Alice Lucille Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda () or simply Turiya, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician, composer, bandleader, and

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

spiritual leader. An accomplished pianist and one of the few

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

ists in the history of jazz, Coltrane recorded many albums as a bandleader, beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s for Impulse! and other record labels. She was married to the jazz saxophonist and composer

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

, with whom she performed in 1966–1967. One of the foremost proponents of spiritual jazz, her eclectic music proved influential both within and outside the world of jazz. Coltrane's career slowed from the mid-1970s as she became more dedicated to her religious education. She founded the Vedantic Center in 1975 and the Shanti Anantam

ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

devotional songs before returning to spiritual jazz in the 2000s and releasing her final album '' Translinear Light'' in 2004.

Biography

Early life and career (1937–1965)

Coltrane was born Alice Lucille McLeod on August 27, 1937, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, and grew up in a musical household. Her mother, Anna McLeod, was a member of the choir at her church; her half-brother, Ernest Farrow, became a jazz bassist; and her younger sister, Marilyn McLeod, became a songwriter at

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. With the encouragement of her father, Alice McLeod pursued music and started to perform in various clubs around Detroit, until moving to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in the late 1950s. She studied

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

, and also jazz with

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. A pioneer in the development of bebop and its associated contributions to jazz theory,Grove Powell's application of complex phrasing to ...

in Paris, where she worked as the intermission pianist at the Blue Note Jazz Club in 1960. It was there that McLeod appeared on French television in a performance with Lucky Thompson, Pierre Michelot and

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride ...

. She married Kenny "Pancho" Hagood in 1960 and had a daughter, Michelle, with him. The marriage ended soon after, on account of Hagood's developing heroin addiction, and McLeod was forced to return to Detroit with her daughter. She continued playing jazz as a professional in Detroit, with her own trio and as a duo with vibraphonist Terry Pollard. In 1962–63, she played with

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

' quartet, during which time she met

. In 1965, they married in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. John Coltrane became stepfather to Alice Coltrane's daughter Michelle, and the couple had three children together: John Jr. (1964, a drummer who died in a car accident in 1982); Ravi (b. 1965, a saxophonist); and Oranyan (b. 1967, a DJ). Oranyan later played saxophone with

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

for a period of time.

Solo work (1967–1978)

Alice and John's growing involvement in spirituality influenced some of John's compositions and projects, such as ''

A Love Supreme ''A Love Supreme'' is an album by the jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist J ...

''. In January 1966, Alice Coltrane replaced

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

as pianist with John Coltrane's group. She subsequently recorded with him and continued playing with the band until John's death on July 17, 1967. After her husband's death, she continued to forward the musical and spiritual vision, and started to release records as a composer and bandleader. One day, when she was struggling with her health and caring for her young family of four children, there was a knock at the door and to her immense surprise a full-sized Lyon & Healy concert harp was delivered, having been ordered by her husband for her before his unexpected death. Her first album, '' A Monastic Trio'', was recorded in 1967. From 1968 to 1977, she released thirteen full-length records. As the years passed, her musical direction moved further from standard jazz into the more cosmic, spiritual world. Albums like '' Universal Consciousness'' (1971), and '' World Galaxy'' (1972), show a progression from a four-piece line-up to a more orchestral approach, with lush string arrangements and cascading harp glissandos. Until 1973, she released music with

Impulse! Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positive critiques ...

, the jazz label for which her husband recorded. From 1973 to 1978, she released primarily on

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

until she stepped away from the public eye.

Ashram years (1975–1995)

After the death of her husband, Coltrane experienced a period of trial. She suffered from severe weight loss and sleepless nights, as well as hallucinations, which she would later describe as her undergoing ''tapas'' (a Sanskrit term for austere spiritual practices). Seeing Coltrane in a state of emotional turmoil and wanting to help, a musical colleague of hers introduced her to the

Yoga guru Modern yoga gurus are people widely acknowledged to be gurus of modern yoga in any of its forms, whether religious or not. The role implies being well-known and having a large following; in contrast to the old guru-shishya tradition, the modern ...

Swami Satchidananda, under whom she would take mantra diksha and study Hinduism during the early 1970s. By 1972, she had abandoned her secular life and moved to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where she established the Vedantic Center in 1975. During the mid-1970s, she underwent a mystical experience wherein she believed

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

had initiated her directly into

sannyasa ''Sannyasa'' (), sometimes spelled ''sanyasa'', is the fourth stage within the Hinduism, Hindu system of four life stages known as ''ashrama (stage), ashramas'', the first three being ''brahmacharya'' (celibate student), ''Gṛhastha, grihast ...

, giving her the monastic name Turiyasangitananda, which she translated as "the Transcendental Lord's Highest Song of Bliss." She became the spiritual director or

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

of the Shanti Anantam Ashram, which the Vedantic Center established in 1983 near Malibu, California. Alice would perform formal and informal Vedic ceremonies at the ashram and lead them in congregational chanting or

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. She developed original melodies from the traditional chants and started to experiment by including synthesizers, sophisticated song structures and aspects of Gospel music in her compositions. During the late 1970s to early 1980s, Coltrane would become progressively more influenced by the ecstatic devotionalism of the Sathya Sai Baba movement and

ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...

communities present on the West Coast, incorporating their

bhajan Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root w ...

s into her artistic milieu. The album '' Radha-Krsna Nama Sankirtana'' (Lit. 'chanting the names of

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

and Krishna') was released by Warner Bros in 1977, featuring gospel-inflected renditions of popular bhajans and

mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

s within both movements. She sent a copy of the record to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder and leader of ISKCON, who replied to her in a letter dated March 12, 1977, commending her for her chanting. Coltrane would eventually meet Bhaktivedanta Swami in person while on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan, India on July 1, 1977, after being invited by ISKCON leaders to perform at various Ratha-yatra festivals across the United States. Despite her various spiritual affiliations, Coltrane primarily sought spiritual guidance not from external gurus but instead from God himself, with whom mystics like her are able to communicate as a result of the spiritual merit acquired through her tapas. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Coltrane released books through her publishing company, the Avatar Book Institute, which shared her divine transmissions and spiritual teachings, rooted in the direct communion she cultivated through years of rigorous devotional practice and tapas. The first of these, ''Endless Wisdom I'', was released in 1982 with an accompanying spiritual cassette, '' Turiya Sings''. Coltrane would go on to release three more cassettes, ''Divine Songs'' in 1987, ''Infinite Chants'' in 1990, and ''Glorious Chants'' in 1995, alongside the books ''Divine Revelations'' in 1995 and ''Endless Wisdom II'' in 1999. In 2017, the tenth anniversary of Coltrane's death, New York-based label

Luaka Bop Luaka Bop is a New York–based record label founded by musician David Byrne, former lead singer and guitarist for the art rock– new wave band Talking Heads. What began with Byrne making cassettes of his favorite Tropicália tracks for his fr ...

released ''World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda'', a compilation of tracks from her ashram cassettes. In 2021,

re-released ''Turiya Sings'' under the title '' Kirtan: Turiya Sings'', using a mix containing Coltrane's vocals and Wurlitzer organ without the overdubbed synthesizers and strings. During the late 1980s, Coltrane received a revelation during her meditations that allegedly confirmed the South Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba to be "the

Avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

of this age", leading her in 1994 to rename her ashram the 'Sai Anantam Ashram' in his honor. Until her death, she remained an ardent devotee of Sai Baba and undertook frequent pilgrimages with her students to his residence in Puttaparthi, India to acquire his blessings. Following Coltrane's death in 2007, the ashram's attendance dwindled, and it was eventually permanently closed in 2017, the site later being destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

Later years and death (1995–2007)

The 1990s saw renewed interest in her work, which led to the release of the compilation ''Astral Meditations'', and in 2004 she released her comeback album '' Translinear Light''. Following a 25-year break from major public performances, she returned to the stage for three U.S. appearances in the fall of 2006, including a concert at Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium presented by University Musical Society of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

on September 23, which would have been

's 80th birthday, and culminating on November 4 with a concert for the San Francisco Jazz Festival with her son Ravi, drummer

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

, and bassist

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

. Alice Coltrane died of

respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a r ...

at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in suburban Los Angeles in 2007, aged 69. She is buried alongside John Coltrane in Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale,

Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its no ...

Impact

Coltrane is an influence on the English rock band

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...

, such as on the song "Dollars and Cents", from their 2001 album '' Amnesiac''.

Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...

dedicated his song "Song for Alice (Dedicated to the Beautiful Legacy of Mrs. Coltrane)", from his 2008 album '' 22 Dreams'', to Coltrane; the track titled "Alice" on

Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...

's 2009 album '' Monoliths & Dimensions'' was similarly inspired. Electronic musician Steve "Flying Lotus" Ellison is the grandnephew of Alice Coltrane. On his 2010 album '' Cosmogramma'', he paid tribute to Coltrane in the form of a song titled "Drips//Auntie's Harp", in which he sampled her harp from the track "Blue Nile", featured on the album '' Ptah, the El Daoud'' (1970). The song "That Alice" on Laura Veirs' album ''

Warp and Weft In the manufacture of cloth, warp and weft are the two basic components in weaving to transform thread and yarn into textile fabrics. The vertical ''warp'' yarns are held stationary in tension on a loom (frame) while the horizontal ''weft'' ...

'' is about Coltrane. Orange Cake Mix included a song entitled "Alice Coltrane" on their 1997 LP Silver Lining Underwater. Poet giovanni singleton's book ''Ascension'' includes 49 poems written daily after Alice Coltrane's death. Cauleen Smith's conceptual art exhibition ''Give It or Leave It'' featured two films, "Pilgrim" (2017) and "Sojourner" (2018), exploring Alice Coltrane's music and ashram.

Discography

As leader

Studio and live albums * '' A Monastic Trio'' ( Impulse!, 1968) * '' Huntington Ashram Monastery'' (Impulse!, 1969) * '' Ptah, the El Daoud'' (Impulse!, 1970) * '' Journey in Satchidananda'' (Impulse!, 1971) * '' Universal Consciousness'' (Impulse!, 1971) * '' World Galaxy'' (Impulse!, 1972) * '' Lord of Lords'' (Impulse!, 1973) * '' Illuminations'' (Columbia, 1974) with

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

* ''

Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...

'' (

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...

, 1976) * '' Radha-Krsna Nama Sankirtana'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * '' Transcendence'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * '' Transfiguration'' (Warner Bros., 1978) * '' Turiya Sings'' (Avatar Book Institute, 1982; reissued by Impulse!/Verve/UMe/Universal, 2021) * '' Divine Songs'' (Avatar, 1987) * ''Infinite Chants'' (Avatar, 1990) * ''Glorious Chants'' (Avatar, 1995) * '' Translinear Light'' (Impulse!, 2004) * '' Carnegie Hall '71'' (Hi Hat, 2018) also released as ''Live at Carnegie Hall, 1971'' * '' Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972'' (BCT, 2019) * '' Kirtan: Turiya Sings'' (Impulse!/Verve/UMe/Universal, 2021; different mixes of Turiya Sings discovered by Ravi Coltrane in 2004) * '' The Carnegie Hall Concert'' (Impulse!, 2024) Compilations * ''Reflection on Creation and Space (a Five Year View)'' (Impulse!, 1973) * ''Priceless Jazz Collection'' ( GRP, 1998) * ''Astral Meditations'' (Impulse!, 1999) * ''The Impulse Story'' (Impulse!, 2006) * ''Universal Consciousness / Lord of Lords'' (Impulse!, 2011) * ''Huntington Ashram Monastery/World Galaxy'' (Impulse!, 2011) * ''World Spiritual Classics: Volume I: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda'' (Luaka Bop, 2017) * ''Spiritual Eternal: The Complete Warner Bros. Studio Recordings'' (Real Gone Music 2018)

As co-leader

* '' Cosmic Music'' (Impulse!, 1966–1968) with

As sidewoman

With

* '' Live at the Village Vanguard Again!'' (Impulse!, 1966) * '' Live in Japan'' (Impulse!, 1966; released 1973) * '' Offering: Live at Temple University'' (Resonance, 1966; released 2014) * '' Stellar Regions'' (Impulse!, 1967; released 1995) * '' Expression'' (Impulse!, 1967) * '' The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording'' (Impulse!, 1967; released 2001) * ''

Infinity Infinity is something which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is denoted by \infty, called the infinity symbol. From the time of the Ancient Greek mathematics, ancient Greeks, the Infinity (philosophy), philosophic ...

'' (Impulse!, 1972) With

* '' Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime'' ( Mercury, 1963) * ''Hootenanny My Way'' (Mercury, 1963) * ''El Nutto'' (

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a non-electric type of stage lighting that was once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illum ...

, 1964) With

Roland Kirk Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

* '' Left & Right'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1968) With

* ''

Extensions Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (proof theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values t ...

'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1970) With

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

* '' The Elements'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

, 1973) With

* '' Closeness'' (

Horizon The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This curve divides all viewing directions based on whethe ...

, 1976) With Various Artists * '' Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool'' (GRP, 1994)

References

External links

* * *
The Vedantic CenterSai Anantam

AshramASHRAM: The Spiritual Community of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
(4:3 Feature Films documentary, 2019) {{DEFAULTSORT:Coltrane, Alice 1937 births 2007 deaths African-American women composers African-American jazz composers American women jazz composers African-American jazz pianists American jazz harpists American women harpists American jazz organists American women organists Modal jazz pianists American women jazz pianists Kirtan performers Jazz musicians from Detroit Cass Technical High School alumni Followers of Sathya Sai Baba Deaths from respiratory failure Impulse! Records artists Warner Records artists 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American keyboardists Jazz musicians from Alabama 20th-century American women composers American Hindus Converts to Hinduism from Christianity African-American women musicians Spiritual jazz musicians 20th-century American women pianists DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members John Coltrane