Analogue Productions Ultra Tape reel-to-reel reissues!
Each title a 15 ips, ¼-inch 2-track (½ track) analog tape copy
Sourced from original master tapes
Transferred using ATR-modified Ampex Tape Machine with flux magnetic heads
Custom slipcase cover — highest quality tape reissue!
A Love Supreme is John Coltrane’s classic album originally released in 1965 on Impulse! Records. Coltrane’s immortal A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963) both are music landmarks. Here, with our Ultra Tape 15 ips 1/4-inch analog tape copy, the music sounds its purest and most vital. The tape playback brings crystal clear fidelity to the highest and lowest freqency ranges.
The original master tape is available but it’s not in the best shape. This tape transfer is from a flat tape copy made by Rudy Van Gelder and used for cutting in the U.K. in April of 1965. Of course, the original recording was in December ’64, so only a handful of months later. This tape was discovered at Abbey Road and had been untouched between 1965 and 2002. So while the original tape is available and while we would always opt for the original whenever we can, in this case this copy was the better choice as the tape has incurred less overall wear and sounds much better than the original.
Jazz critics have lauded A Love Supreme as Coltrane’s most important recording. The rave reviews that appeared in the magazines Downbeat, Jazz Hot, Jazz Podium and Swing Journal reflected this: critics all over the world, in America, Europe and Japan recognized Coltrane’s declaration that his musical devotion was now intertwined with his faith in God. In many ways, the album mirrors Coltrane’s spiritual quest that grew out of his personal troubles, including a long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.
From the opening gong and tenor saxophone flutter, a four-note bass line builds under the sound. This simple riff becomes the musical framework for the rich improvisations that comprise John Coltrane’s 33-minute musical journey.