Rowhouse Logic - Breathtaking Inanity

More Coltrane. I apologize for only giving you pieces from one artist over the last few days, but Coltrane speaks to me in a way the no other musician does. This is not to slight anybody else’s tastes. This is just me. Coming from a musical background, music is often where I land when I need something stable beneath my feet.

Coltrane wrote Alabama as a tribute to the victims of the racially motivated bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama which killed four young black girls in 1963.

From the liner notes:

If you have heard Slow Dance or After The Rain, then you might be prepared for the kind of feeling that Alabama carries. I didn’t realize until now what a beautiful word Alabama is. That is one function of art, to reveal beauty, common or uncommon. And that’s what Trane does. Bob Theile asked Trane if the title “had any significance to today’s problems.” I suppose he meant literally. Coltrane answered, “It represents, musically, something that I saw down there translated into music from inside me.” Which is to say, Listen. And what we’re given is a slow delicate introspective sadness, almost hopelessness, except for Elvin, rising in the background like something out of nature…a fattening thunder, storm clouds or jungle war clouds. The whole is a frightening emotional portrait of some place, in these musicians’ feelings. If that “real” Alabama was the catalyst, more power to it, and may it be this beautiful, even in its destruction.

The track is actually two performances. The first is aborted, but includes the beginning of a solo. The second is a simple, but powerful interpretation of the head alone.

The album is Coltrane Live at Birdland. A wonderful album. Click here to play or download.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 3rd, 2005 at 1:29 am and is filed under Music, Katrina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.