SUN SHIP is insane. I really enjoy that one. It is probably not for everyone. It IS the "classic quartet" but they're working in a truly outer-space mode of being. If you like the ideas inherent in later Coltrane but aren't a fan of Pharaoh Sanders or Rashied Ali, then this is probably a good pick.

Alot of people love the specey modal free-form albums of his later career like Sun Ship and Ascension. A love Supreme (1964) was really the line of demarcation between his more conventional blues-based jazz and his exploratory avante garde trek. I'm kinda' a fan of the former.

I just listened to Africa/Brass last night, some damn fine work by Coltrane. He's backed up by a brass band, surprising right? I have the second part too but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm really digging their take on Greensleeves. Despite the fact that I really like the little avant garde/free jazz I've heard, I'm new to this all and still haven't gotten into his later albums. I'll be grabbing A Love Supreme later, to work my way forwards to his looser stuff.

i'm only starting to explore his pre-A Love Supreme studio material with complete albums

i do have a live album i quite like (Stockholm 1962) and i also have a comp of his blues-based stuff

digging what i'm hearing so far

One of the greatest

just procured Ole and Blue Train recently

both highly recommended

You can throw all the Davis, Parker, Monk, Brubeck, Sun Ra, Coleman and Ayler that you possess at me, and every one of those artists has made at least one masterpiece, but in my opinion the only album that touches Mingus' Black Saint and Sinner Lady (my favourite Jazz album) is A Love Supreme. Giant Steps, Ascension, Blue Train and My Favourite things are all excellent too.

I also really like A Love Supreme and all the later Coltrane music but like SATCHMO said about two and a half years ago, I feel that his pre-kicking-heroin-and-finding-religion music is the best. The stuff from the time when he just made normal jazz.

It's Coltrane's birthday

playing along to Coltrane really helped my guitar playing. Gotta really study his stuff deeper.