“Jazz.....if you want to call it that,
to me is an expression of higher
ideals,” -John Coltrane
“This anointed sound that leapt down from
the throne of heaven out of the very mind of God and incarnated in the
one John Will-I-Am Coltrane and we
heard the sound as the beauty of
holiness and the very living Word of God” -Archbishop Franzo Wayne
I think many are surprised by the idea of a “jazz” church and the Coltrane Church’s insistence on using John Coltrane’s music in a church setting. Some may even have doubts about the spiritual quality to be found in John Coltrane’s music. I believe there are people who labor under certain misguided ideas about “Jazz” music and musicians. They, for instance might believe that a “jazz man” could not have had holy musical aspirations and sacred musical attainments. Another idea that some people might hold is that “Jazz” of all musical genres is some how unsuited to be used in the legitimate worship and praise of God. This is unfortunate that many have these ideas when just a casual look at John Coltrane's life, and music and the repeated listening to his recordings would dispel such false notions.
Why should “Jazz” be exempted from having higher ideals and indeed the highest ideal which is prayer and praise to God? We have seen European classical music, American popular music, American folk and even rock and roll and hip hop all accepted as musical vehicles to worship and praise God and recount the biblical narrative.. Why would the genre of “jazz” (if you want to call it that) or African American Classical Music (the term the Coltrane Church prefers) be exempted from existing as a musical vehicle of divine purposes?
At the Coltrane Church we use three terms that expresses the congregation’s experience of the “Jazz” music of our patron saint, John Coltrane. These three terms point to the higher ideals that are apart of the music. These three terms are “Sound Praise,” “Sound Baptism” and “Sound Deliverance.”
In general we call our whole liturgy “The Sound Praise,” but more specifically the sound praise is the portion of the service where the Ministers of Sound (the church’s choir and band) leads the congregation in praise and worship through the performance of John Coltrane’s sacred “Jazz” compositions and the singing of John Coltrane’s psalm to God which is found in the liner notes of his album “A Love Supreme.” More broadly all of John Coltrane’s recorded music is considered by the church as sound praise and worthy of meditative and repeated listening.
The other term “Sound Baptism” is the immersion in the music of John Coltrane where the dear listener experiences directly the sacred intent of the music and can give personal testimony to the music’s sacred content of spirituality and praise. The Church have had testimonies from people who have come from all over the world that they have come to the realization of this special quality of praise and spirituality of Coltrane’s music and many of them have made pilgrimages to the church to testify of this. All those that have had this awakening to the intent of praise and to the attainment of spiritual expression in St. John’s music be that they have had this awakening in another country and by listening to a recording in the privacy of the own homes, or if they have come to the church and have come to understand the true nature and power of the music directly through the performance of the Ministers of Sound,whether here or there, the church endearingly consider those that “dig it” and are blessed by Coltrane’s music as those “baptized by sound.”
They and the church testify that the sound praise as revealed through St. John Coltrane is uniquely qualified and perfectly suited to the worship and praise of God and is in spiritual harmony with God’s purposes, process, and plan for our lives.
Sound Deliverance is the act of dispelling evil spiritual influences and menacing spirits through the Sound Praise. As a result people are more happy and free during and after the Sound Praise. Sound Praise can be also seen as spiritual warfare and is of great benefit to our spiritual health, restoring and increasing our communion with God. The music of St. John is a fulfillment of scripture...For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) How is this so? For God dwells praise. The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. Even if that praise is clothed in "jazz."
In regards to the possibility of “jazz" music having higher ideals and affirming beliefs John Coltrane writes: Otherwise, how could (the) founding fathers (of Jazz) have produced this music in the first place when they surely found themselves (as many of us do today) existing in hostile communities where there was everything to fear and damn few to trust. Any music which could grow and propagate itself as our music has, must have a hell of an affirmation belief inherent in it. Any person who claims that the exponents of our music of freedom are not guided by the same entity is either prejudiced, musically sterile, just plain stupid or scheming.”
John Coltrane who lived in the pre-civil rights era had harsh words for those that denied the affirming quality of the music in general and his own music in particular
Even though many things have changed. Many things have stayed the same. There is still “scheming” going on by those that delight in denying the worth and contribution of others.
And also in the above quote from the Dear Don Letter John Coltrane uses the term “our music of freedom.” Freedom is the goal of truth. Jesus said “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” and the bible says, “Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.”
How aesthetically pleasing is a music of innate freedom dedicated to “A Love Supreme" (God)?”
In the Dear Don Letter John Coltrane writes about “jazz” music in general. But the "dear listener" who has perceived the sacred quality of John Coltrane music will see in his words an insight and perhaps even a prophetic word about the master’s own music as realized at the St. John Coltrane Church in San Francisco where we have so purely perpetuated the intent of Coltrane’s music as praise to God. John Coltrane writes that he cannot imagine “an artwork with out implied convictions.” In regards to Coltrane the implied conviction is obvious. For John Coltrane has said, “Let us sing all songs to God to whom all praise is due.”
The Coltrane Church believe that John Coltrane during his earthly life had an understanding of the need for a new kind of place to play his music of freedom and higher ideals. John Coltrane said, “Yes I think the music is rising into something else, and so we’ll have to find this (new) kind of place to be played in.” and he said, “I don’t feel the situation in clubs is ideal for me.” Could the Coltrane Church be this new kind of place?
In the Psalms it says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord.’ So even our noise can be sanctioned by scripture. Also in Psalms as mentioned before it is said that, “God dwells in the praise of his people.” So according to the testimony of scripture there is a special anointing of God’s presence anytime we praise him, even if it is “noisy”. So this being true, are we exempted from achieving praise because the musical genre is “jazz”? No. God forbid! Is John Coltrane who in his life demonstrated great humility and skill and is one of the greatest composers and musicians that has ever lived, is he exempted from being a vessel of sacred music and praise to God as is his expressed conviction and intent? No.
John Coltrane writes about the denial of the worth and the contribution of others that is still so prevalent in regards to certain groups of people in our society. In the Dear Don Letter. He spoke about those who “seek to revitalize, extend and reconstruct the status quo.” He said that, “Quite often they are the rejects, outcasts, sub-citizens, etc.., of the very societies to which they bring so much sustenance.”
Finally in the words of the master himself, John Coltrane said, “When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hang-ups. I think music can make the world better, if I’m qualified, I want to do it. I’d like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words. I want to speak to their souls... To inspire them to realize more and more of their capacities for living meaningful lives. Because there certainly is meaning to life.... My goal is to live the truly religious life and express it in my music...” My music is the spiritual expression of what I am... my faith... my knowledge... my being...
All quotes of St. John are found in the book John Coltrane Speaks ed. Franzo Wayne King (San Francisco Sunship Publishing Company, 1981,1993)
