Alice Coltrane drew on gospel music of her youth
The life of jazz virtuoso Alice Coltrane has often been overlooked in favor of her husband, the late John Coltrane, one of the most influential figures of jazz. But in Andy Beta鈥檚 鈥淐osmic Music: The Life, Art and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane鈥� readers get to know the groundbreaking musician as she finds both musical and spiritual transformation.
Born Alice McLeod in 1937 as the fifth of sixth children, Alice spent much of her childhood at Detroit鈥檚 Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where her mother and father were active in the musical programming. At age 9, she began to follow in her parents鈥� footsteps, joining several choirs and playing both piano and organ in services.
Detroit was a proving ground for musicians of all stripes, where a young singer or instrumentalist could achieve the best education by simply going to church or walking down the streets. It helped that the city鈥檚 public school system 鈥渨as accepting when it came to girls 鈥� both Black and white 鈥� learning music,鈥� at a time when 鈥渋t was still rare ... for women to have a proper musical outlet beyond the church.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
Alice Coltrane was a multi-instrumentalist performer before she met John Coltrane. She was shaped by the musical upbringing she found in the Detroit public schools and in her parents' church. A 1970 trip to India proved to have a lasting effect on her music.
By the time she was in high school, the 鈥渆xtremely quiet and shy鈥� Alice was well-known in her community as a multi-instrumentalist, playing jazz at school and in nearby clubs. But the pursuit of further jazz and classical musical education led her to travel to New York and Paris in the late 1950s. It was during these travels that Alice first watched John Coltrane perform. But it wasn鈥檛 until a show at New York City鈥檚 famous Birdland Jazz Club where Alice finally met him backstage, finding her match in the equally quiet and shy musician. Their whirlwind romance began on the John Coltrane Quartet鈥檚 European tour in 1962, followed by their eventual marriage in 1965.
Their marriage, however, was short-lived: John Coltrane died in 1967. In the wake of her husband鈥檚 death, a grieving Alice 鈥� widowed at just 29, with four young children 鈥� was adrift. After the intervention of family and friends, she threw herself back into music, mastering the harp while balancing child care and housework. So, too, did she find solace in the maintenance of her husband鈥檚 legacy, combing through his personal archive to release posthumous albums, such as 1971鈥檚 鈥淪un Ship.鈥� Alice鈥檚 first three solo albums during this time included the well-received 鈥淧tah, the El Daoud鈥� in 1970.聽
Still, a number of critics were quick to dismiss Alice as just the 鈥渨idow of John Coltrane.鈥� Some even went so far as to describe her as 鈥渢he Yoko Ono of jazz,鈥� overlooking Alice鈥檚 own talent. Yet fellow musicians, including Pharoah Sanders and Laura Nyro, recognized her musicianship, becoming frequent collaborators.
A 1970 trip to India proved to be a lasting influence on her music. Alice, finding spiritual transformation along with a cohort of fellow musicians, adopted the name Turiya. Upon her return to the United States in 1971, the album 鈥淛ourney in Satchidananda鈥� debuted, drawing upon the gospel music of her church years and her newly found Hindu faith.聽
By 1975, Alice had moved to California, further immersed herself in Hinduism, and stepped away from almost all public performances 鈥� save for those honoring her late husband. Alice passed away in 2007, shortly before a fire at Universal Studios destroyed archival materials from both Alice and John.
For Beta, Alice鈥檚 music 鈥渨as always there, waiting for that moment when a new generation would be ready to hear its message, aware and openhearted to 鈥榯he most beautiful music in the universe.鈥欌��
Artists such as Radiohead, singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, and the innovator Flying Lotus 鈥� Alice鈥檚 grandnephew 鈥� all count the musician as an inspiration; award-winning rapper and pop singer Doja Cat is also a fan.
Beta鈥檚 writing is engaging and approachable, allowing those unfamiliar with both Alice and the jazz world at large to appreciate Alice鈥檚 life and contributions to the genre 鈥� restoring her legacy for all to enjoy.
