“A portal to the sky”: The jazz album that changed St Vincent’s life
St. Vincent is one of those musicians who have never seen it fit to limit herself to one genre. The Texas-born singer-songwriter has explored a range of vastly different styles and musical personas since she first burst onto the scene in 2003. Although her most popular work has largely come from her guitar-led art rock eras, Vincent has repeatedly proven herself to be something of a chameleon when it comes to the world of music, so it should come as no real surprise that the songwriter harbours a deep appreciation for jazz.
Jazz is a divisive genre within music scenes. While many regard the vast and diverse world of jazz as having created some of the most profound artists of all time, others view the improvisational free-spirit of jazz with a certain degree of scepticism. It almost goes without saying, however, that jazz was the genre that paved the way for the revolutionary sounds of rock and roll. Indeed, there are few artists operating today who do not owe something to the jazz world, regardless of their own opinions of the genre.
You tend to find that all the greatest musicians have a love for jazz, so St. Vincent’s opinions on the style are to be expected. After all, the songwriter first learned to play the guitar as a teenager while touring with her aunt and uncle, the jazz duo Tuck & Patti, and later, she performed with the jazz band at her high school in Dallas, Texas. St. Vincent was raised on jazz. She has it in her blood, so even though much of her own material might not delve too far into the genre, it has never completely left her realm of influences.
Speaking to The Financial Times earlier this year, St. Vincent reflected upon her love for jazz, highlighting the groundbreaking saxophonist John Coltrane as a particular favourite. “The work of art that changed everything for me,” she shared, “was John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, which I first heard when I was 15”. The 1965 album changed the world of jazz indefinitely, blazing a trail for the world of spiritual jazz that would later be perfected by his wife, Alice Coltrane.
Expanding upon her love for the record, St. Vincent said, “I was hearing someone clawing their way up to ecstasy through immense suffering. I didn’t grow up like Coltrane or have the same life experiences, but there was something in there that spoke to my own suffering,” adding, “You listen and it’s like a portal to the sky opens up”.
A Love Supreme is arguably Coltrane’s defining work, capturing the organic, improvisational and uncompromising nature of the saxophonists’ performance. It is one of those rare albums that seems to change the lineage of the genre forever, but, much like St. Vincent, it did not stop Coltrane from adapting his musical style. Coltrane explored music from across the globe in his own material, from bossa nova to traditional African music, refusing to remain rooted in one specific sound.
In that sense, Vincent’s utmost respect for Coltrane might go some way to explaining her own discography. Granted, the guitar tones of Vincent are hardly reminiscent of Coltrane’s saxophone stylings, but both artists have been noted for their innate ability to reinvent themselves and captivate audiences with their compelling performances.
