Day 29 John Coltrane A Love Supreme [1964]

I almost didn't make it today! But here I am, with a classic John Coltrane Record. Some call this the most important John Coltrane record of all time.

The first exposure I had to John Coltrane was when I was 13, the album was "Sun Ship" it wasn't a good relationship. It took three years before I would try again, this time with "Soultrane". Soultrane was a much better pick, in fact it would start my lifelong love affair with Trane and his music and particularly the thirteen records he made on the Prestige label. I got into A Love Supreme about twenty years ago and didn't really know what to make of it, it was only when I decided to play the music about 8 years ago (transcribing good chunks of the record) that I started to see it a bit differently. The blues nature of the album seemed to jump out at me. The forms are so simple yet the genius captured at the moment was so rich. It was a great lesson in the complexity of form versus the complexity of harmony and how the two can relate. I spent a whole year listening to the disc every morning, starting my day with that iconic line (C# F# G# C#)-it was a wonderful experiment, one I definitely recommend. One of my all-time favourites!!! (but not my favourite Trane record :)) That reminds me to go and pick up one of those ipod alarm clocks!!! enjoy