After the marathon improvisations of the A Love Supreme excerpt, the quartet strips down to an intimate ballad at 57 BPM. This is the most restrained performance in the set — only Lefkowitz-Brown solos, taking just half a chorus on tenor saxophone over the 32-bar AABA form. The brief solo and nearly six-minute runtime suggest an arrangement that prioritizes the melody and ensemble playing over extended improvisation, a stark contrast to the nineteen and twenty-four chorus statements that preceded it. Duke Ellington composed the piece in 1935, and Coltrane's celebrated 1963 duo recording with Ellington himself gave the tune a special place in the tenor saxophonist's legacy. The quartet's decision to include this Ellington piece alongside Coltrane originals acknowledges that connection. Positioned at the center of the seven-tune program, the ballad serves as a moment of reflection between the high-energy blowing of Resolution and the uptempo Moment's Notice that follows.
