The February and May 1965 recording sessions bracketed a period during which Coltrane's music continued to evolve at a rapid pace, and document a time of transition.

[2] In March, Coltrane and his group played at the Half Note; recordings of some of these performances were released on Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up,[3] about which one reviewer stated: it "captures Coltrane's music on the cusp of major change, just weeks before embarking on the last phase of his career — during which he expunged from his music every last speck of convention," and "documents the classic quartet near the end of its incredible run...

The music reveals the band at its creative peak, reaching heights of focused intensity on every tune, stretching rhythmic and harmonic conventions to the breaking point.

"[4] On March 28, Coltrane participated in a benefit concert at the Village Gate, organized and produced by LeRoi Jones,[5] and also featuring groups led by Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Grachan Moncur III, and Charles Tolliver.

"[16] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz wrote: "What problems Coltrane was experiencing or what degree of emotional and creative burn-out he might have felt after A Love Supreme we don't know.