A Love Supreme: Coltrane’s Iconic Album Turns 60

The 33-minute album consisted of four parts: "Acknowledgement," "Resolution," "Pursuance," and "Psalm."

Love Supreme, the critically acclaimed album by John Coltrane, debuted on Dec. 9, 1964. To celebrate the diamond jubilee of one of the most influential jazz albums, Impulse! Records is releasing A Love Supreme: 60th Anniversary Edition.

Coltrane and his band members recorded the renowned album in one afternoon. Coltrane’s quartet included bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Elvin Jones, and pianist McCoy Tyner.

In a 2012 interview with NPR, Tyner reflected on the recording session, saying Coltrane gave them minimal verbal direction when recording the masterpiece.

“You see, one thing about that music is that it showed you that we had reached a level where you could move the music around. John had a very wonderful way of being flexible with the music, flexing it, stretching it. You know, we reflected that kind of thing. He gave us the freedom to do that, “ Tyner told the outlet.

In addition to the re-release, The Winter Jazzfest will hold a special event celebrating the album. “Impressions: Improvisatory Interpretations on A Love Supreme” will occur on Jan. 12 at the Roulette music venue in Brooklyn. Guest musicians Ravi Coltrane, son of John and Alice Coltrane, will headline the show with his quartet. The event will feature other musicians, including Angelica Sanchez, Ben Williams, James Brandon Lewis, Joel Ross, Kalia Vandever, Kassa Overall, Kenny Warren, Nasheet Waits, Rafiq Bhatia, Sam Newsome, and Tomoki Sanders.

A Love Supreme still profoundly impacts Black culture. Director Spike Lee pays homage to Coltrane in his 1990 film Mo’ Better Blues, initially called A Love Supreme. Lee changed the name at the request of Coltrane’s widow, Alice Coltrane.

“I wanted to call it “Love Supreme,’ but the movie is associated with so much profanity that Mrs. Coltrane did not like the idea of using her husband’s best song,” Lee told The Oklahoman.

Coltrane recorded over 40 albums and collaborated with countless other musicians, including fellow jazz legends Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.

The limited edition diamond vinyl record is available to pre-order. The album will be available on Feb. 7, 2025—60 years after the original A Love Supreme release.

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