5 Facts About the Recording of A Love Supreme

The album was recorded in a single session on December 9, 1964. No overdubs or retakes were used for the master takes.

The session took place at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Rudy Van Gelder engineered the recording, known for his clean, live sound.

Coltrane’s classic quartet played the entire album live in the studio. The band included McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones.

The recording was done in one continuous take for each of the four parts. This gave the album an unbroken, improvisational feel.

No rehearsal recordings or alternate takes were released until decades later. The original session tape was kept intact as Coltrane intended.