Alice Coltrane
Biography
As a child in Detroit, young Alice McLeod studied classical music and
participated in the gospel band at church. But her brother, bassist
Ernie Farrow, introduced her to jazz early on, and as a teen she became
quite taken with bop and its offshoots.
In Detroit she played piano on
sessions with masters like guitarist Kenny Burrell and saxophonist
Lucky Thompson. By the early 1960s she was sharing the bandstand with
vibes player Terry Gibbs. It was on tour with Gibbs that she met
saxophonist John Coltrane. Their 1966 wedding was the start of a
musical union as well. When she replaced pianist McCoy Tyner in the
classic Coltrane Quartet there was hubbub in the jazz world. But John
Coltrane's music was unfolding further with every passing month--he
had begun probing musical motifs from the East. Alice's approach to the
piano assisted in extending the music even further.
When her husband died in 1967, Alice continued working with members
of his last group, including Garrison, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and
drummer Rashied Ali.
She began playing the harp, utilizing sitar and
tablas in the ensemble, and turning fully to Eastern cultures for
inspiration; spiritual and colorful, her music morphed into the
soundtrack for prayer. Her talents and trajectory spoke to others.
By Jim Macnie
Excerpted from: Alice Coltrane Priceless Jazz
Alice Coltrane Discography
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