A Love Supreme: Psalm

About the last piece, critic Marc Greilsamer wrote, "'Psalm' is the uneasy calm after the storm, a tenuous peace, but peace nonetheless." A single layer and simple coloring give this image the feeling of peace and reverance. The central midget symbolizes the transcendent nature of God; four angels stand by in His glory. This series is based on John Coltrane's 1964 album, "A Love Supreme." The four-part suite was revealed to Coltrane all at once in a dream, and was recorded as a testament to his spiritual awakening. As critic Chip Stern writes, "'A Love Supreme' heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms..." The suite was performed by Coltrane's quartet of himself on tenor saxophone, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones.

 © 2001 Kerry Mitchell