Dominic Vance

Prof. Hegland

LARTS 111

December 3, 2020

Topic: Roots and nature of the creative process as illustrated by John Coltrane

Thesis statement: As evidenced by the work of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, the most

important factor in supporting the creative personality is a sense of spirituality and purpose

(divinely influenced or otherwise).

Berkman, Franya J. “Appropriating Universality: The Coltranes and 1960s

Spirituality.” American Studies, vol. 48, no. 1, 2010, pp. 41–62.

A music professor at Lewis and Clark College, Berkman provides a deep look

into the spirituality of both Coltrane and his late wife, Alice. Additionally, she explains the

cultural phenomenon of the widespread adoption of Eastern religions in the West, which

provides background for the forces at play in the making of A Love Supreme.

DeVito, Chris, and John Coltrane. Coltrane on Coltrane: the John Coltrane Interviews. Chicago

Review Press, 2012.

Compiled by a well-regarded jazz writer, this book is a collection of interviews

with Coltrane from 1954 to 1966. Some interviews are raw and unedited, while others are part of

larger print articles. As these interviews show a direct glimpse into Coltrane’s creative process in

his own words, I will be using this book as my primary source.

Gilbert, Elizabeth. “Your Elusive Creative Genius.” TED. February 2009. Lecture.

Although the lecture by this journalist mostly caters to a general audience and is

somewhat anecdotal in nature, her explanation of the shift of the creative responsibility from the

divine to the individual will aid in writing about Coltrane’s returning of that responsibility to the

divine.

Kahn, Ashley. A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album. Penguin Books,

2002.

Kahn, a renowned jazz historian and professor at New York University, directs

this book toward a general audience. This book centers around Coltrane’s 1964 album A Love

Supreme, which, in addition to being considered his seminal work, is considered to be the

genesis of “spiritual jazz.” As my paper will center around Coltrane’s spirituality, this book will

helps to provide a look into the end result of this spirituality (and subsequent creativity).

Niu, Weihua, and Robert J. Sternberg. “The Philosophical Roots of Western and Eastern

Conceptions of Creativity.” Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, vol.

26, no. 1-2, 2006, pp. 18–38.

Although this scholarly article serves as a good primer for Eastern concepts of

creativity (which influenced Coltrane), I will be primarily using this paper for its excellent

explanation of the history of divinely inspired creativity.

“A Love Supreme.” aln2.Albumlinernotes, aln2.albumlinernotes.com/A_Love_Supreme.html.

Retrieved December 2, 2020.

The liner notes for A Love Supreme, written by Coltrane, contain multiple

exhortations to God, and explain his “spiritual awakening” in the 1950s – which, in my opinion,

served as the genesis for the intensely creative period of his life. I plan to use this as another

(albeit much smaller) primary source.