- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
- Alice Coltrane "World Galaxy" 1972 (USA)
- The late Alice Coltrane was perhaps best known as the widow of legendary jazzman John Coltrane, though (like Yoko Ono) she was a tremendously original and creative artist in her own right. Indeed, in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in Alice's work and her influence is just starting to be felt in the 21st century (underground progressive hiphoppers Flying Lotus, Georgia Ann Muldrow and Gonjasufi all have connections to her.) Towards the end of John Coltrane's life, he married Alice and she became the piano player in the last group he led -- after he passed away, she not only continued the "music as a personal quest" aspects of her husband's work, she arguably took it much further than John ever did. She converted to Hinduism and founded an ashram in California, and her music was largely an expression of spirituality: free, human sounds steeped in ritual and mysticism. Her musical background is also quite unique: before becoming a jazz pianist (she had led her own combo -- The Alice McLeod Trio -- in Detroit long before marrying John), she had originally trained at a music academy and played the harp. Thus by the peak of her recording career in the early 1970's, she was creating her own unique synthesis of funky electric jazz, classical strings and eastern mantras!
- The only video clip I could find of Alice Coltrane performing is this harp solo. There doesn't seem to be any footage of her from when she was the piano player in her husband's band during 1965-66, probably because that lineup was considered "too far out" and generated controversy among purists who thought Trane's music was "not jazz" anymore -- but here's John Coltrane with his classic quartet performing a section from "A Love Supreme" a few months before Alice joined the band. Among the other artists featured on the show this week are the amazing Fela Kuti, the king of Afrobeat. Also, Neil Young just won his first Grammy award for music, and legendary indie troubador Jonathan Richman has a brand new album out.