Ashley Kahn - A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltranes Signature Album

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Kahn is the author of Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece. As a journalist and editor, he has contributed articles to The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Mojo, and many other publications. He also served as primary editor of Rolling Stone: The Seventies and primary contributor to The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. He lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Praise for A Love Supreme:
The Story of John Coltranes Signature Album

Kahn is building a publishing career by detailing the circumstances surrounding the creation of classic jazz recordings. A Love Supreme follows Kind of Blue, his earlier take on the classic Miles Davis session of the late 50s, with a similarly thorough overviewwith numerous photosof a vital episode in the history of jazz recording.

Los Angeles Times

Jazz writing appears to be moving toward high art, with Kahn leading the waythis is absolutely essential jazz history for all libraries.

Library Journal (starred review)

Kahns [A Love Supreme] continues what has turned out to be a great invention in music writinga brilliantly thorough history of one record central to American musical culture. This is little less than a stupendous piece of workeven greater than Kahns portrait of the Kind of Blue sessions.

The Buffalo News

A Love Supreme vividly tells the story of a musical earthquake that most every serious music fan and musician alike felt the challenge to acknowledge and react to.

Jazz Week

Kahn describes the music with marvelous lucidity. But his greatest triumph is to put the album in full context.

Entertainment Weekly

In a season of remarkable music writing, A Love Supreme arrives as one of the most satisfying books of 2002.

Seattle Weekly

Ashley Kahns book is a trove of information both trivial and profound.

Down Beat

PENGUIN BOOKS

Published by the Penguin Group

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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published in 2002 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Published in Penguin Books 2003

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Copyright Ashley Kahn, 2002

All rights reserved

IMAGE CREDITS:

Joe Alper/Courtesy of George Alper: (Pauline Hopkins book).

All excerpts from Ralph J. Gleasons interview with John Coltrane from May 2, 1961, are 1989,Jazz Casual Productions, Inc., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Both poems or excerpts on is 2002, Peter Max, and is used by permission. All rights reserved. Peter Max wishes to express that this image does not fully represent the original, full-color work.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED

THE HARDCOVER EDITION AS FOLLOWS :

Kahn, Ashley.

A love supreme : the story of John Coltranes signature album / Ashley Kahn.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.

Discography: p.

ISBN: 978-1-101-12680-6

1. Coltrane, John, 19261967. Love supreme I. Title

ML419.C645 K3 2002

785.34165dc21 2002029623

Printed in the United States of America

Set in it C Century Light

Designed by Jaye Zimet

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyright materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

Belief begins with a leap of faith, at least a meeting. A sincere thanks to Ravi Coltrane for taking both. I could not and would not have imagined this enterprise without the willing support of the extended JOWCOL family. To them, my enduring gratitude: Alice Coltrane, Marilyn McLeod, Michelle Coltrane Carbonell, Kelly Ferguson, Bill Kaplan, and keeping the Philadelphia flame burningCousin Mary Alexander.

Without their particular gifts, no A Love Supreme; without their participation, no book. Deep bows to McCoy Tyner (and Paul Hoffer), Elvin Jones (Keiko Jones), and Rudy Van Gelder (Maureen Sickler).

A writer could not hope for a more dedicated editorial team: Neil Belton in London, Rick Crash Master Kot, Brett Kelly, and my agent and friend, Dave Dunton, whose daily cheer was the WD-40 when wheels stopped turning. At Viking Penguin: Paul Slovak, Jaye Zimet, Paul Buckley, Jesse Reyes, Kate Griggs, and Susan Petersen Kennedy. At Granta: Gail Lynch, Louise Campbell, and Sarah Wasley. For research, transcribing, and translating: Aaron Prado, Robert Warren, Jonathan Matz, Maria Alford, Adelheid Kuchling, Wivi-Ann Wellset un vrai frre: Laurent Masson.

At Verve Music Groupmy musical HQI found unbridled enthusiasm. Thanks to: Ron Goldstein, Bryan Koniarz, Hollis King, Regina Joskow, Lauren Fox, Kevin Reeves, Michael Kauffman, Lynn Kerman, Erick Labson, and Randy Aronson. For riding shotgun the entire way, special thanks to Ken Druker.

For their generosity in providing information, tapes, images, and energy, I am eternally grateful to an international cadre: Michel Delorme, Yasuhiro Fujioka, Lewis Porter, Hal Miller, and Carlos Santana.

For lending an informed musical perspective: Bob Belden, Archie Shepp, Dr. Art Davis, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Shorter, Frank Lowe, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Zane Massey, Cecil Payne, Yusef Lateef, Tommy Flanagan, and Ravi Coltrane.