John Coltrane, an American Saxophonist, released an album entitled A Love Supreme in December of 1965. In this album Coltrane uses his music to declare his newfound Faith in God. This album intertwined his love of music with his spiritual quest of finding God which grew from his personal struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. The album goes through four “phases” of his journey. “Acknowledgement”, “Resolution”, “Pursuance” and “Psalms. Through each “phase” Coltrane takes you on through the emotions that he felt while experiencing each phase. This album is a beautiful masterpiece that truly represents the difficulties and success that he went through on his journey.
An Analysis of Resolution
The section Resolution starts off slow and then picks up speed as it continues. Resolution includes a drummer, a bassist, a piano player and of course John Coltrane on the Saxophone. I believe that Resolution takes you through Coltrane figuring out how he can overcome his personal struggles. He is finally seeking help and creating a plan so that he can help dig himself out of his struggles. Resolution can be hard, which is why I believe that he starts it off slow and gradually speeds up the music. As you grow and change, It can be slow and hard at first but through perseverance and strength it can get easier and you can overcome those struggles. Not to mention, figuring out a solution to your problems can be difficult but once you figure it out it all comes together. This part can be a part of him finding his way back to God. As he starts going to Church and reading the Bible he better figure out how he can heal himself. He’s finding out what will work best for him and his struggles.
Conclusion
Many people praised Coltrane from this album. He tells a beautiful story that is full of emotion. During each section, he expresses something different about his journey. This may have been difficult at times but at the end he became a better person. He grew his relationship with God and overcame his personal struggles. I enjoyed this story that he shows through this album as well as how he presents his story. The passion behind his playing is indescribable. A Love Supreme is truly a Jazz masterpiece and will hopefully be remembered forever.
