By David Jordan Jr
“This album is a humble offering to Him. An attempt to say “THANK YOU GOD” through our work, even as we do in our hearts and with our tongues. May He help and strengthen all men in every good endeavor.” – John Coltrane
February 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the release one of the most influential records of all time, “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane. 
The sound of this album is driven by spirituality and the voice of God as Coltrane said in describing the album and the inspiration for the piece. Greatly appreciated by not just jazz lovers, but by lovers of all music “A Love Supreme” enabled the listener to have an experience with music which had never previously been made possible through a horn. John Coltrane, a musical genius had made his mark in the world of jazz previous to this release, joining other legends such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie in the way of creating a unique, distinguishable sound which was solely associated with each artists. Coltrane’s journey not only through his career as a musician but his journey through life provided the foundation for this masterpiece to happen. The greatest pieces of art typically come from the most life touching/altering experiences and “A Love Supreme” was put inside of Trane directly from God. He stated this in his linear notes for the album and it can be heard in each note that he blows out of his horn. A drug addiction that reached its vertex in 1957 led to Coltrane having a deep spiritual intervention with God; it was at this point he realized that he had the ultimate gift from God and that he wanted to utilize this gift to spread his love and the love of God for all people. 
He knew that the addiction was an extreme problem and he asked God for deliverance from drugs and for the innate ability to connect with people spiritually through his music. One recorded session on December 9, 1964 resulted in the deepest album Coltrane ever released. Musicians Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Art Davis and Archie Shepp were also apart of this album, each playing an instrumental role in the sound which is still as fresh today as it was 50 years when it was released. From the very second that the album begins to play, intrigue is bestowed on the ears of the listener. A gong welcomes you to “A Love Supreme” thus setting the tone for how different and resounding this piece would prove to be. Another unique aspect of this album is the fact that the voice of Coltrane is actually recorded on wax in the ending chant of “A Love Supreme” proving to cement the magnitude of this particular recording. The impact of this album is not only in the musical genre but also in the cinematic field. Film director Spike Lee has scored some of his movies with some of Trane’s greatest works, including “A Love Supreme” used in his 1990 movie “Mo’ Better Blues” and even using “Alabama” (a piece Coltrane wrote in correlation with 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama) in his 1992 release “Malcolm X.” 
Great music is timeless and forever impacting and “A Love Supreme” is an album that will change not only change your life as a lover of music, but it will impact your musical ear and open you up to another side of yourself aesthetically as well as spiritually.
