An accomplished pianist and one of the few harpists in the history of jazz, she recorded many albums as a bandleader, beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s for Impulse! and other record labels. She was married to jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, with whom she performed in 1966–1967. One of the foremost exponents of the "spiritual jazz" style, her eclectic music proved widely influential both within and outside the world of jazz.
Coltrane's professional music career slowed from the mid 1970s as she became more dedicated to her religious education. She founded the Vedantic Center in 1975 and the Shanti Anantam Ashram in California in 1983, where she served as spiritual director. On July 3, 1994, Swamini rededicated and inaugurated the land as Sai Anantam Ashram. During the 1980s and 1990s, she recorded several albums of Hindu devotional songs before returning to jazz in the 2000s.
She studied classical music, and attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, where she continued her musical training. In 1959 she travelled to Paris and studied briefly with pianist Bud Powell. She began playing jazz as a professional in Detroit, both with her own trio and as a duo with vibist Terry Pollard. From 1962 to 1963 she played with Terry Gibbs's quartet, when she met John Coltrane, with whose group she played piano from 1965 until his death in 1967, and whom she married in 1966. After her husband's death, she continued to play with her own groups, moving into more and more meditative music, and latterly playing with her children, which she had four: singer Miki (Michele) from a previous marriage, saxophonists Oran and Ravi, and John W. Coltrane Jr, who died in a car accident in 1982.
Alice Coltrane died of respiratory failure at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in suburban Los Angeles in 2007, aged 69. She is buried alongside John Coltrane in Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York.
A Love Supreme
Alice Coltrane Lyrics
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Love is the name of god
The entire universe is created with Love
By Love and in Love
Love is the beginning
Love is the continuation and Love is the end
It is constrictive, it is beautiful
Brings peace brings harmony
It brings joy to the lover
And to the loved
But if Love is based on selfishness, egoism
The very same love brings restriction
Peace and harmony is based on Love
And used properly by a selfless mind
For the benefit of the humanity
Love knows no business love knows no bargain
Love never expects anything in return
Love knows only giving giving and giving
Without even waiting for a thank you
Such a Love is the supreme word
Let that Love Supreme reign over the universe
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti OM
The lyrics of Alice Coltrane's song "A Love Supreme" are minimalist but powerful. The repetition of "a love supreme" invokes a trance-like state and suggests a spiritual devotion to a higher power. This phrase is also likely a reference to John Coltrane's 1965 album of the same name, which explores the themes of love, spirituality, and transcendence through improvisational jazz.
The chant-like quality of the lyrics reinforces the idea that this song is meant to transcend language and communicate directly with the soul. It creates a sense of unity and coherence, as if all the players in the band are part of a single, larger organism. This is reinforced by the use of sustained notes and the absence of a clear melody or structure. The song becomes less about individual expression and more about collective resonance with a higher power.
Overall, the lyrics of "A Love Supreme" evoke a sense of awe and reverence for an ineffable force that transcends words and music. The song invites us to connect with this force and experience the uplifting, transformative power of love and spiritual devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Chant-like
This song is designed to be sung or chanted in a meditative or spiritual manner.
A love supreme
This is a declaration of an all-encompassing, divine love that is beyond human comprehension.
Supreme, supreme
Repeating the word 'supreme' emphasizes the magnitude and importance of the love being described.
Lyrics © Phonographic Digital Limited (PDL), Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Coltrane
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