Good morning.
Today we’re listening to Alice Coltrane, an American multi-instrumentalist and bandleader from Detroit. She exhibited prodigious talent at a young age, and went on to play in her husband John’s second quartet until his death in 1967.1 Over the next few years, she pursued her own spiritual path and practiced with Swami Satchidananda in India.2 A few weeks after returning to the States, in February 1971, Coltrane gave an instrumental performance at Carnegie Hall.3 53 years later, The Carnegie Hall Concert live album is out. Coltrane primarily plays harp and piano, accompanied by Pharoah Sanders on saxophone and Jimmy Garrison on bass, among other notables.4 We’re also playing Kirtan: Turiya Sings, a collection of bhajans recorded at her Sai Anantam ashram in California. That record was originally released in 1982 and was reissued in 2021; “Jai Ramachandra” featured prominently in the recent TV show The Curse.
The Carnegie Hall Concert - Alice Coltrane (80m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
Kirtan: Turiya Sings - Alice Coltrane (60m, vocals throughout)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
Have a really good Thursday.
She was way more than just John's wife.
Incredible recording - what a find!