Her music is fragmented yet fragile; deconstructivist yet delicate. Her harping is ethereal, her piano playing entrancing. Never before or since have music and spirituality entwined so delightfully. It is hard to imagine a musical world devoid of her influence, reaching far beyond jazz to the realms of post-punk and post-rock (plenty of which to come).
Alice Coltrane was The Shit.
Here is part one of an album-by-album break down of her material.
A Monastic Trio (1968)Recorded one year after John Coltrane's death,
A Monastic Trio is a fractured, heavy album. It begins with 'Lord, Help Me To Be' one of the few splendid collaborations with sax supremo Pharaoh Sanders. Tracks such as 'Gospel Trane' however, with it's hard hitting drum solo courtesy of Rashied Ali, are the real standout moments. 'Lovely Sky Boat' through 'Atomic Peace' give us our first taste of Coltrane's flawless harp playing, which is beautifully complimented by a dual-percussive accompaniment.
Trio is a fanfare signalling the arrival of Coltrane's solo career, and though the sound isn't yet perfectly formed, it's a beautiful debut.
Huntington Ashram Monastery (1969)Huntington's title track begins with a cool, funky bassline from Ron Carter. So funky, you half expect some Hammond organ and breakbeats to join in. What does accompany, though, is Alice's harp, and she sounds larger than life. This pretty much sets the pace for the album; 'Turiya' and 'Paramahansa Lake' are simply stunning pieces of work. 'Via Sivanandagar' is a heavier, piano driven piece in which Carter is really given chance to strut his stuff during a surprise breakdown. 'IHS' is a subtler cut, featuring some interesting bowed bass work and lots of jangly percssion, but it's freeness compared to the preceeding tracks makes it seem a little unfocused. 'Jaya Jaya Rama' is a straighter, cool ending to the album.
Huntington is a natural progression, and a delight to listen to.
Ptah, The El Daoud (1970)If
Huntington hinted at a cooler, funkier Coltrane sound, Ptah exploits this sound to the maximum! Pharoah Sanders returns, along with Joe Henderson to provide an abrasive horn assault. Ben Riley provides the traps, which are much less subtle in the mix, providing a vicious, jagged sound, with Coltrane bashing away at the ivories all the while. The title track is real exploration of this new sound, with frighteningly good results. Those who enjoyed the comparative calm of her earlier work need not dismay, though, as 'Turiya and Ramakrishna' is perhaps her most understated, delicate track to date. The melody is tear-jerking, and the interplay between Coltrane and Carter is mindblowing.
The harp returns for 'Blue Nile', the straightest, yet most psychedelic track on the album. The flute provides a real dream-like feel. 'Mantra' is much more sinister from the off, using the horns to create at dissonance unfamiliar to Coltrane's sound. It's a really heavy track, with some good solos, but following the sheer beauty of the preceding two tracks can make this album closer a much more difficult listen.
To be continued!
