Audiopile Review: Mind-blowing live set from Alice Coltrane at the height of her powers, recorded just after the release of her landmark Journey In Satchidananda. Featuring the jaw-dropping lineup of Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Jimmy Garrison, Cecil McBee, among others, Alice Coltrane leads the group through the first two tracks of her just released album, extending the pieces to twice their original length with extended solos and longer excursions into her iconic harp-filled pastures. While the first LP is the pure transcendent spiritual jazz that she is synonymous with during this time, the second disc is made of actual fire. They take on two John Coltrane tracks— “Leo”, which appeared on the posthumous Interstellar Space and was also a live staple for him in his final years as a giant of free jazz, as well as “Africa”, one his finest compositions from the early days with his infamous quartet at the start of his incredible run for Impulse. Both tracks fly full force into the molten core of free jazz, the ensemble rarely surfacing to catch their breath, though lengthy solos from the double bass of barrage of Garrison and McBee and the extended drum solo on Leo are both showstoppers. What is being called the “Year Of Alice” is off to a raucous start!

Verve Records is known for unearthing and reissuing music from some of the 20th century’s greatest artists, and in 2024 they’ve partnered with The John & Alice Coltrane Home to launch the “Year of Alice;” described as a “year-long celebration of Alice Coltrane’s profound work.” They’re kicking things off with Alice Coltrane – The Carnegie Hall Concert, a previously unavailable recording of Coltrane’s 1971 performance at Carnegie Hall benefiting the Integral Yoga Institute.

The album’s first track, the live performance of “Shiva-Loka,” is out now; accompanied by a new, colorful visualizer on YouTube. “Shiva-Loka” was originally released on Coltrane’s fourth solo album, Journey in Satchidananda, released a year before the Carnegie Hall show. As Verve notes, the concert arrived at a pivotal moment in both Coltrane’s career and her spiritual journey: she had just released Satchidananda and had deepened her spiritual quest over a five-week trip to India.

The concert featured Satchidananda collaborators Kumar Kramer and Tulsi Reynolds, playing harmonium and tamboura, respectively, alongside a large jazz ensemble comprising two saxophonists (Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp), two bassists (Jimmy Garrison and Cecil McBee) and two drummers (Ed Blackwell and Clifford Jarvis.) Alongside her band, Alice performed a set including two transcendental tracks from Journey in Satchidananda, including “Shiva-Loka,” followed by two compositions by her late husband John Coltrane.