(This new version of) “A Love Supreme” is a hypnotic and enveloping piece, and the added length allows the listener to slip deeper into the music. Once you’ve heard the first few notes of Coltrane’s opening fanfare, it’s hard to resist the pull of the rest, no matter how long the record is. Varied in tone, mood, timbre, and tempo, it’s never less than thrilling. (…) Coltrane’s solo on “Acknowledgement” puts the piece in a radically different territory than any we’ve heard before—he’s overblowing with an energy far beyond that of the studio recording, and sometimes it sounds as though his horn might break apart. Coltrane’s solos throughout are just as blistering as Sanders’, but he still lands on notes; there’s a clear logic to his choices that stops just short of abandon, while Sanders is always ready to cross that line.(Mark Richardson, Pitchfork)
„You have to get a bit used to the „stage presentation“ of the instruments here: the saxes „leftfield“, and the biggest space reserved for Elvin and McCoy (center and right) – somehow funny, because the two did leave soon, being not too happy with Coltrane‘s quite radical departure! After a while it all works – the saxophones never buried in the mix!
In the world of John Coltrane, even „A Love Supreme“ was not carved in stone. To experience, how the whole band is opening all gates, leaving no stone unturned, is such a delight. Young Pharoah didn‘t need long to find the right chemistry.
Here i have to smile a little bit: it is Mr. Sanders‘s second appearance in 2021: in Seattle, being part of a crew that set „A Love Supreme“ on fire (without doubt one of the most thrilling archival discoveries of the year), and as a master of less-is more, on Floating Points‘ fantastic album „Promises“ (not so much loved by some readers of Richard Williams‘ blog – so I had to add my praise in the comment section of Richard‘s review of „Promises“ earlier this year, in „The Blue Moment“). (m.e.)