ALBUM REVIEW: Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda

    In the wake of the brilliant John Coltrane’s death, it almost feels like many of the people around him looked to pick up the mantle. Coltrane left behind not only an ocean full of recordings that would gradually trickle out posthumously, but he also left a legacy on the art of spiritual and avant-garde jazz music, and that was a legacy that many of his collaborators seemingly followed up on. Pharoah Sanders was one of these, and his brilliant Karma album takes many notes from his fallen comrade - of course, another was John’s wife, Alice. Alice initially replaced McCoy Tyner in John’s Quartet, and she would play piano with him until his death in July of 1967. Naturally, her works have shades of John all over it, and none have had it quite as prevalent as Journey in Satchidananda. Far more harp-centric than her previous but still very good Ptah, the El Daoud album, Journey is a rich set of performances that truly does feel like a journey in every sense of the word with its hypnotic stylings and transcendent musicality. A deeply powerful jazz experience through and through, and it truly establishes Alice as every bit of a genius as John was.

    The music and spirit of Journey in Satchidananda can be described in a handful of words; mystical; surreal; transformative; magic. So much of the performances on the album from every party are graceful and filled with an undeniably rich quality to them. I think part of this is most definitely due to Alice's heavier use of harp playing in comparison to Ptah, the El Daoud, which makes the sonic landscapes stretch out and beyond the horizon for miles. Another key component is use of a tanpura on most of the tracks, and it's monotonous drone gives a very eastern style to much of the music - it helps that Alice was increasingly fascinated with eastern culture, seen on moments like "Stopover Bombay" and "Shiva-Loka." Satchidananda showcases the many interests and ideas of Alice beautifully throughout, and it's passion seeps through the speakers and record grooves.

    A moment like "Something About John Coltrane" is immensely powerful - without using any words, she's able to convey many themes and ideas about her late husband eloquently and beautifully in the 9-minute runtime. I find it to be one of the most moving moments on the entire album; it's a beautiful reflection and tribute to her husband and collaborator, and stands out as one of the album's highest points. Throughout the album, Alice remains as adventurous as she can be, and continues to explore ideas at her own pace to great results - the live closing track "Isis and Osiris" reflects her interest in North African and Middle Eastern culture, and prominently features use of an Oud in its instrumentation, resulting in a combination of sounds that's incredibly singular from any jazz record that I've heard. The opening track "Journey in Satchidananda" is similarly loose and creative with its combining of eastern music ideas, and it sets a pattern for the rest of the album to go by. This meshing and fusion of ideas to create something new brings the listener to new, wonderful places that I wouldn't have thought possible before.

    Journey in Satchidananda is nothing short of a defining moment for Ms. Coltrane. It's a continuously explorative, intrepid album that pushes what Alice can do more than anything I've heard from her prior. Her full potential realized and expressed, the result is nothing short of brilliant, bold, and frequently beautiful. Easily one of the finest jazz album's I've ever heard. 

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Journey in Satchidananda.