Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
A Love Supreme at 60: Thoughts on Coltrane’s Masterwork
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
Alfred Lion (left), Dexter Gordon and Francis Wolff
(Photo: Francis Wolff © Mosaic Images LLC)But there’s something else about vinyl, Was said, that makes the experience of music special. “I remember showing the turntable to my kids for the first time. We sat in a circle looking at the turntable and listening to music. There’s action going on—it’s like a fireplace,” he said with a chuckle. Then, more thoughtfully, “It’s a very physical experience. And there’s an element of ritual to it that impacts human behavior at a really deep, primordial DNA level. You have to pull it out of the sleeve and treat it right. To be able to hold something physical, and to be able to read the print on the back.”
Another fan of vinyl is saxophonist Marcus Strickland, whose latest Blue Note album, People Of The Sun, is available as an LP. “I like everything about vinyl,” he said by phone from his Brooklyn home. “The sound, the size and shape, the way it showcases the artwork. And it is still in primary use in DJ culture, which is a great way of dispersing the music. ... I feel like most of the people who would like the record would be the kind who go to hear DJs at a club and like to hear all kinds of different sounds. So, I made the record that way, with short cuts that would fit on two sides. And having the vinyl at the gig is very key to selling. They’re great for signing.”
Deciding which albums to release in the vinyl format a challenge, though. “It’s a little arbitrary,” Was conceded. “Ultimately, we have to go through a process where we feel it’s going to sell enough copies to justify the expense. It’s a business; it’s a combination of aesthetics and practicality.”
Both the label’s decision to manufacture vinyl and the fans’ decision to buy it comes down to a philosophy that “music is worth owning and appreciating,” as employees at Vinyl Me, Please like to say. Was and the label share that philosophy. “I’ve been making records for a long time and have seen every type of goofy situation you can imagine between record companies and artists,” Was said. “The best way to make great music is to work with artists you believe in and let them be who they are.”
That’s also a good business plan, Was noted. “I’ve never told any artist at Blue Note what to do—ever. If they want an opinion, I’m happy to offer one. But if they have something in mind, I want them to pursue it. I believe that’s the way you build the kind of catalog that Alfred Lion built, and Bruce Lundvall continued. Just try to help great musicians make the best music they can make.” DB
“This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin.
Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson, during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival.
Apr 15, 2025 11:44 AM
Between last Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Ethan Iverson performed as part of the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival in…
“At the end of the day, once you’ve run out of differences, we’re left with similarities,” Collier says. “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.”
Apr 15, 2025 11:55 AM
DownBeat has a long association with the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the premiere…
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
Apr 29, 2025 11:53 AM
Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…