Alice Coltrane (née McLeod; August 27, 1937 – January 12, 2007), also known… Read Full Bio ↴Alice Coltrane (née McLeod; August 27, 1937 – January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz pianist, harpist, organist, composer, and in her later years a swamini. She also occasionally sang and played tambura, harmonium and percussion.
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.
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.
Blue Nile
Alice Coltrane Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Alice Coltrane:
A Love Supreme Love love is a sacred word Love is the name of…
Govinda Jai Jai Govinda Jai Jai Gopala Jai Jai Govinda Jai Jai Gopala Jai Ja…
Hare Krishna [Repeat: x2] Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Har…
Hari Narayan Hari Narayan Hari Narayan Hari Narayan Hari Narayan Hari Nar…
Krishna Krishna [Repeat: x2] Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Har…
Om Shanti Om Jai Rama Jai Krishna Hari Om Om Jai Rama Jai Krishna Hari…
Om Supreme When I called you to California You knew I would meet…
Rama Guru Rama Guru Krishna Guru Rama Guru Krishna Guru Rama Guru Kris…
Rama Rama Rama Rama Shivamani Rama Rama Shivamani Rama Rama Shivamani …
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Benefits Consulting Services Of New York x
The english language is not descriptive enough to convey the beauty of this music. It is deeply spiritual. I am fortunate to have known John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane at a very early age. Vietnam was still in full swing back then and Music like this was a calming medicine to me. I learned to play the Saxophone all of them. Studied theory at Jazz mobile workshop in NYC before I turmed 17. Im still playing. Thanks to these Great influences. Thank you
MsLimelighter
You are blessed, thank you for sharing that.
William Vera
Leecool 1956 x Thank you for the great comments about the music and your experience.
unkysonny
Was that the group with Joe Newman & Frank Foster directing? I was there too, late 60s.
cragnog
Hey don't knock the english language, you must use your imagination and power to reign in the words, the ring out the beauty that an open vocabulary can bring. But yes, my nature a word can only convey an experience that a person has experienced and understood themselves, so of course you can only give a rough idea to someone what this sounds like, but not how it feels
Mildred Holiday
This is my favorite album of Alice Coltrane! Favorite masterpiece she does. I hear this song I truly feel I could just walk straight into the clouds and see HEAVEN! Just divine and enchanting spiritual song right here! Standing ovation! ❤
Derek
This album is a masterpiece. I don't know which I like better, Turiya and Ramakrishna or Blue Nile. Alice made some of the most soulful jazz that exits. This cut has 1970 soul all over it. You can see this as a soundtrack to Shaft or Superfly. Is this jazz? Is this soul? Ptah The El Daoud is the most soulful jazz album I have ever heard. If there is such a thing as Afrocentric Jazz, this would be the model that every artist would follow. This album goes down as one of my greatest. Ron Carter killed this piece! You have Alice backed by modal jazz legends, so it's hard to refute talent wise, so it just boils down to taste. It really doesn't matter what others think, music is as personal as it gets... This album does it for me. This is perfection! If music should transport you, then this damn album is like the transporter room on the Star Trek Enterprise. This will beam you anywhere you want to go!
Gilson Amaral
Amazing everything. The melody the harmony its all on point. We are privileged to listen to this amazing music. May God bless us all
justin liberati
Spiritual music of the highest level, straight from the source, the healing has begun
Jason Buening
I was fortunate enough to hear this on my local college station a few weeks ago. I'm feeling lucky to have heard it: hoping to learn more about an artist who can create such beauty!!