What's up there,
Dear listener. Adam here. We are very close
to the great John Coltrane's birthday.
It's coming up, it's just a few days away.
And in honor of that, we wanted
to replay one of our favorite
episodes of the last few years.
This is our episode on his masterpiece,
A Love Supreme, and this was one of
my favorite memories ever recording
You'll Hear It.
Peter and I had such a blast listening
to this album and talking about it.
And what's fun for me is you can
hear Peter not change his mind,
but he wasn't totally enamoured with
A Love Supreme going into this.
Of course, he, he liked it, but it wasn't
his favorite Coltrane album of this era.
He's a Crescent Head through and
through, but you could hear over
the course of listening to the music
that he is just captured by it in a
way that's really fun to listen to.
And I hope that you hear that too,
because I just had a ball listening
to A Love Supreme with Peter.
We'll be back next week with a brand
new album, but enjoy A Love Supreme.
Hey, Peter.
Yes.
Today we're listening to an album that
some people think is one of the great
works of art of the 20th Century.
Other people think isn't even the
greatest work of art for this artist.
Mm. In this year.
Whoa.
Yeah.
We of course, are listening to.
John Coltrane's.
In my opinion, masterpiece
A Love Surprise.
I am Adam Maness.
And I'm Peter Martin, and you're
listening to the You'll Hear It podcast.
And this is a very special day for us.
It really is a very special day.
Yeah.
We love to listen to the greatest
albums of all time here at
the You'll Hear It podcast.
If you wanna go on a deeper dive
of anything we're talking about
here, you can always go to
openstudiojazz.com and check that out.
Yes, Peter.
It's A Love Supreme day.
We've been toying with this,
flirting with this album for years.
Yes.
We've never really covered it.
No, and I'm stoked 'cause this is
one of my all time favorite records.
Peter, full disclosure for me, and I know
you kind of know this already, but there
was a period in my twenties. Alright.
Picture this: young Adam in his twenties.
Yes.
Doesn't really get haircuts.
You know what I mean?
He smokes a lot, smokes
a lot of Marlboro Reds.
He's just, well, this was before we
knew that that was not safe or healthy.
Right?
No, we fully was that after we got
it, we fully didn't care though.
I'm just backing.
I'm, I'm, I'm, what is backing?
I'm, I'm shooting darts left and right.
Yeah.
Uh, I would wake up every morning for
about almost a year and listen to A Love
Supreme and Smoke Marblboro Reds and look
out my window all the way through.
All the way through both sides.
Yeah.
I would have a cup of coffee.
Yeah.
I would listen to side one,
smoke a cigarette, maybe two.
Flip it over, get more coffee.
Smoke another cigarette.
Maybe three.
Listen to side two.
Well, I mean, I think in terms of your
musical health, what it did to elevate it,
it probably canceled out those cigarettes
because this is Well, yeah, I mean, to
listen to this album all the way through,
um, which I know a lot of people do.
And, and this is definitely one of
those records that's rewarded Yeah.
From side one and then the break,
and then you come to side two.
I mean, it's a masterpiece.
It's, and it's a, it's a, from
beginning to end, it's a statement.
It was constructed in that way.
It comes across in that way.
And so, I mean, in terms of like
elevating your life and your health,
I think it might've canceled out.
Uh, I, I mean, we're not, we're not
recommending the youngins out there
in their twenties to go pick up
cigarette smoking and listen to it.
No, it's not good for your, but you
could, it wasn't good for my heart health.
Yeah.
And we're gonna do our classic scorecard
for what makes this album great.
Yes.
Which feels a little weird
because, you know, this was
Coltrane's love letter to God.
Yeah.
Uh, and so it feels a little cheap.
Just score it.
But we're going to, we're
gonna work through that.
Right.
And we're gonna realize that this
piece we're piece of paper here that
we're scoring, it means nothing.
No.
And, and one of the categories is not.
Spirituality.
'cause obviously this would
be off the charts on that.
Maybe It should be.
Maybe it should be.
No, we're gonna go and just to
review real quick our 10 categories,
because we haven't updated one.
We do, we, we are, we're
ditching one for another.
So number one is playing,
number two is vibe.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Number three is compositions.
Four sound, five sequence.
Okay.
Six.
Cover art.
Seven title.
Mm-hmm.
Eight lore.
Yeah.
And nine, what was formally known
as the SNOO meter slash Aunt
Linda is now the stank face ometer.
Big shout out to one of our listeners, uh,
regular listeners that recommended this.
And I think it makes sense.
Like how much face, so
what does that mean?
Stank face-ometer.
Mm. Just how much stank face it gets.
Exactly.
Isn't just, do you like this album?
Oh, kind of.
Okay.
Yeah.
But that's that.
I mean, it doesn't get
any better than that.
Well, but it's also like how much of a
personal impact I think it has on you.
And I want to talk a little bit
about what makes an album great.
What that means as well.
'cause that can mean.
I think most people think outside
of the jazz and maybe classical
world, oh, I should say number
10, is it better than KOB?
Which is important.
That's gonna be interesting.
That's gonna be interesting.
The title of this is,
is this better than KOB?
This album?
Yeah.
And this is something that has been
debated before and I'm interested
to see what we come up with.
And for that category we, we pitch
KOB as a nine because we want
things to be better than KOB.
'cause we think things could be, yeah.
And we've rated things
better than KOBI have.
But think about it.
Like when we say a great
album, most people would say
what makes an album great?
They would be like the greatest
album of all time Thriller.
They might throw that out there,
whether be Oh, interesting.
Because, well, I mean, no, if you
were to grab 10 people off the street,
look, there's a guy right there.
We could have grabbed him.
What do you think?
A thriller?
No, if you say what's the greatest album
of all time that what would come up?
Now I'm talking about jazz or whatever.
I think songs in the key of
life for a lot of people.
Yeah.
I think, uh, one of those early Bob
Dylan records maybe Blow on the Tracks,
might come up for people We're talking
about very, very high selling records.
Chart toppers, if you will.
Right?
Yeah.
So yeah, and I'm saying that's what
most people I think would be like a
great album is one that's sold a lot.
What's a great serial?
Let's go to poster Kelloggs.
Let's not go to some obscure.
Right?
Yeah.
Whereas I think there's this assumption
within jazz that the lonely poets society.
Exactly.
A little bit like a bespoke situation.
But I do think it's important for us to
at least delineate between the impact
that these albums make on musicians.
Yeah.
Maybe versus the general
public, the GP, as we say.
Yeah.
Well, speaking of impact, do
you remember just story time?
Uh, do you remember the first
time you heard Love Supreme?
Like do you, because this to me was.
Kind of enigmatic when I first heard it.
Yes.
I didn't really understand
what was happening musically.
I was scared of this album.
It's a, it was daunting.
Yeah.
Because it is like, how
are they doing that?
Especially I think for us pianists,
particularly like McCoy Tyner,
like, what is McCoy doing?
Yeah.
Why can a human being do that?
Like, what is happening
here and how can I do that?
Yeah.
That was my first questions
and I had no pathway for that.
I was like, I don't, I mean, I'll just
try to hear it and try to figure it out,
but man, it felt like a mountain to climb.
Yeah, for sure.
And I think an interesting thing
is to think about like the Yeah.
The impact that it makes on a musician.
Yeah.
So a pianist that's, that's
thinking, oh my gosh, McCoy Tyner.
What is, how is he interacting
Elvin Jones, you know, all these
kind of things Versus a listener
where it's just a visceral.
Kind of, um, you know, rain
shower on top of you Yeah.
Of the music.
And I wonder if this album
has that same kind of impact.
IE what makes it great, um, on
people listening like a kind of blue.
Yeah.
Whereas for musicians that might
be a little bit different and it's
no, it's not a right or wrong, but
like which one is more important?
Yeah.
You know, which makes an album greater.
If somebody who really that's very
personal, it's what's what impacts you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's like, you know, what does
somebody that is a former or current
professional basketball player who says
like, you know, actually the greatest
player in the ever was not Michael Jordan.
He's the most popular and seems Wilkins.
Well, I don't know.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
That's some of the taller and
shortest you're going there.
Um, but anyway, this is just a little
fodder for us as we move forward.
Let's get into listening
some this John Stockton.
John.
Yeah.
You know what?
Another one weird with dirtiest player.
Me.
I don't think this
happens like this anymore.
But because I grew up in the CD
era of the nineties, the first John
Coltrane CD I had was Giant Steps.
You're such a CD baby.
I'm a CD baby.
The first, the first album
I had from Trane was Giant
Steps and I wore that one out.
Yeah.
Meaning that I got soda on it in my truck.
So you heard that before
you heard Love Supreme?
I heard that one.
And then I heard there's one with
Trane and Alice Coltrane at the live.
At the Village Vanguard.
That is like really out.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Like 1967 or eight or something.
Okay.
I forget what it's called, but
it's not Interstellar Space, but
it's close to that right thing.
Right.
And I was like, I really
didn't, I was way too young.
Interstellar space for, thank you.
See, I don't even, I'm not even
intelligent enough to understand it.
But that one I was like, okay, I don't,
I honestly don't understand this.
Mm-hmm.
And I don't know if I like it.
And, and then, and then I came to.
Uh, I mean, before that, before
even, this was Coltrane sound.
Mm-hmm.
Which is another one of
my all time favorites.
Great record, uh, from John Coltrane.
And then this, you know, came later when I
got it on vinyl when I was in my twenties.
Uh, and again, uh, I think because I'd
spent so much time with Giant Steps and
Coltrane sounds specifically, uh, that
this, and Oh, I should, I should point
out to Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane,
and the Duke Ellington, John Coltrane.
I listen to those a lot too.
Before I'd even heard Love Supreme
about Blue Train and Blue Train,
I'd heard Blue Train a lot.
But this is the thing.
Here's, I and the kids were like, why
didn't you just listen to Love Supreme?
Because I didn't ever see it at
the record store that I was at.
Right.
Like, when I was a kid, I just
didn't, either I didn't pay attention
to it or I couldn't afford it.
'cause I had picked out the
things that I thought I liked.
Yeah.
And also it wasn't like.
Now where it's like you can see
what's the most popular and what's the
most and what has the most critical,
like if I wanted to look up what was
the most critically acclaimed John
Coltrane less, uh, record, I would
likely have to go to a library Yeah.
And look up that information.
Or ask someone who knew.
And I just, for whatever reason that
didn't happen for this, what a crazy
thing to think about how things
have changed in terms of how we're
exposed to hearing something and then
being able to make a judgment if we
like that or wanna hear more of it.
Like the first John Coltrane, I'd actually
heard some John Coltrane because my dad
had some, some records and there was
something on that Smithsonian box that
I'd definitely heard it growing up some.
But the first record where I was like,
let go check it out, was Crescent.
Yep.
Uh, on the recommendation
of Winton Marcellus.
Nice.
Um, he was just like,
check out this record.
I was like, oh.
But thinking back on it, I
would've never picked up that
record because there was nothing.
Um, there's standards on it.
There's no standards on.
Yeah.
Like that's such a big thing.
And the, and these,
this all offput either.
Yeah, like Acknowledgement and
it's got like a religious overtone,
so it's like I'm not worthy.
I know when you're like 18
years old and you're just trying
to learn the songbook, right?
Yeah.
You're trying to learn jazz standards and
things you can play with other people.
You're like, yeah, pursuant, nobody
plays pursuant, you know what I mean?
But nowadays, if you're coming up and
you're listening to something that
algorithmically Spotify or YouTube
or whatever picks up on that, you
might like something like this.
Yeah.
It will put it in there.
And, and people aren't looking
at like, who's playing on it?
It's hard to even find that the
name of the album and then you,
it's damn it, it got it so good.
They don't even know how good they got it.
What I mean, is it?
Yeah.
We, we've talked about this before.
It's, it's, it's good and it's bad.
Look, I mean, we're doing it right now.
We're telling them, go
listen to this album.
I know.
So the other thing I was thinking
about on this is it ended up kind of
being a little bit of a demarcation.
Point for me in John Coltrane, you're
talking about to, to what I would
have considered at the time, like
Interstellar Space and the later stuff.
Um, the Scary John Coltrane stuff.
This was like a, this was like a, a
line between the stuff that I knew
and I'd heard Coltrane of course
play with Felonious Monk, I think
even before I'd heard like Crescent.
So I'd heard early Coltrane.
Interesting.
Coltrane sounds for sure.
Yeah.
John Hart, Johnny Hartman, like,
and then the classic quartet.
Once I got into McCoy, I was
like, I loved all that stuff.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But, but this was the beginning of
like, oh boy, he's really taking it out
and I don't mean just a half step up.
Um, and so this was sort of like almost
the end of that era and the beginning of
the next era kind of serving for both.
And then of course 19 50, 65.
This was recorded in 1964 at the end of
64, but came out at the beginning of 65.
December 64, released January 65.
Yeah.
Which is crazy.
We wanna turnaround for a class.
We couldn't do that today, although
we're gonna try next episode.
That's right.
That's right.
Um.
But, you know, 65, 66, 67.
Then he passed in 67 way,
way too early, prematurely.
Um, was a huge out output put.
But he went, yeah.
Now I don't wanna say off the rails,
he just went in another direction.
That's amazing too, but very different
from this record than before.
Yeah.
It's a shame he passed away so young.
We could say that about so many
of our favorite musicians, because
it would've been great to see
what, where he would've gone.
Yeah.
You know, as an older musician, just
speaking as someone who's now older
than he was when he passed away.
Right.
Is crazy.
Several years.
Yeah.
Like so much happens during this
stage of life that I want to
hear his commentary on, you know?
Yeah.
I mean, think about what
we've gotten from people like.
I dunno why it just came in mind,
but like Pat Metheny's output later
in life has been incredible, right?
Like people like that,
you know what I mean?
Rod Carter, Ron Carter,
cocked Kirby Hancock.
Thank you, Wayne.
Shorter, Wayne Shorter's later output.
Amma.
Jamal just kept making great records.
I know.
Yeah.
And it would've been awesome to hear,
but okay, let's listen to some music.
Peter.
Let's listen to part one Acknowledgement.
And again, will we be specifically
listening for playing by any chance?
Yeah.
So that's our first category.
Okay.
We'll, we'll try, we'll try
to, to consolidate playing vibe
and maybe even compositions,
but we'll see how we go here.
Okay, so this is of course John
Coltrane on the tenor saxophone,
McCoy Tyner on the piano.
Uh, Jimmy Garrison on the bass
in Elvin Jones on the drums.
This is a Love Supreme
part one acknowledgement
open.
Oh yeah.
Elvin Jones Elvin.
I know, man.
Man, he's driving this bus.
This whole wrecker.
Oh wait, no.
McCoy's driving the bus.
Sorry.
Ah,
man.
Bold, bold, and beautiful.
It's the soundtrack to that.
Great.
Soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful.
That would be so weird if this
were the soundtrack to the bold,
but it is bold and beautiful.
Woo.
Are they burning out what we say?
Improvising over just one chord.
Yeah.
Sound.
Oh,
I mean.
The, for me, the difference between this
and another quote unquote modal album
is this is more, I mean, this is, feels
African, like this is, this has that
vibe of this is not of all of this place.
You know what I mean?
Like Yeah.
It has that feeling.
Yeah.
That it's.
You just can't deny.
Yeah.
I mean to call it exploratory is
obvious, but it's exploratory.
A hundred percent committed.
Like the way Trane is improvising,
it's like there's no self-awareness.
There's just like commitment to the music
to where it's gonna go to Continuing
on integrity, of course, you know, but.
And very stripped down harmonically.
I mean, it's one chord, but then
melodically the places that it takes it
harmonically are like off the charts.
You know?
That's where the exploration's going.
The rhythmic exploration.
Oh,
they're creating as they play.
I think this could have only
been done in one session.
A recommendation.
I mean, it's completely, yeah.
It's like the way McCoy
brought that back.
It's like I said, entered
it back on that down.
It's just on this other plane than
something like kind of blue like it,
it's coming from a different place.
Yeah.
It's not this like trying to be hip.
French thing, you know what I mean?
It's a little bit deeper,
you know what I'm saying?
Okay.
See where we're going
for number 10 for you
and, and from a pianist standpoint,
this is some of the best, most
advanced comping that's ever been done.
Yeah.
Truly in the sense of
working like a company.
Like he's not chasing anything
that Trane is doing, but he's
complimenting beautifully.
The conversation with Elvin, Jimmy
Garrison, I mean like they're
really committed to creating a
piece of art in real time, you know?
Yeah, it's, it's way beyond moldal
playing, I think, because it's one chord.
There's, yeah, I mean they play
harmonic mo, you know, modes.
And when you put in the context of
the time, 1964 when this was made,
yeah, 65 when it was released,
like so tumultuous time in the
US it's, this is a cultural like.
Trane, planting a cultural flag.
Right.
Which is a lot of people
were doing around this time.
Yeah.
Like,
and this, which would've not been okay
with a lot of people at this time.
Yeah.
Obviously that's the melody, you know,
would it be five minutes into the tune,
the tune, Hey, let's play acknowledgement.
Ready?
One, two,
and I mean, Jimmy Garrison's job
is potentially the most difficult
to hold things down, but to play
things that are interesting for
the overall collective composition.
It's just masterful what he's doing.
He kind of gets lost master there.
Yeah.
I mean, Coltrane went on that
journey with that riff, with that
melody, and now he's back here.
Nobody, by the way, it's
a, it's a mantra, right?
It's a chant.
Yeah.
Oh, as we'll hear
love,
love
free, love, love
free.
I
man, what a, from that F to the EFL and to
when they started on, that's incredible.
This time period.
If you think about this time period, and
I know it gets talked about a lot, but.
To have Elvin and Tony, Elvin Jones and
Tony Williams Young and making albums.
Yeah.
In this, you know, four or five year
stretch, one with Miles, one with Trane.
Mm-hmm.
It's like such a gift to the world, man.
Okay.
What change?
Drumming.
Both.
When Elvin just absolutely just
did dancing on that symbol.
He's still doing it, but what he, ah,
even just that symbol
ringing out Jimmy Garrison.
Ah,
that's a great bass sound.
Woo.
All right.
Can we pause for a second here?
Yeah.
Okay.
So I, I the love how this is
on the LP going straight in.
It's like it's just one side.
Yeah.
And that's the way I
first heard it anyway.
So, I mean, it's, it, it goes seamlessly
in, but I just want to say like, the
way that it starts, like over this
open E like just fists and fourth,
you know, and a like a gongs style.
Yeah.
There's, there's an actual
gong and it's a call to prayer.
Is, it, is, it's a, it's a call to prayer.
Yeah.
And choosing e and all the things,
you know, you got the open E on the
base and just like what that sound
and where it ends on that E flat.
Like this is very simple.
Like, like I was saying, I feel like
I, I mean, I don't feel like it could.
Feel it from the record.
Every time you hear it,
it's like, it just happened.
Right.
1964, it's like, what, what?
What is that?
60 years ago?
Yeah.
You know, but it's like it, like
it was recorded this morning.
This morning.
It feels like that.
And they created the composition, but
the structure of it, and I would say this
is something maybe similar to kind of
blue in that you go into the studio with
a great group of players, a fantastic
rhythm section, horn players that both
contrast each other, but also are amazing.
Obviously this is maybe even a greater,
like, you know, it's a quartet.
Yeah.
They've done a bunch of playing together.
Locked in, yeah.
But then you, for a couple years now.
Right.
And then you have a very basic template
for what the composition is gonna be.
In this case, acknowledgement, the
first one where it's basically just
harmonically three things, E, F,
and E flat, all half step apart.
But the order of those.
So it's like, oh, any kid
could come up with that.
Right.
And then the trust to give
the group, and then just one
or just one melodic, um, idea
that's introduced into that.
That's the, that's the composition.
And then a lyric, of course, which
is highly unusual for an instrumental
jazz record, but like, that's it.
And then they came up with that already.
Yeah.
It's like mind, mind blown.
I know, but I think that that is maybe
a similarity with, with kind of blue and
that you came like, like flamenco sketches
is just the five chords, you know?
Um,
but there's something about
this record in particular where.
And again, not to over compare it to kind
of blue, two different albums actually,
years and years apart too, by the way.
Let's not forget which is better.
Well, we'll talk about that.
But, uh, I think just the, the
heavier subject matter Yeah.
Of this, like, this obviously
a spiritual statement by Trane.
And like I said, I think it's a
real cultural flag from Trane two
of, of this entire era actually is
like, we're gonna play this music
that is not really understandable
by a huge chunk of, of people.
Yeah.
Like, you know what I mean?
Not, it's not like ringa ding ding style,
you know, Sinatra tunes or whatever.
Right.
That some people around
this time are playing.
Which is fine.
Which is fine.
We, we need different things.
We need different things.
We need appetizers, we need
main course, we need dessert.
But this kind of album takes a
lot of courage and it takes a
lot of confidence and it takes
a, an incredible artistic vision.
I said it's bold and
beautiful and courageous.
You've said it all.
You've said it all.
So also this is the thing.
Well, yeah, and even like we talk
about kind of blue and I love like
some of the comments of, you know,
kind of our analysis, which is
overstating it, you know, just talking
about how impactful that record was.
To just general listeners and
they're saying like, look at all
the Miles over the years that were
born, you know, babies named Miles.
Yeah, wink, wink.
A romantic record, whatever.
Like, this is not that kind of record.
No.
You know, this is a beautiful re
I'm talking about Love Supreme.
Yeah.
This is not like a record
that babies are gonna be named
after, you know, necessarily.
I don't think, um, or even
babies being made during this
rec listening to this record.
I don't know.
It's not really about that, is it?
That should be one of our categories.
Yeah.
No, but I mean, I'm, we're beating
around the bush a little bit, but
that's what I'm saying, like, how do
we even say is something great or not?
Because those are two different, those
are both, these are both records we need.
No, no, yeah, of course
for different times.
Course culture is about different
things, but that's what I'm saying.
We're, we're beating around
the bush, but this really, I'm
we're talking about race here.
Like this album, love Supreme is not.
You know, white musicians are probably not
able to make this album Mm. At this time.
It's, it's not culturally part
of their DNA to do interest at,
at this time to do this thing.
Right.
Yeah.
And I think that's what makes this
kind of such a powerful prayer mm-hmm.
And, and such an incredible
cultural flag from Trane.
Yes.
You know, not to make too big a
deal out of it, but I think that
is a, a huge part of this album.
And, and at that specific time, this
incredible movement of musicians Right.
Led by Trane.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And I mean, who's to say, you
know, whether or not Trane John
Coltrane was actively thinking
about that or making that statement?
That's kind of immaterial
he made that statement.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
He, he came with that authentic leadership
to create this thing and to create this
playground, this sandbox for these four
musicians in the studio to create this.
And, and obviously gave
in a huge amount of.
Um, license and space for all of
these musicians to contribute.
I mean, you can hear that
from the very beginning.
You know, I mean, not to say
that he might have said, why
don't we start with the gong?
Who knows?
It doesn't matter.
Like the humanity of everybody's
contribution is so like intermingled
and integral to what was created.
And it's part of the exciting
thing of listening to something
like this is to kind of imagine.
And like sometimes I feel like
we have too much information when
somebody says, I created this because
this, and I want it to be this.
That's of course interesting.
But when you get to the level
of a record like a Love Supreme.
Like, that's up for you to get your,
in your, not even your interpretation,
like your meaning like from when you
like and what you come up with it and me
forget that for everybody to get that.
That's what a great piece of art is.
It's not supposed to be reading
the little thing that tells you
what you're supposed to feel.
Hmm.
It's like, what do you feel from this?
And if nothing else, this record.
And I think all great records
makes you feel deeply.
I mean, like, you listen to this record.
If you sit down and listen to this,
and this is not like, I like jazz.
I don't like jazz.
I like funky jazz.
I like swingy ring a dingy jazz.
Doesn't matter.
Like, like listen to this.
You will feel more human
after listening to this.
I, I say, um, you will feel.
You may not love it.
You may not ever wanna listen to it again.
You may love it off the charts.
You may be like, ah, that was okay.
I mean, look, it, it would be
hard to like have this in a
coffee house playing parts of it.
Yeah.
You know, parts of it will be perfect,
but when they start, oh, love Supreme.
Like, if you're not in the right space
for that and you haven't listened
to what came before that, that might
get in the way of your oat milk.
Um, frappuccino.
So, okay.
And again, this feels a little cheap,
but Peter playing what you got.
Well, I, I got 10.
I also have, but no, but it,
but I mean I also have 10.
Yeah.
Really, uh, vibe.
I have 10.
What about spirituality?
What do you have?
I have 11 because I really, I really
felt a spiritual vibe on this vibe.
I have 10 Vibe is a bit
of spirituality for sure.
And I have, yes, I have 10 for that.
I mean, yeah, the vibe is, I think
that even if you didn't like the vibe
of this record, it would still be 10.
'cause it has like, probably
it's all vibe the strongest man.
It's incredible.
It's a vibe.
So think about this, if you say, um.
Tell a drummer, gimme that point.
Sienna groove.
It's as much about,
gimme that vibe, right?
Yeah.
Or if you're like, gimme that love.
Like what?
Like gimme that love supreme vibe on this.
That says a lot.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
So I don't see how it
could be anything but 10.
Okay.
Which is what I have.
I love it.
How far down have you gone?
I mean, I'm pretty much done.
Oh my ratings.
But I still wanna listen to this.
Can we listen to re Yeah, let's go.
Yeah.
So let's check out resolution.
This is the next track and it's,
I'm actually gonna back it up
to the end of acknowledgement.
'cause they do the transition.
The transition is killing,
ends with base acknowledgement,
starts with base resolution.
That's the last chord of the first track.
And then.
These came in,
I'm here for it.
So good man.
This is one of the deepest
grooves a drummer's ever played
on a record that I've heard.
Ah,
this is like the OG backbeat right here.
Wow.
Can really take it out Well.
Ah.
Did you ever play this?
Five verses one.
We used to play this in Willie Aikens.
Man, this is one of Willy's mainstays.
This is kind of the only tune
on this album, I feel like.
Yeah, it gets played a lot.
Played like you, you can kind of,
you can call it a jam session.
So good through here.
Notice what Elvin does through here.
Swings.
Yeah.
Swings his ass off.
But he, he pulls it
back a little bit, man.
He's like, he's in control.
Like the architecture of this album.
Come on
man.
I'm telling you.
Like to.
This is shit.
Bruce, is McCoy the youngest
member of this band?
Rudy to too.
What'd you say?
Yeah.
McCoy was the youngest member of this.
He's just sending dominance.
Is that part of the change?
We don't know.
We love it.
He's only 26 here, McCoy.
Dang.
I mean, how much has
this been stolen by me?
Our new stank face O meter
is gonna be off the charts.
Oh my God.
We need a groove O meter.
Ah,
bang, bang.
Just a, a clinic in left hand
man.
He is like just flurries and the way
he's, that com combined with vin's,
like dancing on that ride symbol
and that sound of, that zian ah,
floating with the groove is still there.
And this is all kind of burnout
playing just overheat flat.
I mean, it's still playing the form, but
harmonically, they go wherever they want.
And for all U pianists out there,
notice what, how McCoy really.
He switches up textures,
cords, single note lines.
Yeah.
Like he's not just doing the same
thing again and again and again.
Right.
Trane comes in, interrupting
in all the right ways.
Ah, I mean, Elvin is on the, on
the verge just being like packed.
Ah,
woo.
So you could dance and it'd be like
you're, this is like church music.
Like you said, I can get up and do
church dance in the middle of this
man.
Their approach to harmony is so
fluid and, and courageous and
exploratory and just fun, you know.
Where did Brian Blade ever got a chance
to hear this period of Elvin Jones?
Oh, here you go.
All that stuff, man.
Everything.
Any pianist listing, if you
wanna learn how to comp.
Yeah.
For this kind of like chord playing, how
to solo McCoy Tyner on these records.
Yeah.
Love Supreme Crescent.
And then of course, like all of his,
uh, records from this time, which
I think were on impulse as well.
Were they McCoy's McCoy was on the
impulse during this period too, right?
Yep.
Yeah.
So good for this reaching fourths, but
I think right around here he did a.
Real McCoy.
Uh, 65.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, 67 maybe McCoy
reaching up.
Reaching up.
Oh, yeah.
Real McCoy 67 a couple years later.
I don't think culture
had to be like head out.
Head out guys rolled right up into it.
No, no, he didn't.
The, again, the, again,
oh, there's so many.
Oh, the way this ends, the story.
So blues.
Just blues,
man.
Just the confidence of like
ending, oh, Garrison man.
I mean, it's like col It's
really collective improvisation.
It like really goes back to the
beginnings of jazz blues, like yes.
The, the roots, the origins.
Yeah.
There's like a primal
connection to, to the ancestors.
You can feel 100% just a visceral,
but I mean like, like it's such.
A seamless and organic way to
connect blues and playing out
and modal and like forth stuff
and, and, and like very advanced.
And even like some rock and stuff in there
run through the prism of the mid 1960s.
Yeah.
That's, and everything that was
happening culturally and about to
happen, you could feel these tensions
here in this album all through it.
And then, then it sounds like some
Jimi Hendrix in there for sure.
You know, and then run through the
prism of John Coltrane, obviously like
coming out of a spiritual awakening Yes.
Period.
You know what I mean?
And wanting to, to make
something recognizing that.
Yeah.
And this is what happens, like when
a genius figures this stuff out.
Yes.
We get La love Supreme, man.
It's a masterpiece.
It's beautiful.
I mean, it is like a genius that like,
is like handing the world a piece of art.
And then what's great about it
too, as a, as a human being that
gets handed that work of art.
It's like the more seasoned you get Yes.
The more life you live.
Yes.
The more of your down, the sort of
spiritual path or whatever it is that
you, uh, whatever journey you're on, maybe
it's hedonistic, whatever, no judgment.
But, uh, there's hedonism in the, I
mean like the way Elvin, the way they're
playing is like, it's all part of it.
Oh man, it's everything.
And uh, but you, this listening now
to it today, Peter, with you and Caleb
here too, is like even deeper for me
than it was when I was in my twenties
smoking cigarettes and thinking about
the right individual I wanted to become.
And now it's like, this is directing
me, pointing me even further past
those sort of like, you know, fairly,
uh, small, small expectations that we
put on ourselves when we're younger.
Man.
It's just, yeah.
And to think that like
this really, like the.
Thank you for those words.
And you know, the way I'm feeling about
it is it's that same deep connection,
but yes, I think great art elevates
us at any point we are in our life.
Yeah.
And like connects us in a way.
And, um, I I, I think that my realization
upon this listening today, it's, it, it's
like this is such a collective thing.
Yes.
It's a John Coltrane record.
Um, and, and it's his vision, but I'm just
reminded of like these subtle connections.
Like had they not had that, I mean,
they're all amazing musicians.
Yeah.
Of course you can hear
'em on different record.
Of course.
That's obviously they're, they're,
you know, masters of their instruments
technically and virtuosos and all that.
Um, but also they're, and
they're all individually very
innovative, but they come together.
On a level of innovation that's
kind of off the charts on this with
like that collective improvisation.
And I think, yeah, it's like the
serendipity of them coming together
on this day and everything.
Or is it like what everything led
up to this and beyond, you know?
Yeah.
Who's to say?
But it's, it's truly a masterpiece.
With that said, the
sound is an eight for me.
Wait, did we do composition?
We have done compositions are a 10.
And you might be thinking, well, there's
not much to these compositions, but try
to write a melody like that last melody,
like try to write something as simple.
We'll be doing that in the next
episode and we will, and we will
probably not get anywhere close to how
brilliant the melodies on this are.
And the idea too, like this is
one of those pieces of art where
it's like, like if, like my son,
we were, we were, he went to some.
Where did he go?
We went to some contemporary art.
No, my daughter went to the
contemporary art museum, Uhhuh.
And then some of the stuff, she was
like, well, I could've done that.
Right?
And it's like, you know, the
first thing my wife always says,
which is, I I love it, didn't it?
She's like, yeah, well you didn't think,
you didn't think to do that, did you?
Yeah.
And it's the same, same thing here.
You could say like, oh, there's one chord.
I could do that.
Right?
It's like, well, you didn't do it right.
You didn't do it in this
way with this kind of sound.
Of course.
And that's, that's where, and
you guys are great parents, man.
Thank you.
Congrats.
Uh, it's true.
That's where the art is, that's where
the artist lives, is what is happening
before, what's about to happen and
where does the artist comment on that?
And this is part of that comment.
So compositions, I have a 10.
Well, and I would say, you know, to your
last point too, also this simpler, the
art is, in this case, the compositions
as they should be when they're great.
It's the execution of 'em.
Yeah.
And that's why I struggled a little bit.
I I'm still going.
Compositions nine.
Oh, um, you said, oh, okay.
Okay.
We've got a little drama in the only
because unless we're gonna include.
The collective improvisation, the
collective contributions of all of the
musicians as part of the compositions.
Yeah.
Which there's a, there's
an argument for that.
I'm kind of making that argument.
In that case, I would go
10, but if you just say the
compositions, they're amazing.
But what really makes this album great
in terms of, and I think super innovative
and, and it's, it's really built upon
the foundation of the innovation of jazz
in general since the beginning of it.
I think what makes it such a, a wonderful
thing is the collective improvisation
becomes a part of the compositions.
So it's not just the execution
of what's there on the paper.
It's like, what is it gonna become?
And this is a fair debate because you
could make the argument that no, a
composition needs to be able, like a,
I think a composer's composer would
probably say, well, it depends really.
But I think some composers would
say no, a composition is something
that gets put down and should be
able to be made good by anybody.
Right.
However.
I think you could also make an
argument, and I would make the argument
for this album, a great composition
is something that's written for
the act of, in this case, making
a record with specific musicians.
Right?
And I think John Coltrane cannot
out attend it as far as like what
are the sketches that I could
give McCoy and Jimmy Elvin, right?
The framework.
The framework to make
a great piece of art.
Similarly, again, back to
KOB, similar to Miles, right?
With that album and what are, what
are the things that I can let loose
on these incredible musicians that
they will take and elevate and music
kind of like, it's like the end
result is what's being kept in mind.
It's like, what is the art?
Is the art the compositions
on the page, right?
Or is the the final
piece of art the album?
Could these guys play some kind
of intricate Brecker brothers,
some skunk funk kind of thing?
Probably.
Would it be in this case as impactful
or, or, or not as, even as impactful, but
would it, would it achieve the results
that a Love Supreme does as far as its
sort of prayer to God aspect, right.
No.
Right.
You know, and this framework does do that.
Right.
And it holds again, those
cultural things that I think
Trane is planting in the ground.
The one, the one chord, uh,
collective improvisation.
Right.
Which is something that is blues.
Blues, yeah.
You know, like these, these things
that are the roots of the music.
Right.
Uh, doesn't happen in other contexts.
Absolutely.
And so I'm that, actually, I'm gonna
stand by my nine then because of that.
Um, and so, okay.
That's on you.
Yeah.
I'm just kidding.
So, uh, for sound, I have eight
because of the, the Van Gelder
piano, and that's really it.
I have nine because it's, it's like,
I love the way this record sounds.
Yes.
I'm not crazy about that sound, but
upon listening to it, it's good.
I know.
It is really, it's not distracting.
It's not, it's just,
it just is what it is.
It's not.
Totally.
I usually don't mind it, but like,
there's so many worse piano sounds know,
there're, it's not like, you're right.
It's not like everything's killing, but I
mean, and, and the drum sound is so great.
Yeah, you're right.
I'm going nine.
Of course.
And the Trane, you know, there's,
I've noticed something, Peter.
Every single one of these things
we made, there's at least one
category where you talk me up.
Right.
You same for you.
I mean, I'm almost going comp, I'm
like, because going back to, you know
what, I'm going 10 on the competitions.
No.
Because now I'm thinking about like,
there's nothing for this record.
Yeah.
And that's what we're judging.
We're saying what makes this out?
There's nothing that
could have been better.
No.
About the comedy.
It's not like, eh, they're
good, but if only, if only
would've done more, you know?
Yeah.
And because this is a jazz record, the
collective improvisation that comes
out of that framework that is the
composition, is part of the composition.
Yeah.
Like that's the whole point of the thing.
And that's a part of the music.
It always has been.
Let's check out, uh, the first
track on side B pursuance.
Yes.
Side two.
Yeah, the drums sound incredible.
Yeah.
I mean, the ba yeah, the drums
are, is pretty extraordinary what
he's playing and how they sound.
Oh
dude, how incredible would
it be to see this band live?
Would've been
man.
Well, there's a live record.
You know, there's a live recording of
them playing this, but I mean, to be
in a room with these four people in a
small club would've been in unbelievable.
Yeah.
And I mean, I got a chance to hear, I know
you heard, you heard McCoy live, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Got a chance many times to hear
him and Elvin quite a few times.
Yeah.
Um, Jimmy Garrison never
trained, never before.
Oh
man, the way they slide in there,
this is the way to start
the second side of an album.
Of course, melodically
the, the melody, the theme
of this, of, of pursuant this
piano episode was incredible.
Very connected with part one, the
acknowledgement melodically, ah.
This is when McCoy got into
full master of his McCoy.
Shit.
He really has a McCoy shit.
Yeah, he's better than
everybody at the McCoy.
Shit, man.
His Yeah, of course.
Like stuff like, like
his rhythmic concept.
Such a big part of like his in Impulse
Chick Korea, very
influenced by McCoy Tyler,
man, McCoy's like the
architecture of his solo.
The way melody and harmony and
rhythm, like the way he thinks about
all those things is so interesting.
Like you can almost feel him thinking
as he's going by, by, by what he played,
you know, the development of it, the.
Woo.
And again, change up pitch
is all over the place.
It's not just like these, no.
Right, right.
The, yeah.
It's not all that.
And this is a deeply funky record.
Like the way they're playing
is very, like, I just wish
left hand is so loud because the right
eq, the piano, and, and Mike's shoved
in the F hole right in the middle.
It's a very clear sign.
I it's very focused and clear.
Elvin, get thin.
I know.
But Elvin is fat ass sound.
Woo.
Eighth note execution.
Ever heard of it?
Tag?
Oh,
the expansion, the opening space.
We're going to, we're going
to the moon in a couple years.
You better get ready.
They're already there.
JFK.
That's gonna happen before
the end of the decade.
Woo.
Coming in, man.
Come, come up.
Coming at the Apex, Trane's one of the
only ones that can really pull that off.
Then stay there.
Woo.
The Trane was deeply
rhythmic too with his lines.
A lot of times we think 'cause
he would go out of time, but when
he's in time, man, he is like,
I mean yeah, Michael Brecker's super
influenced obviously by, he had that
thing and you can feel it from Troy,
Joshua Redmond.
Yeah.
I remember every saxophone player actually
I think it was, I'm gonna paraphrase,
but I think it was uh, great
tenor sax one is Shamus Blake.
You know Shamus?
Yeah.
I think I heard him say
once, like there's a
kind of a period every young tenor
player goes through where they just try
to, or a lot of young 10 players Yeah.
Where they emulate Trane.
Right.
Exclusively.
And then there's a period of your
growth that you have to let go.
It's never gonna happen.
Yeah.
I'm not worthy.
I can't do it.
Well, no, I can see that.
I can totally see that.
I mean, we, it's the same
thing for to find who you are.
Yeah.
It's like you have to, same thing I
think for us with like McCoy and Yeah.
Herbie and.
Yeah.
His rhythm, his rhythmic
attenuation is like creepy.
Great.
And then, that's what I'm saying, he,
he's so seamlessly goes out of time,
man, this is just like weight.
It's like a hurricane, but like,
but it's, it's not killing you.
It's lifting you up.
I wanna go to coffee shop that plays this.
This is just off.
And then just like fall apart.
Right on time.
Break it down, break it down.
You know what strikes me
listening to this today is like
having made a bunch of record.
And having had more experience making
music and having a career like this album
is earned through many, many years of
work as an artist and as a band to be
this pure with, you know what I mean?
Yeah.
Like
it's not just youthful fire.
Yeah.
This is like earned over
a process of like Yeah.
Giant, giant steps is youthful fire.
Right.
That's youthful fire.
Right, right.
This is like some wisdom
of what to cut out.
Yeah.
Which only happens with
a lot of experience.
Yeah.
It's, this is a, a artist who's
cut through a lot of bullshit.
Yeah.
To find this, you know.
Yeah.
The bullshit, bullshit.
Ome is zero.
Yeah.
On this record,
and harkening back to that really
the theme of the record, let's
not make that a category ever.
No.
Yeah.
No, it's just when we throw
it, but it would, you know.
Oh.
And it sets it up where Jimmy
Garrison can stretch out and,
and create something like this.
Like you want, like, it's like the calm
in between the, the beautiful storm.
And it's, it's a story man.
The way that Trane uses these base
interludes as orchestration to, yeah,
because, and the way we're talking
over this base though is just so great.
We're gonna get comments
about that for sure.
But just to point out that like those
blistering high highs are only so
high because we get plenty of these.
Right, right.
That's what I mean.
It's a story.
It's like if everything is great,
well everything is great, all this.
But if everything is here and
then Yeah, if it's all just here,
then it's all just mid, right?
Yeah.
But because we get these, all
the dynamic range on this record.
Yeah, the emotional and spiritual
dynamic range, which is crazy
'cause it's like harmonically.
It's very dude.
But listen to what he's
doing harmonically.
There's three bass players.
There's many, many more,
but three that jump out.
Ruben Rogers, Chris Thomas.
Yeah.
And Reginald Veal.
Deeply influenced by like, and having
played with all with open solos.
Yeah.
You know,
Jimmy Gar since the McCoy, Tyner Bass,
and Christian McBride too.
I mean, the Ray Brown influence is much
more recognizable, but a deep connection
with this type of playing as well.
Christian is, ooh.
So, Peter, we're about to transition in
and we should roll right into part four.
Yeah.
Which is the psalm.
Interesting note.
Should we pause before we, for people?
No, let's, let's let it roll right
in and we'll, we'll talk after
the p Let's let Rich roll on it.
But if you have the original liner
notes, so you could look this up too.
The Psalm is a, a text
that Trane actually wrote.
And he plays improvises using the text.
Right.
So you can, I've done this many times.
You can like sing with him right
As he's, you know, you can like
read the text and hear what he's
playing, what each syllable is not.
No.
And he's such a master of Fraser
that it's actually very obvious.
It's, it sounds like a, or speaking.
Yeah.
Thankfully we'll not be
doing that live today.
No.
Something to note too about
Psalm is the whole thing is
this free, open bravado flow.
Yeah.
Hallmark of this band.
The maybe the greatest ever at this.
Yeah.
I mean it's Oliver
Crescent as well, right.
And they weren't the first to do it, but
they were the ones that like rumbling.
The rumbling, yeah.
Flowing rubato.
Yeah.
Is unparalleled
vin's mallet work.
I mean, so influential, so beautiful.
So compositionally appropriate.
I love when Trane, obviously
his playing is always lyrical.
Specifically here, it's
specifically lyrical, but his tone,
like when he's the, the, his control with
a vibrato, not a heavy vibrato player,
but he uses some and goes in and out.
You get to hear that
and how that affects the, the
lyricism man, such a master bat
about those major minor
sevens back and forth up.
I think he knew the melodic, ascending
well to a descending and the whole
thing is a setup as we'll hear in a
minute for maybe one of the greatest
payoff chords in all of music.
Yeah.
The whole record, the whole
record is a set up for one chord.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I could argue, I mean, I would've
no argument with anyone having
different scores on everything
on here except sequence.
Sequence is perfect.
There's, there's, there's, I. With,
uh, weapons if you think it's lower
than couldn't, couldn't playing.
Maybe it's not Well, yeah, it's
just no sequence is perfect.
Perfection.
Oh, that actually is a Tiffany.
I was, I never knew that.
Did you know
it was, yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, I thought that was his tops.
No, no.
I was like, why he got.
It sounds dope too.
Yeah.
Woo.
Leading tone.
Yeah.
I encourage you to read this
text as you listen to this.
Uh, listener.
You
woo.
Yeah.
Many themes being called back.
Gorgeous.
How did I know that I'm an idiot.
Is that now?
Full circle baby?
Full, full circle.
Unbelievable.
Oh, that roll?
Yeah.
The last chord.
The last roll.
I mean, it's a. Such a good payoff.
Yeah.
And just spontaneously created.
That's the, you know,
amazing thing about that.
Like all the, like, it, it's weird
to call something perfect, but
this is a perfect record in that.
Like, anything that was okay.
Maybe not the way the piano was recorded.
I'm saying the what, what, what?
The music on it.
The journey.
Yeah.
What we just heard.
Yeah.
Like there's, there's so much
that was spontaneously created.
Like you can just feel the commitment
everybody had to the moment to create,
like, it's a very humble record.
Yeah.
But it's very masterful at the same time.
So it's so service oriented.
It's just like, I'm gonna be the
vessel and this is, there's four
movements, there's one experience,
we're gonna lay it all on the line.
It's not like, oh, I didn't
like the way I sounded.
Can I overdub my part?
Yeah.
Could you imagine that?
Stupid shit that I've
done in the studio before.
Didn't even fix me tea.
No.
I mean, that was like the Tempe
little, like all the little subtleties.
They're so natural and
purposeful, but humble.
Yep.
You know?
And it just creates something that I don't
how, I don't know how you could say like,
I was really good, but there's a couple
places I would've like the way they play.
In that last movement, there's,
it's very difficult to maintain.
Like it's very simple in a way
because it's just playing over
one sort of harmonic area.
So you have a lot, like, it's
almost like you can't mess it up.
Yeah.
But to be able to maintain, well,
the intent, the musical intent,
you really could mess it up.
Oh, of course.
Yeah.
I mean, I have to mess it up.
Well, no, no.
I mean, just no one needs to, no
one needs to cover this record.
You know what I mean?
No, no, that'd be,
although it's been done.
I mean, and that's interesting.
I guess it's like, oh yeah.
You know, it didn't, um.
Vocalists covered it.
Like written, wrote
words to all the solos.
I think, yeah.
This was Kurt ing maybe.
I don't know.
I don't know, but I just don't think
it's, I could be wrong about that.
It's, it's, it's, it's a
difficult, like it's a moment.
Yeah.
It is a moment.
And all the things like we mentioned
that bring you back to like, you feeling
like you're in the studio, especially if
you listen to this record, you sit and
listen, you know, if you take the time
to sit and listen for this, whatever,
30, it's, it's not that long of a record.
32, 33 minutes or something.
Yeah.
The two sides.
Yeah.
Um, but it feels like you're on
this, it's like an epic journey.
We just, we've just been on a journey.
Yeah.
We just went around the world.
We can saw all, every
human, you know what I mean?
And the human experience.
So it's, it's really, um, so let's
finish our, our list here, Peter.
And Yeah.
Go back to something a little Sorry.
Yeah.
It, my heart's beating.
No, man.
Well this is, so, first of
all, I just wanna, I forgot
how much I love this record.
Well, I was gonna say, I hear you
talk about Crescent all the time.
Yeah.
I don't hear you talk about love.
That sucks.
This is great.
No, this is better.
I mean, it's not better.
It's.
It's, um, it's more important.
I've just typed on, on it that you,
you are appreciating it so well much
When we talked before, I was like, Ugh.
I did I even say, this is
not my favorite Trane record.
You said this is not my favorite.
It, I'm not sure if this
is even my favorite Trane.
I'm not sure if that's even my favorite.
That's what you said.
I'm still not sure, but I think
this is one of the most important
records ever made, folks.
You heard it here first.
I don't so much what that means.
I love it so much.
It matter what I think.
I love it, man.
No, I agree.
I agree with you.
I just think the fact that
like, it's not something that
can be played in a coffee shop.
You know what, there is a jazz coffee
shop that's could be played in.
I've been to a couple places Yeah.
In Japan.
Okay.
And I wish I remembered the one name.
It's probably closed now.
I went there like 25 years ago when
I first went to Japan and it was
like, this is a jazz coffee shop.
I was like, this, this is before
like Starbucks was selling
Nora Jones albums and stuff.
Like not that kind of coffee shop.
Yeah.
This was a coffee shop.
And um, when you get in there,
there's just a bunch of albums.
There's this incredible Hi-Fi system.
Like a Morantz.
Yeah.
You know, uh, amplifier and a separate,
and there's just a couple people
sitting there with a cup of coffee.
Like solitary and this
incredible music playing loud.
Af good.
Yes.
Yeah.
Um, but like you go there and sit
and then you listen to a whole album
and then you can choose the next one.
Oh, that's beautiful.
And then maybe the next person.
It's just like a place and like you're
in Tokyo, but you feel like you could
be anywhere in the world, like in
this little No Windows or anything.
You know how many places.
That's a jazz.
This could be played in that jazz coffee.
Here's why.
Tokyo Rules, because there's so
many places like that in Tokyo where
it's just like, you feel like, you
know, you're in Tokyo, but you feel
like you're in a different world.
There's so many.
And it was like $10 at
the time, 20 years ago.
Oh, come on.
Which would be like $20 now.
To get a cup of coffee, which
people, which was great.
'cause that filters out anyone
that's just coming for the coffee.
We should mention, if you're a jazz,
you're coming to listen to a great
album all the way through for 10 bucks.
That's a good deal.
If you're a jazz fan, Tokyo
is not a bad spot to go.
No.
As a tourist, not at all.
Because there's a lot of great
music happening all over that city
from visiting artists obviously,
but also locals, local artists.
It's one of the top.
And then, yeah, record stores,
cafes, as you mentioned.
Venues.
Shout out Tokyo.
Okay, let's um, let's finish our sequence.
We got sequence, we got cover.
I have a 10 because I love, I dunno
if we can put the picture up, but I
love the expression on Trane's face.
I love the composition of the photo
and then the fact two that they, they
published the text, that Trane was
improvising, was speaking through
his horn on the, the part four.
It doesn't actually have anything to
do with the cover art, but Gotcha.
Yeah, but that's part of it for me.
I love the font.
I love the slash John
Coltrane, the entire thing.
I even like that little white
in the left hand corner that's
kind of cut off a little bit.
It's kind of like, right.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's maybe someone's
shoulder or something.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The whole thing is out of focus
is like a paparazzi picture.
Paparazzi, right?
Yeah, exactly.
Um, it's just beautiful though.
It's a beautiful shot.
It's a beautiful profile.
The negative space that they
use around Trane's head, like,
it's not just all Trane's head.
I believe this was photographed
by Bob Teal or Bob Thiele.
Why do I not know?
Is that his name?
The producer?
Mm-hmm.
Um, I believe he took this
picture as well at the studio.
Cool.
I can't find it now, but I,
I believe that's the case.
Um, I give it a nine, uh, because I
think it's really, really good, but
it's not the greatest album cover ever.
I'm going 10.
Title I'm going 10 because The Love
Supreme is a beautiful title for an album.
Oh, 10.
It's 10 outta 10.
You're not gonna argue
with me on the cover.
No, I, I, I, I had nine here
for a while, but the more I
look at it, the more I like it.
Yeah.
Uh, lore.
I have a 10.
I have a 10 too.
Yeah.
Because of the cultural impact of
the album, because of all the things
we've already mentioned, you know?
Yeah.
About these four young musicians
planning this cultural flag, giving
us an idea of what music could do, uh,
in a way that is unapologetic to Yeah.
Their place in time is, yeah.
Is a 10 outta 10, and then the
after lore in terms of like, you
know, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana.
Yeah.
Well, all the al people that are
like outside of jazz that were
like, this is the greatest, you
know, we pray to this album.
Well, the fact that what we just heard,
this love letter to God from a genius.
Has gone platinum.
Right, right.
That's incredible.
If you think about it,
do platinum perhaps.
I maybe, but it's sold over a million
copies, which is unbelievable and uh,
is a real testament to the attraction.
I mean, there's other great desert album.
You make good music,
people like good music.
Right.
And of course this is on
many Desert Island lists in
terms of if you were stuck.
But if you think about, actually see
most people when they're just talking
about, oh, these are the greatest
albums, dead Desert Island album.
But if you actually think about being
stuck on a, on a, uh, desert island with
one record, this might be the one to have.
'cause it's got the music, it's
got the spiritual connection.
Yeah.
The prayer element of it.
It's, it's got the connection with
humanity, which you certainly would need
if you're stuck on an island fireworks.
Right.
It's not really beach music.
It's not like Jimmy Buffett, but that's
the only thing it doesn't have, I guess.
Okay.
So now our next category we are changing,
it has been SNOO meter where we pit
Aunt Linda, your aunt that doesn't know
anything about jazz with Ethan Iversson.
Uh, your prototypical, why are
you still talking about that?
We're not even jazz.
We're not even doing it anymore.
Anymore.
Yeah.
We are now changing it based on
a shout out Ethan and, and Linda.
Yeah.
Based on a user request
to the stank face O meter.
And that's really gives us an idea of how
much Stank face this album has elicited.
I have a 10 out of 10 stank face.
We were Question before you, Adam.
Yeah.
When you, when you were smoking the
Marlboro Reds listening to the love stream
when you, in your early twenties Yeah.
Dreaming of being a jazz musician.
Did you ever think you would be on
a podcast with another St. Louis
pianist using the word stank face?
Ome?
Dude, if you would've told me that,
I would've been sitting next to
Peter Martin listening to this.
In front of an audience
talking about stank face.
Uh, first of all, I'd be
like, what's a podcast?
But no, I have no, no clue.
It's crazy.
It's crazy how life turns O meter.
So now is this stank face ometer?
Like how much we go Woo.
Or is is it?
Woo is a woo.
Same as stank face.
It's in, I think it's a little different.
It's a little different, but
it's in the same ballpark.
Yeah, same ballpark.
Yeah.
I give it a 10.
Uh, me too, because I'm in
constant stank face on this record.
Constant.
Assuming, is it better than KOB Oh KOB?
Of course.
Kind of blue is a nine that we have here.
I have it as a 9.5.
I think it's slightly better.
We don't have the Okay.
You've done a 0.5 before.
Have I?
Yeah.
Okay.
That was a bet.
Um,
could we change this just for this
one to, is it more important than KOB?
Is it more impactful than KOB?
Is it better, better than, that's
such a, that's such a harsh.
Do we like it better?
How spirit, it's like, is one
religion better than another?
To that person.
That's part of it.
Yeah.
Probably.
No, it's not the same.
Is it?
Is it, do we like it better than KOB?
But because it's such a spirit, like
is it a more spiritual album than KOB?
That's not the question.
I know, but what does better mean?
No.
Do we like it more?
Do we like it more than KOB?
What?
What?
What do you mean?
Do you like secrets better than KOB?
No.
Well, up until recently you did.
Yeah.
But people change.
Okay.
I'm going nine, I have 9.5.
Okay, so nine means it's exactly, exactly.
In line.
And I had nine at first to, to
me, they're both perfect records.
They are perfect.
You know what?
You've convinced I'm going down.
No, no.
Going down to nine.
Okay.
No.
All right.
Let's, uh, let's add 'em up.
Okay.
Tough one.
Okay.
Wow.
Favorite track that feels on.
Okay.
Okay.
Alright.
Favorite track.
That feels kind of weird.
On this root too, Rudy to dude.
What?
What?
What's that you talking about?
Dude?
What's the Vegas one you were saying?
Ring-a
Ding-ding-ding.
I said root two.
Why did you bring that up?
Okay, well no, that just seems kinda
like what tracks you like the best.
I love it when he goes into
Yeah, that's what, that's what
Dean and and Sinatra were doing.
Root two, two.
Whatcha talking about?
That was later on af after the show.
It was in the seventies.
Uh, okay, so the total score, I
have a 98 favorite track resolution.
Oh, that's what I just wrote.
Resolution, total score.
You had 98.
Yeah.
Damn.
Damnit.
I love this record as much as
you Actually, this is good.
I have 97.
Yeah, I think this is appropriate,
which from what we talked about
before, we, we'd kind of be fine.
This is, this is in my top three.
I don't think this is in your top three.
So yeah.
I mean all the time.
But after hearing this again, I, I
couldn't see not having it in there.
Folks, we've converted
Peter back to Love Supreme.
If anything, that's what
this episode has done.
Thank you everybody for
getting it this far.
The ultimate, uh, question though,
which will probably be part of the
title of this, is this better than KOB?
Oh, well you said yes slightly.
I said, well, no, I said nine.
I think it's right in right in line.
Oh, you said 9.5?
No, I changed it.
Oh, you did change it?
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, that's the, that's dramatic, so no.
So yes and no snow till
next time you'll hear it.
How is my mic placement, Caleb?
Is this too close?