Giant Steps

(Photo: American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane. Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images)

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Often cited as one of the greatest albums ever made, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme is revered not just by jazz aficionados but music fans the world over. Fifty years on from its release, British saxophonist Courtney Pine explores what makes A Love Supreme such a unique and important record.

wrote:

“Twenty years after Benny Green recorded Bass Face at Kuumbwa, marking his debut as a talented young pianist with the legendary Ray Brown Trio, he returns to record again, this time as the leader of his own trio. His long-time drummer, Kenny Washington, a respected “keeper of the hard bop flame,” and ace bassist David Wong, demonstrate a flair for tasteful swinging that burns brightly under Green’s own flawless, two-handed technique and imaginative, one-of-a-kind improvisations. Green’s keyboard genius has accompanied the vocal artistry of Betty Carter, served in the ranks of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and, ultimately, replaced the great Gene Harris in bassist Ray Brown’s trio. Don’t miss this milestone two-day event culminating in a Live at Kuumbwa CD!”

Benny Green Photo: Elde Stewart

- reviewed by Richard Brody / The New Yorker Magazine

Brody wites:

Those later recordings, such as “Live At The Village Vanguard Again,” reveal Coltrane as he had, so to speak, passed through to the other side. In the “Sun Ship” session, he is still breaking through; it’s a key moment of transition, of personal as well as musical transformation.