Sultan bin Fahad Explores the Deep Historical Ties Between Jazz and Islam in Solo Exhibition

Sultan bin Fahad’s artwork Supreme can be perceived as a flattened, two-dimensional stage of a jazz room. The beads-on-canvas piece shows a grand piano on the left, facing a five-piece drum kit, with bass and horn sections positioned in the foreground. Each part of the band rests on an eight-pointed star, a common shape in Islamic design known as the Rub el-Hizb.

This exhibition, titled Blue Note and displayed at Leila Heller Gallery, spotlights an overlooked part of jazz history: its profound associations with Islam. The circular design at centre-stage bears the words 'A Love Supreme', referencing the 1965 jazz album by John Coltrane, whose work was deeply influenced by Islamic faith and philosophy. Coltrane was surrounded by musicians who had converted to Islam, and his first wife was Juanita Naima Grubbs.

Text running along the borders of Supreme reads: 'He went to Makkah a black Muslim and there he became only a Muslim.' This quote by Betty Shabazz refers to the experience of her husband, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, during his pilgrimage to the Holy City in 1964. Historical accounts note that Coltrane was notably impressed after attending a speech by Malcolm X in the summer of 1964.

Reflecting on the exhibition, Saudi artist Sultan bin Fahad explains that the project started with a question about how jazz and Islam intersect, tracing roots back to Africa and exploring how these influences merged in the US during the mid-20th century. While Coltrane never officially converted, figures such as Yusef Lateef, Art Blakey, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik did, and are prominently depicted in oil paintings featured in the exhibition.

The Blue Note exhibition also includes an installation featuring historical records, books, and a six-page letter written by Malcolm X from prison in 1950, where he first signed his last name with the letter X and wrote extensively about both his spiritual faith and his fondness for jazz. Blue Note runs at Leila Heller Gallery until September 13.