Transcendence: r.i.p. Alice Coltrane

I just found out that jazz pianist, harpist, and composer Alice Coltrane died on Friday. She was only 69. Ben Ratliff published an excellent obit in today's New York Times.

Alice Coltrane married John Coltrane in 1965 and replaced McCoy Tyner as pianist in Coltrane's "late period" ensembles beginning in 1966. After John Coltrane's death in 1967, Alice released a string of albums as a leader that continued her late husband's explorations but were more accessible and melodic than many of his final recordings. Two key players in John Coltrane's late period ensembles, Pharoah Sanders and drummer Rashied Ali, joined Alice's first albums, including 1968's A Monastic Trio, 1970's Ptah, the El Daoud and Journey in Satchidananda, and 1972's Universal Consciousness. Ron Carter, Cecil McBee and Charlie Haden also played bass on some of Alice's early recordings.

Like Sanders, Alice Coltrane's late '60s and early '70s work explored ancient African and, particularly, eastern sources. But Alice's compositions were often more meditative, blues-based reflections grounded in eastern drones played on the tambura. Journey in Satchidananda, in particular, was a master work that, in addition to Sanders, Ali, and McBee, featured Majid Shabazz on percussion, the Vishnu Wood on oud, Tulsi on tambura, and Charlie Haden on the phenomenal "Isis and Osiris." Here's a taste, which includes some great work by Alice on the harp:

Shiva-Loka -- Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidananda (1970)

After forming an ashram in 1975, Alice Coltrane took a 26 year break from recording, dedicating her time to learning and teaching the Vedic scriptures of ancient India, as well as Buddhist and Islamic texts. She took the name of Swami Turiyasangitananda, Sanskrit for "the highest song of God," and relocated her Sai Anantam ashram to the mountains near Santa Monica in 1983.

But she returned to recording in 2004, releasing Translinear Light, which featured her sons Ravi and Oran Coltrane (Ravi produced the album), Charlie Haden, and Jack DeJohnette. The album opens with Alice on the Wurlitzer organ revisiting "Sita Ram," from 1971's Universal Consciousness, and includes reworking of John Coltrane's "Crescent" and "Leo."

Sita Ram -- Alice Coltrane: Translinear Light (2004)

Luckily, another Alice Coltrane recording, The Sacred Language of Ascension is in the can, with an expected release date later this year.

In 2001, Alice Coltrane and her daughter Michelle founded the John Coltrane Foundation to encourage the advancement of music performances in jazz and to award scholarships to young musicians. According to the press release about her passing, the Coltrane family asks that, in lieu of flowers, any donations be made to the The John Coltrane Foundation, 21777 Ventura Blvd., Suite 253 Woodland Hills CA 91367 (or to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Habitat for Humanity).


p.s. Happy Martin Luther King day. Just six weeks ago, I did a MLK post that features some music appropriate for today's holiday. Check it out here if you missed it the first time around.

peace

p.p.s. Check Destination: Out's great post on Alice last summer. Destination:Out will also post a tribute later today, which i'll link to when it's up. Also check the tributes at Straight, No Chaser and Ear Fuzz.


UPDATE: I just checked to see if my man etno did an Alice Coltrane tribute piece (he did) and learned that we also lost Michael Brecker this weekend. See etno's post and the personal reflections about Brecker's music up at The Jazz Clinic. And Darcy James Argue posted an Alice Coltrane/Michael Brecker tribute, even in the midst comprehensive blog coverage of the IAJE conference (the jazz industry's biggest annual gathering of artists, students, educators, critics, radio hosts and programmers, label reps, publishers, etc.), a concert last night, and getting his camera stolen.

further UPDATE: there will be an "elevation" memorial service for Alice Coltrane at her Sai Anantam ashram near Santa Monica on Saturday, January 27th.
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