'Journey in Satchidananda' shows Alice Coltrane presenting the spiritual healing in a meditative journey of a lifetime.
Alice Coltrane is essential to the jazz scenes in the 60s and 70s. Having played and chimed besides John Coltrane, her curiosity towards music and religion has always been within her, even speaking about it to her husband as well. But it’s the sudden passing of John Coltrane that filled her with guilt and sorrow, even to the point so far as devoting herself into meditation with the help of Swami Satchidananda.
Ever since then, ‘healing’ and ‘transcendence’ have become her motifs, ever so presented in ‘Journey in Satchidananda’. The harp that John Coltrane has gifted has become a signature aspect for Alice Coltrane, with each song showing the clarity and blissful tones of that harp. And with Pharoah Sanders fluttering yet graceful saxophone playing, and additional major instruments such as the droning tambura, brimming bass, warm bells and percussion, and pristine piano further creates that spiritual atmosphere coalesces into a calm, meditative force. It puts you into a stasis, like a breeze washing over you as these songs slowly progress and shows their spiritual essence balm the ears, the body, and the soul.
It’s a record that presents the spiritual at its peak, and it presents the healing and the gathered strength that Alice required during this tumultuous peak in her life. A journey worth trodding, and healing worth experiencing.
Favorite Tracks: All of them.