Alice Coltrane - Translinear Light

relyles · November 6, 2004

This is an amateur review I wrote as part of a CD giveaway on another bulletin board.

I have had a more difficult experience than usual in organizing my thoughts and impressions about Translinear Light sufficiently enough to prepare a credible amateur review. This is the first recording under Alice Coltrane’s leadership that I have heard. Other than two or three John Coltrane recordings featuring her that I last heard probably ten years ago and a couple of bootlegs with Ravi, my prior exposure to Ms. Coltrane was virtually zero. Of course I am familiar with the name, but other than the connection to John Coltrane and reading more than a few times about her absence from music so that she could devote herself to her spiritual concerns, I also did not know too much about her. I really had no idea of what to expect.

In preparing myself for the task of listening to the recording and writing this review I had what I thought was a simple goal – I wanted to deal with the music on its on terms without reference to Ms. Coltrane’s spirituality or her connection to John Coltrane. I thought those things have probably been done so much to the point of cliché. After listening to this recording at least five times in its entirety I have come to realize that my goal was not simple at all. As Ms. Coltrane’s note in the liner notes suggests, the music is intended to be an expression of her spirituality. That spirituality is pervasive throughout the disc, starting with the invocation of “Sita Ram”, continuing with the prayer like renditions of the two traditional spirituals and Ms. Coltrane’s original composition “The Hymn” and finally concluding with the chant of “Satya Sai Isha”.

Although the spiritual quality of the music is evident, it also works musically. Of the instruments she plays, I think that on this recording Ms. Coltrane’s most distinctive voice is heard when playing the Wurlitzer organ. She gets a somewhat “spacey” sound on the Wurlitzer which is nothing like the much more common Hammond B-3, but probably a more appropriate fit for what Ms. Coltrane seeks to express. Her most impressive excursion on Wurlitzer is on “Leo” where Ms. Coltrane, Ravi and Jack DeJohnette stretch out more than on any other track on the disc.

In addition to the spirituality of the disc, the John Coltrane connection is also inevitable. Ms. Coltrane covers two John Coltrane compositions, “Crescent” and “Leo” and several of the other songs on the disc seem to inhabit a similar space as mid sixties Coltrane. Of those, “Blue Nile” is a highlight for this listener. It features the same kind of modal vibe that Coltrane recorded on those Classic Quartet recordings. Here, as in all his appearances throughout the disc Ravi’s playing is strong. Seemingly not derivitavely influenced by his father, Ravi’s playing throughout confidently serves the music to evoke whatever the mood that is sought with a tone that captures the listener’s attention. This is some of the most impressive playing that I have heard from Ravi.

Initially Ms. Coltrane’s piano playing did not make a significant impression on me. It is neither overly aggressive nor significantly virtuosic. Instead, she seems to use the instrument to set the mood of the piece, without it necessarily becoming overly dominant. The best example of her piano skills is on another highlight of the disc for me, the traditional spiritual “Walk With Me”. Played in trio with bassist James Genus and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts the tune establishes a relaxed spiritual groove that brings to mind some of the stuff that Abdullah Ibrahim does in his contemporary trio music. It is not about overwhelming the listener with technique. Instead, I found myself captivated by the subtle groove established by the bass and drums while Ms. Coltrane’s gently cascading notes eased my mind into a subtle state of meditation.

Overall, I would say that although Translinear Light is not likely a ground breaking recording that will be talked about or debated thirty years from now, for me with each subsequent listen it becomes more and more a very satisfying first exposure to the music of Alice Coltrane.

Edited November 6, 2004 by relyles

WD45 · December 21, 2005

Listening to this at work today. This is some heavy stuff! Love it! :rhappy:

7/4 · December 21, 2005

I love it, but I really burned myself out on Alice. I love her string arrangements. :wub:

I wish she would record more. After not releasing anything for years and Translinear Light comes out...is there any more? I want more.

jazzbo · December 21, 2005

There were some intereseting cassettes and cdrs that were put out through her ashram of chanting and synthesizer. . . not essential, but nice if her spiritual efforts don't perplex or annoy you (as I know they do some).

I like this one a lot. I also am a big fan of her string arrangements! I visited her release with Carlos Santana from the mid-seventies again recently. . . beautiful stuff.

jazzbo · December 21, 2005

R, nice little review! :tup

7/4 · December 21, 2005

There were some intereseting cassettes and cdrs that were put out through her ashram of chanting and synthesizer. . . not essential, but nice if her spiritual efforts don't perplex or annoy you (as I know they do some).

The WB releases were like that. I have no problem with bahjan (devotional chants), but I want to hear more Jazz like the Impulse material.

I like this one a lot. I also am a big fan of her string arrangements! I visited her release with Carlos Santana from the mid-seventies again recently. . . beautiful stuff.

I got that as a cut out many years ago. My first non-John Coltrane, Alice purchase. Jack DeJohnette kicks booty on that one. I even have the original on CD, it came out before Laswell got his hands on the master tapes. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but they should keep the original in circulation as a CD.