aworks :: "new" american classical music

A Love Supreme (1964). John Coltrane /see me.../

Here's a long, multi-year thread on I Love Music about John Coltrane's A Love Supreme being "over-estimated." Lawrence the Looter links it with the Who's Tommy, of all things:

i always thought of a love supreme as coltrane's tommy; it was necessary, it was a milestone, it certainly has its moments, but ultimately it's a transitional work. like tommy, a love supreme really came to life in a live setting (even though it was only played live once or twice).

A live version of A Love Supreme was just performed in Boston yesterday.

I like ALS, even in its component parts. I made an MP3 of just Elvin Jones' drum solo at the start of Part 3. And I posted earlier about liking the McLaughlin/Santana versions although I'm not crazy about their all-white suits.

Someone on that ILM thread also suggests Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is a murky mess. Murky, yes; a mess, no.

A Love Supreme (1964). John Coltrane /string quartet/

From artist recommendations on Amazon, David Balakrishnan recommends A Love Supreme:

This is my all-time highest favorite recording of any music in any style I have ever heard, although that might be partly because I am currently wrestling with how to arrange some of this incredible music for TISQ.

Since Elvin Jones' drumming is so good, for example, the solo at the beginning of Pursuance followed by his accompaniment as the band joins in, I don't see how the work can be arranged for string quartet.

Other interesting artist recommendations include Anonymous 4:

• On the Transmigration of Souls. John Adams.
• Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology. Devo.
• Action Packed: Best of the Capitol Years. Richard Thompson.
• Bernard Herrmann - The Film Scores / L.A. Phil. · Salonen

Renee Fleming:

• Hejira. Joni Mitchell.
• Unspeakable. Bill Frisell.

Paavo Järvi:

• Nancarrow, Daugherty et al on Absolute Mix. Kristjan Järvi's Absolute Ensemble.

gable: aworks consciousness revolution era coltrane: aworks del.icio.us wikipedia google news yahoo audio singingfish a love supreme: aworks amazon sales rank #345

A Love Supreme (1964). John Coltrane /carl stone playlist/

I see that composer Carl Stone has been listening to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme as played by Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin as well as music by Dumisami Muraire, Mykal Rouse, Henry Brant, Glenn Gould and others. I'm always interested in what people actually listen to. In this case, not surprisingly, it's a diverse list.

gable: aworks coltrane stone consciousness revolution era coltrane: del.icio.us wikipedia google news yahoo audio singingfish stone: wikipedia

A Love Supreme (1964). John Coltrane

Recorded by Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin nine years after the original, this version of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme is secular and fun compared to the original's seriousness and sense of the sacred.  They also recorded an alternative track without the chanting ("a LUV su-PREEM, a LUV su-PREEM") which changes the focus to the two guitarists trading lines with Santana's showmanship balanced by McLaughlin's intelligence. Both Santana and McLaughlin had spiritual tendencies (and presumably intentions) but this version, for me, acts as a better vehicle for the music behind the spirituality.