I was very sad yesterday when I heard about Alice Coltrane's passing. She was a superb musician and a woman of great integrity. A prodigy in classical piano, she transcended the bounds of traditional jazz, infusing East Indian ragas and chants into her music. She was known for eclectic style, mixing Eastern music and blues into a jazz mixture that was truly her own.Even though she was John Coltrane's musical, spiritual, and romantic partner, she never lived in his shadow. Alice Coltrane was one of the first women to introduce the harp to the avant garde jazz scene. At the urging of her son Ravi, she recorded an album in 2006, titled Translinear Light. It is an amazing piece of work. After years in seclusion, away from the music scene and the spotlight, she proved that she still had that special tough.
Her album Journey to Satchidinanda remains one of my all time favorite pieces of music. Love Supreme, Thembi, and Journey to Satchidinanda were the soundtracks to my life at 23. I remember discovering Alice Coltrane in a slot at the music store. I was searching for more John Coltrane to add to my collection and found Journey to Satchidinanda. I thought it was kooky and weird at first, but after about 2 minutes in, I was hooked.
Some friends of mine still don't get my love of all things Coltrane, but that's ok. I can have my love of Alice all to myself. I guess I always felt some sense of pride that we were both daughters of Detroit with an odd edge. I always figured if the steel, dirt, and crumbling streets of the city gave way to her artistic genius, surely my blossoming could not be far behind. Her music gave voice to my feelings when I embarked on my own spiritual quest at the age of 23. Ever since then, I've had a soft spot for the lady at the piano.
Alice Coltrane, you will be missed.
