for purity, and expresses the artist's deep gratitude as he admits to his talent and instrument as being owned not by him but by a spiritual higher power.
The album begins with the bang of a gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
(tam-tam), followed by cymbal washes. Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison
Jimmy Garrison was an American jazz double bassist born in Miami, Florida. He was best known through his long association with John Coltrane from 1961–1967.-Biography:...
follows on bass with the four-note motif which structures the entire movement. Coltrane's solo follows. Besides soloing upon variations of the motif, at one point Coltrane repeats the four notes over and over in different modulations. After many repetitions, the motif becomes the vocal chant "A Love Supreme", sung by Coltrane (accompanying himself via overdubs).
In the final movement, Coltrane performs what he calls a "musical narration" (Lewis Porter
Lewis Porter
-Life:Dr Porter studied at the University of Rochester, followed by Master's degrees from Northeastern University and Tufts University and a doctorate in Musicology from Brandeis University....
describes it as a "wordless 'recitation'") of a devotional poem he included in the liner notes. That is, Coltrane "plays" the words of the poem on saxophone, but does not actually speak them. Some scholars have suggested that this performance is a homage to the sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s of African-American preachers. The poem (and, in his own way, Coltrane's solo) ends with the cry "Elation. Elegance. Exaltation. All from God. Thank you God. Amen."
Reception and influence
A Love Supreme is often listed amongst the greatest jazz albums of all time. It was also quite popular for a jazz album, selling about 500,000 copies by 1970, a number far exceeding Coltrane's typical Impulse! sales of around 30,000. As further testimony to the recording's historic significance, the manuscript for the album is one of the National Museum of American HistoryNational Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
's "Treasures of American History", part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. In 2003, the album was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. The publication called it a "legendary album-long hymn of praise" and stated "The indelible four-note theme of the first movement, 'Acknowledgment,' is the humble foundation of the suite. But Coltrane's majestic, often violent blowing (famously described as 'sheets of sound') is never self-aggrandizing. Aloft with his classic quartet..., Coltrane soars with nothing but gratitude and joy. You can't help but go with him." The Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which are currently available in Europe or the United States...
selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" and awarded it a "crown" stating "It is without precedent and parallel, and though it must also be one of the best loved jazz records of all time it somehow remains remote from critical pigeonholing" calling it "immensely concentrated and rich."
The album's influence has been extensive and diverse. Musicians ranging from tenor Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
to the rockstar Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
have singled out the influence of the album on their own work. Guitarists John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
and Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
have each credited the album as one of their greatest early influences.
Other performances
An alternative version of "Acknowledgement" was recorded the next day on December 10. This version, which included tenor saxophonist Archie SheppArchie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
and bassist Art Davis
Art Davis
Art Davis was a double-bassist, known for his work with various seminal jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach.-Biography:...
, did not feature Coltrane chanting "a love supreme," one reason he chose to issue the quartet version.
The only live performance of the "Love Supreme" suite, from a July 26, 1965, performance at the Festival Mondial du Jazz Antibes, Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-PinsCountry:Region:Department: Alpes-MaritimesArrondissement: GrasseCanton: Vallauris-Antibes-OuestMunicipality: AntibesPopulation:?Coordinates:Time zone:CET, UTC+1Elevation:10 amslPostal code:06600...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, was also remastered and released in a 2002 two-CD set by Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
with the original album and additional studio outtakes. This performance was considerably more dissonant than the studio version, and features an extended drum solo preceding the bass solo on "Pursuance".
Adaptations
Doug Carn and wife Jean Carn did a cover of "Acknowledgement" featuring vocals by Jean. This was featured on the album Infant Eyes in 1972. John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
and Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
recorded a guitar version of "Acknowledgement," which they titled as "A Love Supreme" on their 1973 collaboration Love Devotion Surrender
Love Devotion Surrender
Love Devotion Surrender is an album released in 1973 by guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, with the backing of their respective bands . The album was inspired by the teachings of Sri Chinmoy and intended as a tribute to John Coltrane...
. At the time, both were devotees of guru Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
.
Will Downing
Will Downing
Will Downing , is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R&B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R&B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s...
released an R&B cover version of the main theme, with the co-operation of John's widow Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
, which reached number fourteen in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 1988. Gumball
Gumball (band)
Gumball was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1990. The original lineup consisted of Don Fleming , Eric Vermillion , and Jay Spiegel . In 1992, a fourth member was added, Malcolm Riviera who had previously played with Fleming and Spiegel in the Velvet Monkeys.-History:After Fleming...
recorded a rock/alternative/jazz version of A Love Supreme and was a bonus track on the Japanese release of the 1994 release Revolution On Ice
Revolution on Ice
Revolution on Ice was the third and final studio album by Gumball. The album, released in 1994, was the only one to featuring new member Malcolm Riviera of Velvet Monkeys fame on keyboards...
. The suite also forms four tracks on the 2002 Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
Quartet album entitled Footsteps of our Fathers, and another Marsalis version is on a DVD "A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam". Branford's brother Wynton
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
recorded the suite in 2003 with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Sections of the suite have been performed by the David Murray
David Murray (jazz musician)
David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
Octet, the Ballistic Brothers
Ballistic Brothers
Ballistic Brothers were a British based band comprising Ashley Beedle, Rocky & Diesel and David Hill . Specialising in a kind of jazz-influenced funky electronica music, the band released two full length studio albums in the mid-1990s....
, and the Bob Mintzer Big Band. Turtle Island String Quartet released their album A Love Supreme in 2007, and the album features a cover version of the suite, along with other covers of various Coltrane charts.
A 1995 album titled Variations on A Love Supreme
Variations on A Love Supreme
Variations on A Love Supreme is a jazz album composed by Fabrizio Cassol and Kris Defoort. It contains variations on A Love Supreme, the classic jazz album by the John Coltrane quartet...
was composed by Fabrizio Cassol
Fabrizio Cassol
Fabrizio Cassol is a Belgian saxophonist and the first user of the aulochrome .He was born in Ougrée, Belgium. Between 1982 and 1985, he studied at the Liège conservatory and obtained a first prize for saxophone while majoring in chamber music. He graduated in improvisation and composition...
and Kris Defoort
Kris Defoort
Kris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born in 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort ....
.
José James
José James
José James is an American vocalist best known for performing and blending modern jazz and hip-hop. James performs all over the world both as a leader and with other groups.-Biography:...
re-recorded two tracks in 2007 from A Love Supreme as a double A-Side limited-edition 10" for Brownswood Records which was available at concerts and by mail order. "Equinox" and "Resolution" were the tracks in question. James, previously a young rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, added vocals to the tracks in a style reminiscent to some of Gil Scott Heron. Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
recorded a cover of "Resolution" for his album Man in the Air
Man in the Air
Man in the Air is a jazz album by vocalist Kurt Elling, released by Blue Note Records in 2003.-Track listing:#"Minuano " – 7:53#"In the Winelight" – 6:38#"Resolution" – 6:51...
. In this recording, Elling set lyrics to the song in his signature style, vocalese
Vocalese
Vocalese is a style or genre of jazz singing wherein lyrics are written for melodies that were originally part of an all-instrumental composition or improvisation. Whereas scat singing uses improvised nonsense syllables, such as "bap ba dee dot bwee dee" in solos, vocalese uses lyrics, either...
.
Track listing
All tracks composed by John Coltrane and published by Jowcol Music (BMIBroadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
)
Side one
| No. | Recorded | Take number | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | December 9, 1964 | 90243 | Part 1: "Acknowledgement" | 7:47 |
| 2. | December 9, 1964 | 90244‒7 | Part 2: "Resolution" | 7:22 |
Side two
| No. | Recorded | Take number | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | December 9, 1964 | 90245‒1 | Part 3: "Pursuance"/Part 4: "Psalm" | 17:53 |
2002 deluxe edition
Disc one| No. | Recorded | Take number | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | December 9, 1964 | 90243 | Part 1: "Acknowledgement" | 7:43 |
| 2. | December 9, 1964 | 90244‒7 | Part 2: "Resolution" | 7:20 |
| 3. | December 9, 1964 | 90245‒1 | Part 3: "Pursuance" | 10:42 |
| 4. | December 9, 1964 | 90245‒1 | Part 4: "Psalm" | 7:05 |
Disc two
| No. | Recorded | Take number | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | July 26, 1965 | n/a | Introduction by Andre Francis | 1:13 |
| 2. | July 26, 1965 | n/a | "Acknowledgement" (Live) | 6:11 |
| 3. | July 26, 1965 | n/a | "Resolution" (Live) | 11:36 |
| 4. | July 26, 1965 | n/a | "Pursuance" (Live) | 21:30 |
| 5. | July 26, 1965 | n/a | "Psalm" (Live) | 8:49 |
| 6. | December 9, 1964 | 90244‒4 | "Resolution" (Alternate take) | 7:25 |
| 7. | December 9, 1964 | 90244‒6 | "Resolution" (Breakdown) | 2:13 |
| 8. | December 10, 1964 | 90246‒1 | "Acknowledgement" (Alternate take) | 9:09 |
| 9. | December 10, 1964 | 90246‒2 | "Acknowledgement" (Alternate take) | 9:22 |
Personnel
The Classic Quartet- John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
– bandleaderBandleaderA bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and tenorTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Jimmy GarrisonJimmy GarrisonJimmy Garrison was an American jazz double bassist born in Miami, Florida. He was best known through his long association with John Coltrane from 1961–1967.-Biography:...
– double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Elvin JonesElvin JonesElvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - McCoy TynerMcCoy TynerMcCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Additional musicians
- Art DavisArt DavisArt Davis was a double-bassist, known for his work with various seminal jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach.-Biography:...
– double bass on alternate takes of "Acknowledgement" - Archie SheppArchie SheppArchie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
– tenor saxophone on alternate takes of "Acknowledgement"
Production
- George Gray/Viceroy – cover design
- Victor Kalin – illustration
- Joe Lebow – liner design
- Bob ThieleBob ThieleBob Thiele was an American record producer who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.-Biography:...
– production and cover photo - Rudy Van GelderRudy Van GelderRudy Van Gelder is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz.Often regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder has recorded several thousand jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics, in a career spanning more than half a century...
– engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Compact Disc reissue
- Joe Alper – photography
- Jason Claiborne – graphics
- Hollis King – art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
- Erick Labson – digital remasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Lee Tanner – photography
Deluxe edition
- Michael CuscunaMichael CuscunaMichael Cuscuna is an American jazz record producer and writer. He is a leading discographer of Blue Note Records....
– liner notes, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and remastering - Ken Druker – production
- Esmond EdwardsEsmond EdwardsEsmond Edwards was an American photographer, record producer, and recording engineer. He worked for jazz dominated Prestige Records during the 1950s and early-1960s. He was originally hired by founder Bob Weinstock as a photographer for the record label...
– photography - Ashley KahnAshley KahnAshley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer. He is also an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching various courses for the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and at 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.His most critically acclaimed...
– liner notes and production - Peter Keepnews – notes editing
- Hollis King – art direction
- Bryan Koniarz – production
- Edward O'Dowd – design
- Mark Smith – production assistance
- Sherniece Smith – art coordination and production
- Chuck Stewart – photography
SACD
- Bill Levenson – reissue supervisor
- Cameron Mizell – production coordination
- Kevin Reeves – mastering
- Ron Warwell – design
- Isabelle Wong – package design
External links
- A Love Supreme at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- A Love Supreme from Verve Music Group
- A Love Supreme Deluxe Edition from Verve Music Group