Released six months before A Love Supreme, this is a subdued and profoundly beautiful album. The title piece became a live favorite (after revamping his band, Coltrane recorded a 55-minute version in Japan) but here it’s a meditative theme and a source for heartfelt soloing. “Wise One” might be his most beautiful ballad ever. After a brief interlude (“Bessie’s Blues”), Coltrane gives the album’s second half over to the rhythm section — Jimmy Garrison gets a long solo on “Lonnie’s Lament,” and “The Drum Thing” lives up to its title.