About this talk

For many years Alice Coltrane was only spoken of as the second wife of John (whose famous surname she took on marriage), in spite of the extraordinary musicianship that she evidenced as a member of his final groups before his death in 1967. During these latter years Coltrane was deeply involved in exploring the spiritual dimension of his music, and Alice accompanied him in many of those groundbreaking compositions. After his death she looked after his estate and began her own attachment to Hindu spirituality, eventually moving to California and establishing an ashram there, while also making some of the most influential recordings in jazz/Indian crossover genres, moving away from her talent as a pianist to privilege her second instrument, the harp. Famously private as an individual, she eventually came to enjoy a revival in her career in the final years before she died. This lecture will explore the continuing influence of her music and spirituality for later generations of jazz musicians, as well as the many working in other musical genres.

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