Alice Coltrane Appreciation Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AveryKG, Sep 12, 2006.

  1. sunspot

    sunspot Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I picked up the latest 4 reissues and 3 of them sound pretty good but 'Eternity' is riddled with some shocking distortion. I sent on back because of distorion on 'Wisdom Eye'. My replacement copy has it again but this time on 'Om Supreme'. I suppose it will have to go back as well. It could just be a bad batch but it's dissapointing.
     
  2. elsanto

    elsanto Forum Resident

    Location:
    philly, pa
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  3. quindembo

    quindembo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Queens, NY
    Forced Exposure is selling a new 2LP set titled "Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972." Has anyone heard this or know more about the release? From the description:

    Previously unreleased and not known to exist soundboard recording of Alice Coltrane Sextet live in Berkeley, California in 1972. Featuring a dream line-up of Charlie Haden, Ben Riley, Ashish Khan, Pranesh Khan, Bobby W., and Alice Coltrane. Newly re-mastered from the original tapes. In 1972 (Journey In Satchidananda/Lord of Lords era), during one of Alice Coltrane's most creative periods, she gathered five musicians for a live concert at the Berkeley Community Theater on July 23rd, 1972. Bassist Charlie Haden, Sarod player Ashish Khan, Pranesh Khan on tabla and naal, Ben Riley on drums, Bobby W. on tambura and percussion. The four tracks featured for the performance (three John Coltrane compositions) -- "Journey In Satchidananda", "A Love Supreme", "My Favorite Things" and "Leo" -- show a group in full flight to the cosmos. Alice Coltrane leads the group on organ, piano and harp. This show, in particular, is as searing a document of a spiritual group of musicians in full launch to outer space. As intense a performance and recording as we've heard from Alice Coltrane. Raw, propulsive and incendiary. Limited edition, double-LP; comes in a gatefold sleeve; edition of 750.​
     
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  4. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    Thanks for the information. Here's the order link:

    ALICE COLTRANE : Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972 - 2LP - BCT RECORDS - Forced Exposure
     
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  5. steviebee

    steviebee Always playing Ese and The Vooduu People

    Location:
    London, England
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  6. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    I’m glad this includes Alice on harp. The “Transfiguration” double-LP with Alice only on piano and organ is one that I cannot get through very easily...
     
  7. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

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  8. Bassist

    Bassist Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Love that record. Mid to late 70s it was a permanent fixture in the Virgin Marble Arch cut out racks. 99p if I remember rightly. Man's "Slow Motion", Spirit's "Future Games" and the Warner Bros "Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers" record also featured regularly in the unloved by the masses pile. Of course I ended up buying all four of them ....
     
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  9. Maltman

    Maltman Somewhat grumpy, but harmless old man.

    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Agreed.
     
  10. Chris Bernhardt

    Chris Bernhardt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    When is someone going to get to reissuing Ptah the EL Druid?
     
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  11. steviebee

    steviebee Always playing Ese and The Vooduu People

    Location:
    London, England
    Yes, I struggle sometimes with Alice on organ. She's such a delightful harp player... the RSD solo 10" was lovely.
    I do like her orchestral stuff like Galaxy Around Oludumare (spelling may be off, there!)

    I wish...I've only ever had the CD. Great album.
     
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  12. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    I remember being so happy that Alice was returning with "Translinear Light" after such a long absence, and was disappointed when I got an early release of the CD to find out she was playing piano and organ!

    I know she was working on an album at the time of her death, but I never really read how far along she was in the process. I would love to hear those final recordings at some point (especially if they included harp!).
     
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  13. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    There is a new interview with Carlos that briefly mentions his work with Alice:

    STEREOGUM: What are your memories of making the Illuminationsalbum in 1974, and working with Alice Coltrane? Did you spend time at her spiritual center?

    SANTANA: Yes, I spent a whole week at her house and we would wake up at 2:30 in the morning and meditate, and she would play the harp and then the piano and the Wurlitzer organ. I learned so much by being around her, especially the way she was writing for this symphonic thing. For me, that album — thanks for mentioning it — being around Alice Coltrane and Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland and Armando Peraza, it made me feel like I was in the minor leagues with Abraxas, and now I’m in the big leagues because I’m with these musicians who I felt were equipped to swim in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve said this before: There’s the Pacific Ocean, there’s a big lake, there’s a swimming pool, and then there’s a bathtub. And I was moving between the bathtub and the swimming pool until I started hanging around with them, and I was like, “Wow. How do they do this work? How do they articulate with such facility and incredible skill?” So being around Alice Coltrane and John McLaughlin, and then of course Wayne [Shorter] and Herbie [Hancock], it really opened me up to improvisation in a whole different way than I’d ever known.

    Carlos Santana Reflects On 50 Years Of Making Music And His New 'Africa Speaks'
     
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  14. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    I started listening to this and was disappointed to hear Alice NOT playing harp on “ Journey”... what gives? Are there ANY live recordings of Alice playing harp? And ANOTHER version of “Leo”!

    I’m glad I didn’t order the vinyl.
     
  15. griff63

    griff63 Member

    Location:
    Wolverhampton
    I bought the Berkeley album and am enjoying the music thoroughly although I'm now not so sure about the legality of it!
    ...
    For the supremely curious and/or research minded amongst the Alice Coltrane fanbase!
    It had been thought for some time that no recordings of the be-bop era Alice McLeod existed. One track does exist however on a compilation called Lucky Thompson & His Octet In Paris 1960 on the Fresh Sounds label. She plays on a five minute version of 'Lover Man' with Mr Thompson, Pierre Michelot on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Haven't heard it yet but as it is a fifties TV broadcast the sound will be what it is!
    There is also a version of 'Strike Up The Band' by the same band (possibly the same gig) plus guitarist Jimmy Gourley on Youtube. Ms.McLeod takes a couple of choruses with real swing and Bud Powell like runs.
    Moreover, there is a track on legendary Detroit drummer Roy Brooks' 1964 album called 'Soulsphere' written by one Alice McCloud (sic).
    Ms. McLeod does not play on this album (fellow Detroit legend Hugh Lawson is on piano) but given that the composer credit is quite likely to be a record company typo this could well be the earliest known composition by her. Check it on youtube!
    Peace
     
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  16. griff63

    griff63 Member

    Location:
    Wolverhampton
    Forgot to add that the Roy Brooks 1964 album is called Beat.
     
  17. steviebee

    steviebee Always playing Ese and The Vooduu People

    Location:
    London, England
    Just got the reissue of Monastic Trio...wow!
    Piano sounds glorious on first side.
    And I could sail the Sky Boat all day....

    This is an album I never had on CD, very glad to have now on LP.

    Now, someone please reissue Ptah on vinyl! Pretty please....
     
    Chris Bernhardt likes this.
  18. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    It's a boot.
     
  19. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    These threads get buried, and somehow I missed getting this at original retail price, and just found and got a copy for more. But no way was I not going miss out. I've owned this boot on DL for sometime now and so glad that somebody got it on vinyl. Hoping they did a decent job, but just to have the physical media excites me. An incredible show.
     
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  20. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    I'm surprised that Superior Viaduct hasn't reissued that one. To be honest, I remember seeing all of her Impulse albums in the record stores when I was a kid, but I do not recall seeing that one!
     
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  21. GuidedByJonO)))

    GuidedByJonO))) Forum Resident

    Location:
    Evanston
    I totally missed out on this new Berkeley boot, apparently. Forced Exposure link is dead. So annoyed that you have to be glued to every Twitter account known to man to be aware of the four-day ordering period for new music these days (sarcasm, obviously, but it is frustrating to learn of something one day and find out that it was available for maybe a week, two weeks prior).
     
  22. steviebee

    steviebee Always playing Ese and The Vooduu People

    Location:
    London, England
    The Berkeley album is good, nice bass solo from Haden and lovely energetic playing throughout. Quite a gig.

    Alice, sadly (for me, I prefer her piano and harp sound) sticks to organ throughout. Great playing of course, but I find her organ sound edgy and grating. Still, great to have the gig for the occasional listen :)
     
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  23. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    I agree about preferring her piano and harp -- are there any live recordings that feature Alice on those instruments? Any that do NOT feature "Leo" LOL

    I'm surprised "Journey..." from the Berkeley album features organ and no harp -- that was very disappointing to hear!
     
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  24. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    I'm really surprised that I only heard about recently, and missed the release. I'm on here quite a bit, and this thread just got buried. I would've thought I'd seen something on the other jazz threads, but nothing.

    I'm going to bet that somehow, somewhere, there will be another release. In the meantime, it's out there online for listening.
     
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  25. pghmusiclover

    pghmusiclover Senior Member

    For what it's worth -- there's a few of Alice fans here that try and keep this thread updated with new release information!
     

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