'' Live at Birdland '' is a 1964 album by jazz musician John Coltrane . Despite its title , only the first three tracks were recorded live at the Birdland club ; the rest are studio tracks . Among them is " Alabama " , a tribute to four children killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing , an attack at a Birmingham , Alabama church by white supremacists . The album 's original pressing accidentally included a false start - this was corrected in later copies , but restored in CD editions . The album also features a live recording of " I Want to Talk About You " , a song Coltrane had recorded on his 1958 album '' Soultrane '' , this time with an extended cadenza
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Live at Birdland (John Coltrane album)