Alice Coltrane's Devotional Music

[mikeweil]

Luaka Bop will reissue Alice Coltrane's Devotional Music, a little known side of her musical activities, but closely connected to some of her albums on Impulse and Warner Bros.:

World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda

Samples on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/World-Spirituality-Classics-Ecstatic-Coltrane/dp/B06XCDN2WQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1493801242&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=World+Spirituality+Classics+1%3A+The+Ecstatic+Music+of+Alice+Coltrane+Turiyasangitananda

Nice review here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/alice-coltranes-devotional-music

Edited May 3, 2017 by mikeweil

[jazzbo]

Yes, I pre-ordered, looking forward to it.

Some previous discussion:

 

[JSngry]

Yeah, I'm preordered as well. Those robes, the colors, stunning...

[clifford_thornton]

the cover photo is amazing.

[jazzbo]

I've heard cassettes of what I think is much of this, and it's very nice as well.

[JSngry]

Yes, some (two?) of the cassettes (four in total, right?) saw CD issue, all have been blogged.

But really, I would buy this anyway, just for that cover, the colors (accentuated, imo, by the font and the placement of the title).

[jazzbo]

I only know two cassettes. Won't be long now, come on Friday!

[JSngry]

Here's a 2010 overview of the four. Don't think there's any download links: http://thecahokian.blogspot.com/2010/06/echoes-of-past-life-listening-to-alice.html

Also still available from the place where the musics were at one time offered: http://www.innerpath.com/swamini-turiyasangitananda-alice-coltrane/

[jazzbo]

Thanks.

[AllenLowe]

it's funny; when I was about 17 I went to hear Alice Coltrane at the University of Michigan. I wasn't quite ready for that kind of music - meditative, repetitive, slow-moving - and I fell asleep. Today I love her music.

Edited May 3, 2017 by AllenLowe

[jazzbo]

Just arrived and is spinning now. Beautiful booklet. Sound is considerably better than I expected!

 

[jazzbo]

Wow. This is a beautiful sounding disc. Any Alice Coltrane fan should not hesitate.

[Harbour]

Annoying they have chosen to ignore the first and best cassette completely, I hope this mean it will get a seperate full release. That unofficial reissue of it

https://www.discogs.com/Alice-Coltrane-Turiya-Sings/release/7005416

seems to have been removed from everywhere!

Still hope they will reissue some of live material from the 70s that's still in the vaults

[mikeweil]

It's on my wish list, but ordering Mosaics from that list is first priority at the moment ...

[erwbol]

I just read the following in the Netherlands' premier quality newspaper, NRC Handelsblad, in an article on streaming. This section is a discussion of a Kamasi Washington themed playlist: 

"inspirator Alice Coltrane, mother of John Coltrane who with his spiritual jazz classic A Love Supreme laid the foundations for Kamasi Washington's album."

 

I bought a copy to read about the French election, but still ... 

[clifford_thornton]

Haha!

I do wonder if anyone who hears this music will actually go and seek out John Coltrane. It certainly appeals to a different, less jazz-centered audience.

[ghost of miles]

On May 4, 2017 at 2:05 PM, jazzbo said:

Just arrived and is spinning now. Beautiful booklet. Sound is considerably better than I expected!

 

•  

Picked up the CD of this from Landlocked Music yesterday and absolutely agree, Lon. Reading the excellent booklet while listening to the music reinforces yet again how much I prefer a physical release to unadorned downloads. This is a wonderful record for Sunday morning, too. I love her singing!

[T.D.]

My copy arrived yesterday. Very much enjoy the music, and the booklet is excellent (though it seems to omit playing times of the tracks).

But track #8 does not seem to be "Keshava Murahara" as listed in the booklet...as far as I can tell, it's very similar to track #5 ("Hari Narayan") but with some vocal passages in the middle that I couldn't make out. Did anyone else notice this, or am I hallucinating?

And unfortunately, track #8 on my copy skipped and stopped playing before the stated (9:44 by allmusic and Amazon) conclusion, so I returned it today. Replacement on the way.

[rostasi]

When I got the LP version a couple of weeks ago,
it was really beautiful to see and was a reminder of
well-done, large (relatively, since mid '80s) cover art.
They also sent a larger than usual postcard that
reproduces the cover without text and a personal
"thank you" with Sharpie-drawn Luaka Bop logo.

[sidewinder]

Just picked up a copy of this one but I agree it is brilliant. Much better sonics than expected, Alice’s voice is stunning and the otherworldly sounds of the Oberheim a big plus. Agree also that the booklet is very well done. Great issue !

[mjazzg]

Concert of her spiritual music in this year's London Jazz Fest. Performed by the current ashram choir. Ticket booked as a bit of a punt off the back of the album which is one of my favourite releases of the year.

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Concert of her spiritual music in this year's London Jazz Fest. Performed by the current ashram choir. Ticket booked as a bit of a punt off the back of the album which is one of my favourite releases of the year.

Yes, noticed that. I’m tempted but it would be a bit of a trek and a half. I have the feeling it will be a great gig.

These ashram recordings hold up incredibly well. No wonder the cassettes were so sought after. Totally off my radar at the time though. I remember being in LA back in 1989 I think and seeing a flier on a lamp-post for an Alice Coltrane concert in tribute to John. Must have been that annual memorial concert I guess - sadly, had flown back from my trip by the time it was held. Remember being surprised at the time to see that she was still doing public gigs.