You’ve got to hand it to them, most jazz musicians wouldn’t touch A Love Supreme with a fifty foot pole… but The Mattson 2 aren’t purists. Originally inserted into our consciousness via an excellent collab full-length with Chaz Bundick last year, Jonathan Mattson (the drumming half of the identical twin brothers) explains: “The purpose of our reinterpretation of A Love Supreme was to lean into the spirit of exploration and transformation that’s embodied in jazz. We don’t claim to be traditional jazz musicians, for us it’s about creatively adapting the art form, decontextualizing it, and exploring the genre in new ways.” While it doesn’t top the original - that’s certainly not their intent - this adventurous approach does justice to the creative fire that Trane & co. brought into the studio when they recorded his magnum opus, and that’s what counts: “Jazz has been confined to such a narrow definition over the years and we want to make sure the genre continues to grow and evolve. It should be a living, breathing thing.” The two brothers used Coltrane’s notes, along with the complete session outtakes and previous tributes by other players to prepare for the recording, and Jonathan’s explosive drumming and Jared’s majestic gypsy guitar feels almost as urgent and transcendent as Coltrane’s original. There’s something about that gong that opens “Part 1: Acknowledgement,” followed by Jared Mattson running through Trane’s opening sax lick that just gives me chills. Further proof (if you needed it) that John Coltrane wasn’t just a genius saxophonist but a brilliant composer, as his works retain their high potency regardless of who’s playing them. Recommended.

• full-length tribute to John Coltrane’s classic album
• plays at 45RPM
• black vinyl pressing
• full-color printed inner sleeve
• music label: Spiritual Pajamas 2018

reviewed by nick nightingale 08/2018