A Love Supreme

The four years of the Coltrane Classic Quartet (1961–65) represent one of the most concentrated periods of creation in jazz history. ElvinElvin Jonesエルヴィン・ジョーンズ's polyrhythm and McCoyMcCoy Tynerマッコイ・タイナー's wide-voicing left hand gave Coltrane something to push against.

July 26, 1965, Antibes, France. The only known live performance of 'A Love SupremeA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane · 1965' in its entirety. Officially archived by INA (the French national audiovisual institute). The classic quartet at its most ferocious, near the end of the era.

August 1965, Comblain-la-Tour, Belgium. RTBF's color broadcast — a rare and valuable color film of the classic quartet, captured just days after the Antibes 'A Love SupremeA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane · 1965' performance, with the band still riding that intensity.

McCoy TynerMcCoy Tynerマッコイ・タイナー anchored John ColtraneJohn Coltraneジョン・コルトレーン's classic quartet from 1960 to 1965. His left-hand quartal voicings and right-hand pentatonic flurries provided the harmonic foundation of A Love SupremeA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane · 1965.

Jimmy GarrisonJimmy Garrisonジミー・ギャリソン joined John ColtraneJohn Coltraneジョン・コルトレーン's quartet in late 1961. His pedal-point bass on the opening of A Love SupremeA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane · 1965, anchoring the four-note 'a love supreme' motif, became his most celebrated contribution.

Elvin JonesElvin Jonesエルヴィン・ジョーンズ appears on 14 albums — from My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane · 1961 through A Love SupremeA Love SupremeJohn Coltrane · 1965 with Coltrane, crossing into Shorter's world on Night DreamerNight DreamerWayne Shorter · 1964.

The pianist of Coltrane's celebrated quartet didn't leave over any lack of loyalty — he left over where the music was heading. As Coltrane pushed deeper into free jazz in 1965, Tyner walked, saying he simply didn't want to play that way. The irony is that he's right there on Ascension, the very record marking that turn.

McCoy Tyner recalled that what Coltrane wanted in a bassist wasn't someone who kept strict time, but someone free enough to hear the music and step away from its form. Jimmy Garrison fit that description, anchoring records like A Love Supreme.