Few albums in the canon of popular music have had the influence, resonance, and endurance of John Coltrane's 1965 classic A Love Supreme-a record that proved jazz was a fitting medium for spiritual exploration and for the expression of the sublime. Bringing the same fresh and engaging approach that characterized his critically acclaimed Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, Ashley Kahn tells the story of the genesis, creation, and aftermath of this classic recording. Featuring interviews with more than one hundred musicians, producers, friends, and family members; unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison; and scores of never-before-seen photographs, A Love Supreme balances biography, cultural context, and musical analysis in a passionate and revealing portrait.
A Love Supreme
Acknowledgments
Foreword
"Always a Spiritual Experience"
Introduction
"The First Time I Have Everything Ready
Chapter 1
Miles Ahead, Miles Behind
Chapter 2
The Classic Quartet
Impulse: Creed's Vision
Chapter 3
December 9, 1964: Creating A Love Supreme
Rudy Van Gelder
Chapter 4
December 10, 1964: A Second Try, a Year of Triumph
Poetry and Prayer
Suite by the Sea
Chapter 5
Avant-garde, a Force for Good
Chapter 6
The Unbroken Arc of A Love Supreme
Persistence of a Label
Epilogue
"Opening the Doors"
Notes
Bibliography
Discography
Index
"The emotions I experienced while reading Ashley Kahn's A Love Supreme gave me a feeling of beauty, elegance, excellence, grace and dignity. I congratulate him for a supreme effort well done." (Carlos Santana)
