Alice Coltrane - Eternity / Speakers Corner

When the brilliant saxophonist John Coltrane died in 1967, the core values of jazz music had long drawn him into the spiritual world ("A Love Supreme", "Ascension", "Meditations" etc.).

His widow and final pianist followed in his footsteps. Alice Coltrane (1937–2007) sought after »cosmic sounds, higher dimensions, astral levels« – she had an important influence on the

spiritualised, esoteric music scene of the 1970s. Her first album was only released after John Coltrane’s death, but "Eternity" was already her tenth. (In the same year she founded a Hindu

Vedantic Center in California.) The album draws its power from highly contrasted sound worlds.

The size of the ensemble ranges from an unaccompanied harp solo ("Wisdom Eye") to a large orchestra with a big band of up to 25 plus a 12-man string section. Alice Coltrane’s main instrument

is the electric Wurlitzer organ, whose rasping sound conjures up John Coltrane’s saxophone (especially in the opening number "Spiritual Eternal"). Mostly she improvises modally, sinuously, or with

meditative ecstasy – whether in the style of Latin rock ("Los Caballos") or quite without a firm tempo ("Morning Worship" with a tamboura accompaniment). Support comes from such renowned musicians

e du printemps". Here the moments of dissonance and free jazz are far from meditative contemplation.

Alice Coltrane (org, hp, el-p; perc, arr, cond); Terry Harrington (ts); Jerome Richardson (ss); George Bohanon (tb); Oscar Brashear (tp); Tommy Johnson (tba); Hubert Laws (fl); Charlie Haden (b); Ben Riley (b, dr); Armando Peraza (cga); a.o.

Recording: August and October 1975 at The Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA, and Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, CA, by Baker Bigsby  Production: Ed Michael

Title

Side One

1. Spiritual Eternal

2. Wisdom Eye

3. Los Caballos

Side Two

1. Om Supreme

2. Morning Worship

3. Spring Rounds From Rite Of Spring