MUSIC: Fifty Years and Counting: Why John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ Is Still a Musical Revelation

MUSIC: Fifty Years and Counting: Why John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ Is Still a Musical Revelation

ByJonathan Curiel

(Published at KQED on Dec. 9, 2014: https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2014/12/09/fifty-years-and-counting-why-john-coltranes-a-love-supreme-is-still-a-musical-revelation/) Even the album’s cover photo is unforgettable – and a bit jarring. Is John Coltrane angry? In pain? Contemplative? A Love Supreme is one of the most recognizable, most successful and most influential jazz albums in history. Recorded in 1964, it’s Coltrane at his best, a milestone piece of art that set a…

MUSIC: How to Listen to Songs in a Language You Don’t Understand

MUSIC: How to Listen to Songs in a Language You Don’t Understand

ByJonathan Curiel

(Published at KQED on August 2, 2016: https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/08/02/how-to-listen-to-songs-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/) Many years ago, when I was looking for something to eat and drink on a late night in Hiroshima, Japan, I found the only place that was open. The woman spoke virtually no English. I knew a few phrases in Japanese, including “Eigo Wakari Masuka? (英語分かりますか)” (“Do you…