Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atomic Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Three great albums from Alice Coltrane – all late 70s albums for Warner Brothers that really show her taking off as both a solo performer and a spiritual force! First up is Eternity – seminal 70s work from one of the most righteous jazz musicians ever! On this set, Alice Coltrane moves past the rawer spiritual sound of her Impulse albums – working with a more focused vision and an approach to jazz that takes her way past the identity of just being "Mrs Coltrane", into territory that's a more perfect expression of her spiritual vision. The approach calls for more ambitious orchestrations, yet never in a way that overwhelms the jazz basis of the music – and Alice herself is on Fender Rhodes, organ, and harp – working with players who include Fred Jackson and Hubert Laws on reeds, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, George Bohannon on trombone, Charlie Haden on bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Armando Peraza on congas. Titles include "Spiritual Eternal", "Om Supreme", "Morning Workshop", "Wisdom Eye", and "Los Caballos". Radha Krsna Nama Saknirtana is pure spiritual loveliness from Alice, and a record that features a lot of additional playing by Indian musicians! Clearly, the Hari Krishnas have gotten to the lady here – as you can tell by the orange robe she's wearing on the cover, and the blank stare in her eyes – but that doesn't stop the album from being a nice one, filled with the soaring spiritualism of her best 70s work, and infused with a cross-cultural approach to jazz that makes for a wonderfully expansive sound. Tracks include "Om Namah Sivaya", "Hare Krishna", and "Govinda Jai Jai". Transcendence is a beautiful record from Alice Coltrane – a swirling mix of spiritual jazz and themes from Indian music! Alice plays organ, Fender Rhodes, and harp – building the sound as the album progresses, from simple airy strings to an earthier groove that features vocal refrains in unison with the keyboards, chanting away, over and over, stretching to the heavens in a cosmic groove! The record features a lot of variations on traditional Indian themes – including "Sivaya", "Ghana Nila", and "Bhaja Govindam" – plus the original tracks "Transcendence" and "Vrindavana Sanchara". CD

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A fantastic live performance from Alice Coltrane – and one that features a very heavy-hitting group – stretching out here in a beautiful performance of extended tracks that maybe takes off even more than some of Coltrane's famous albums for Impulse Records! The group is great – and features features both Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp on tenor, in a spirit that's as strong and righteous as Alice's Ptah The El Daoud album – plus more doubling from two bassists – Jimmy Garrison and Cecil McBee – two drummers – Ed Blackwell and Clifford Jarvis – plus tambura from Tulsi and harmonium from Kumar Kramer – all laid out with both piano and harp from Alice Coltrane herself. The set features four very long tracks – "Shiva Loka", "Africa", "Leo", and "Journey In Satchidananda". CD

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite-ever album by Alice Coltrane – a masterpiece of spirit and soul, recorded in a wonderfully open-handed style – and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of her other records, especially the ones with larger groups! The album's mostly a spare batch of tracks cut by Alice and her trio with Ron Carter on bass and Ben Riley on drums – a group who are already wonderful, and maybe a bit more introspective than Coltrane in other settings – and they're joined at a few points by guest tenor from both Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders – both at key parts of their career, and really adding a lot to the album! Pharoah and Joe blow with beautiful post-Coltrane spirituality on the tracks "Ptah The El Daoud" and "Mantra" – but equally great is the beautiful spare piano cut "Turiya & Ramakrishna" – an incredible tune that has Alice playing with a soulfulness you'd hardly expect! A real treasure all the way through – and the kind of album that ranks with the best in the Impulse catalog! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Joe Henderson albums of the 70s – a suite of tracks dedicated to the four elements – and served up with some great accompaniment from Alice Coltrane! The style here is a wonderful mix of Coltrane's spirituality and Henderson's down-to-earth soulfulness – in a style that recalls some of the best moments on Coltrane's sublime Ptah The El Daoud album – a set in which Henderson's tenor was a key part. At times, Joe blows with a bit of Coltrane-like searching – but at others, he's bringing up more of a rhythmic pulse that really gives Alice a great focus – using her piano, harp, and harmonium alongside bass by Charlie Haden, violin from Michael White, and percussion from Ndugu Chancler and Baba Daru Oshu. Titles are named after the four elements – "Fire", "Air", "Water", and "Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live performance from Alice Coltrane – and one that features a very heavy-hitting group – stretching out here in a beautiful performance of extended tracks that maybe takes off even more than some of Coltrane's famous albums for Impulse Records! The group is great – and features features both Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp on tenor, in a spirit that's as strong and righteous as Alice's Ptah The El Daoud album – plus more doubling from two bassists – Jimmy Garrison and Cecil McBee – two drummers – Ed Blackwell and Clifford Jarvis – plus tambura from Tulsi and harmonium from Kumar Kramer – all laid out with both piano and harp from Alice Coltrane herself. The set features four very long tracks – "Shiva Loka", "Africa", "Leo", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Alice Coltrane – somewhat under the shadow of her late husband, as you'd guess from the use of his name on the front cover – but really stepping out here with a voice of her own! The Monastic Trio of the set features Alice on harp and piano – alongside bass from Jimmy Garrison and drums by either Ben Riley or Rashied Ali – both really fluid players who open up nicely in this way that's never to far out, at least in the way that John Coltrane was using rhythms at the time – but which allow Alice to really take the lead as a bold musical visionary of her own! Perhaps most exciting, Pharoah Sanders sits in on one of the album's longest tracks – blowing tenor with a force that's enough to bring back The Great One – but the real charm of the set is Alice's piano work, bubbling out here with a sensitivity that we never would have expected from the harder-edge sessions cut with Coltrane – that new level of spirituality she instantly brought to her own solo sessions. Titles include "Ohnedaruth", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Atomic Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite-ever album by Alice Coltrane – a masterpiece of spirit and soul, recorded in a wonderfully open-handed style – and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of her other records, especially the ones with larger groups! The album's mostly a spare batch of tracks cut by Alice and her trio with Ron Carter on bass and Ben Riley on drums – a group who are already wonderful, and maybe a bit more introspective than Coltrane in other settings – and they're joined at a few points by guest tenor from both Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders – both at key parts of their career, and really adding a lot to the album! Pharoah and Joe blow with beautiful post-Coltrane spirituality on the tracks "Ptah The El Daoud" and "Mantra" – but equally great is the beautiful spare piano cut "Turiya & Ramakrishna" – an incredible tune that has Alice playing with a soulfulness you'd hardly expect! A real treasure all the way through – and the kind of album that ranks with the best in the Impulse catalog! CD

Our favorite-ever album by Alice Coltrane – a masterpiece of spirit and soul, recorded in a wonderfully open-handed style – and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of her other records, especially the ones with larger groups! The album's mostly a spare batch of tracks cut by Alice and her trio with Ron Carter on bass and Ben Riley on drums – a group who are already wonderful, and maybe a bit more introspective than Coltrane in other settings – and they're joined at a few points by guest tenor from both Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders – both at key parts of their career, and really adding a lot to the album! Pharoah and Joe blow with beautiful post-Coltrane spirituality on the tracks "Ptah The El Daoud" and "Mantra" – but equally great is the beautiful spare piano cut "Turiya & Ramakrishna" – an incredible tune that has Alice playing with a soulfulness you'd hardly expect! A real treasure all the way through – and the kind of album that ranks with the best in the Impulse catalog! CD

Our favorite-ever album by Alice Coltrane – a masterpiece of spirit and soul, recorded in a wonderfully open-handed style – and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of her other records, especially the ones with larger groups! The album's mostly a spare batch of tracks cut by Alice and her trio with Ron Carter on bass and Ben Riley on drums – a group who are already wonderful, and maybe a bit more introspective than Coltrane in other settings – and they're joined at a few points by guest tenor from both Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders – both at key parts of their career, and really adding a lot to the album! Pharoah and Joe blow with beautiful post-Coltrane spirituality on the tracks "Ptah The El Daoud" and "Mantra" – but equally great is the beautiful spare piano cut "Turiya & Ramakrishna" – an incredible tune that has Alice playing with a soulfulness you'd hardly expect! A real treasure all the way through – and the kind of album that ranks with the best in the Impulse catalog! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the classics from that 70s stretch when Alice Coltrane was really opening up her sound – not just walking away from more familiar jazz modes, but also embracing a very strong influence from Indian music and eastern thought as well! These elements had always been part of Coltrane's makeup somewhere in the background – but here, the modes are really foregrounded, as Alice plays some amazing organ, Fender Rhodes, and harp alongside a set of additional musicians that are mostly of Indian background – adding in some amazing percussion, and some incredibly haunting vocal chorus bits too! The approach is wonderful – different than her later, more meditative music – thanks in part to her excellent keyboards – and tracks include "Om Namah Sivaya", "Hare Krishna", and "Govinda Jai Jai". LP, Vinyl record album

A very nice album that features sort of a "best of" sampling of Alice's solo recordings for Impulse in the immediate 5-year period after John Coltrane's death. The tracks are a lovely mix of smaller groups and larger spiritual ensembles – and players include Jimmy Garrison, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, and Cecil McBee. There's a lot of nice tracks on here that don't show up that often on vinyl – and titles include "Blue Nile", "I Want To See You", "Sita Ram", "Oh Allah", "Andromeda's Suffering", "Lovely Sky Boat", and "Galaxy In Turiya". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record from Alice Coltrane – a swirling mix of spiritual jazz and themes from Indian music! Alice plays organ, Fender Rhodes, and harp – building the sound as the album progresses, from simple airy strings to an earthier groove that features vocal refrains in unison with the keyboards, chanting away, over and over, stretching to the heavens in a cosmic groove! Most of the other musicians are Indian musicians, and the record features a lot of variations on traditional Indian themes – including "Sivaya", "Ghana Nila", and "Bhaja Govindam" – plus the original tracks "Transcendence" and "Vrindavana Sanchara". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from Alice Coltrane – an album of incredible beauty that easily sits with the best of her classic early recordings for Impulse! The album's got a spare, contemplative quality, but it's also never sleepy – and instead steps forth with the tonal building and modal moving styles of classics albums like Ptah The El Daoud and Huntington Ashram Monastery. Most tracks feature a trio or quartet – with players that include Ravi Coltrane on saxes, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Charlie Haden on bass. Alice plays some great Wurlitzer organ on a few cuts – getting this really wonderful "flat" tone to the instrument, one that almost has the same spiritual undertones as a harmonium. The whole thing's great – far better than we could have expected – and titles include "Sita Ram", "Translinear Light", "This Train", "Blue Nile", "Triloka", and "Crescent". CD

Seminal 70s work from one of the most righteous jazz musicians ever! On this set, Alice Coltrane moves past the rawer spiritual sound of her Impulse albums – working with a more focused vision and an approach to jazz that takes her way past the identity of just being "Mrs Coltrane", into territory that's a more perfect expression of her spiritual vision. The approach calls for more ambitious orchestrations, yet never in a way that overwhelms the jazz basis of the music – and Alice herself is on Fender Rhodes, organ, and harp – working with players who include Fred Jackson and Hubert Laws on reeds, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, George Bohannon on trombone, Charlie Haden on bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Armando Peraza on congas. Titles include "Spiritual Eternal", "Om Supreme", "Morning Workshop", "Wisdom Eye", and "Los Caballos". CD

Swirling spiritual work from Alice Coltrane – an incredible trio album that features her heavily on harp, plus a bit of piano – in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! The sound is wonderful – lush, yet contemplative – in a personal style that really shows Alice beginning to express herself in new modes after the death of The Great One. The us of harp is especially incredible – handled here with a sense of majesty that really leaves us breathless, and which goes far beyond other use of that instrument in jazz. And even Alice's piano is surprisingly nice – with these mellow, earthy undertones that bubble at the bottom and ground the whole effort on earthly territory. Titles include "Turiya", "HIS", "Jaya Jaya Rama", and "Via Sivanadagar". CD

Spiritual sounds galore – an amazing 2-fer from Alice Coltrane! Huntington Ashram Monastery is powerful work from Alice Coltrane – an incredible trio album that features her heavily on harp, plus a bit of piano – in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Rashied Ali on drums! The sound is wonderful – lush, yet contemplative – in a personal style that really shows Alice beginning to express herself in new modes after the death of The Great One. The us of harp is especially incredible – handled here with a sense of majesty that really leaves us breathless, and which goes far beyond other use of that instrument in jazz. And even Alice's piano is surprisingly nice – with these mellow, earthy undertones that bubble at the bottom and ground the whole effort on earthly territory. Titles include "Turiya", "HIS", "Jaya Jaya Rama", and "Via Sivanadagar". World Galaxy is one of Alice Coltrane's most ambitious albums of the early years – recorded with a full set of heavenly orchestrations! The core group features Alice on piano, organ, and harp – alongside Frank Lowe on saxes, Reggie Workman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, and Ben Riley on drums. Added to this combo is a much larger set of strings – swirling around in a rich musical backdrop that gives Alice's work a sense of majesty and power we could have never imagined. This is the album that really showed the world that she was far far more than just the wife of the late great one – a true mystical visionary with a sound that demanded to be heard! Side 2 features a recitation by Alice's spiritual mentor, Swami Satchdiananda – and the album features a wonderful version of "My Favorite Things", done with both organ and harp, plus the tracks "Love Supreme", "Galaxy In Turiya", and "Galaxy In Satchidandana". CD

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Impulse album issued after the early death of John Coltrane – and one of his last sessions for the label as well! The record's got a somber, introspective quality that almost hints at the darkness to come – a new way of reaching the spiritual planes that Coltrane was striving for in his music, but with gentler, more individual energy than before. Alice Coltrane plays piano on all tracks, and Coltrane plays tenor throughout – except for the long track "To Be", which has him on flute and Pharaoh Sanders on piccolo! There's a quality here that's almost like some of Alice Coltrane's later work as a leader – very warm, and almost meditative at times. Titles include "To Be", "Offering", "Expression", and "Ogunde". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Impulse album issued after the early death of John Coltrane – and one of his last sessions for the label as well! The record's got a somber, introspective quality that almost hints at the darkness to come – a new way of reaching the spiritual planes that Coltrane was striving for in his music, but with gentler, more individual energy than before. Alice Coltrane plays piano on all tracks, and Coltrane plays tenor throughout – except for the long track "To Be", which has him on flute and Pharaoh Sanders on piccolo! There's a quality here that's almost like some of Alice Coltrane's later work as a leader – very warm, and almost meditative at times. Titles include "To Be", "Offering", "Expression", and "Ogunde". CD

The last concert ever played by the great John Coltrane – and, as with some of his other recordings from 1967, a record that really shows the Great One stepping out into some territory we would have loved him to explore more, had he not left our world too soon! The group here has tremendous tenor from Pharoah Sanders – alongside work from Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – joined by the more obscure Algie DeWitt, who plays bata drum on the session – alongside other percussion work that's been credited to Jumma Santos. The setting is the African Culture Center in New York, headed by percussionist Olatunji – which makes the added percussion even more important for the recording – and the set features a short introduction by Billy Taylor, and 2 long tracks: "Ogunde" and "My Favorite Things". CD

Unreleased gems from the great John Coltrane – one of those really special sessions that was recorded at a time when he was really pushing forward creatively, but never got issued because of a backlog of recordings! This set didn't see release until the 90s – and it provided a fantastic chapter for Coltrane fans, and still does now – as the great one blows beautifully in a quartet that includes Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums. The tracks are free – but not as free as work on a record like OM – more in the mode of Ali and Trane's work on the Interstellar Space LP, with this wonderful sense of flow and cohesion. Titles include "Jimmy's Mode", "Tranesonic", "Seraphic Light", "Sun Star", and "Iris". CD features a fair bit of extra material, compared to the vinyl version! CD

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! CD

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! LP, Vinyl record album

4CDs – and some of the most far-reaching work that Coltrane ever recorded! The package expands the much shorter 2LP set that once was the seminal Live In Japan recording – a late concert performance showcasing 'Trane at his most out, featuring Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders as well as Rashied Ali's propulsive drumming. Lengthy takes of "Leo" and "Peace on Earth" are spread out across very long takes – often running for well over 30 minutes – as 'Trane's ideas spill forth, continuously building momentum. One of the definitive statements of "energy-jazz", and a recording that has gone onto become one of Trane's most-hailed albums ever! Other titles include "Afro Blue", "Crescent", and one of the most "out" versions of "My Favorite Things" you'll ever hear! CD

Lost genius from the great John Coltrane – a never-issued set, but one that's attained legendary status over the years – thanks to its placement in the Impulse Records vaults! The performance is amazing – filled with soul and spirit, and so much searching that at one famous point in the concert, Coltrane actually puts down his tenor, walks to the microphone, and begins singing and chanting – really driving the rest of the group on with his energy. All tracks are long – and while things are as free as in some of the other important live documents of the time – like the Coltrane In Japan recordings – there's a really spiritual quality that unifies the whole thing – and keeps the music very much in the best Love Supreme mode. The group features Coltrane on soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Pharoah Sanders on tenor and piccolo, Alice Coltrane on piano, Sonny Johnson on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – and the group's joined by additional alto and percussion players too. Titles include a 26 minute reading of "Crescent", a 23 minute take on "My Favorite Things", and the tracks "Leo", "Offering", and "Naima". CD

The last concert ever played by the great John Coltrane – and, as with some of his other recordings from 1967, a record that really shows the Great One stepping out into some territory we would have loved him to explore more, had he not left our world too soon! The group here has tremendous tenor from Pharoah Sanders – alongside work from Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – joined by the more obscure Algie DeWitt, who plays bata drum on the session – alongside other percussion work that's been credited to Jumma Santos. The setting is the African Culture Center in New York, headed by percussionist Olatunji – which makes the added percussion even more important for the recording – and the set features a short introduction by Billy Taylor, and 2 long tracks: "Ogunde" and "My Favorite Things". CD

A 2 LP retrospective of some of the more spiritual exploratory sides 'Trane was cutting in the mid to late '60's for Impulse. A number of cuts feature the classic quartet with Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner & Elvin Jones, but a few feature some of the later lineups with Pharoah Sanders, Reggie Worman & Alice Coltrane. Tracks arte "Dear Lord", "Chasin the Trane", "Up 'Gainst the Wall", "Crescent", "Nature Boy", "Welcome", "Cosmos", "Dedicated to You", "Expression" & "Living Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60s, clearly opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky! Ashby not only plays her usual jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too – and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar – all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire generation of the Chicago scene! Titles include the amazing break "The Moving Finger" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Dust", "Joyful Grass & Grape", "Heaven & Hell", "Wax & Wane", "Shadow Shapes", "For Some When Young", "Myself When Young", and "Drink". LP, Vinyl record album

A really magical combination of sounds – the tenor of Tony Kofi and the harp of Alina Bzhezhinska – coming together here with a really strong sense of spiritual majesty! There's a sense of grace and pacing to the record that's wonderful – and Alina's approach to her instrument is nicely different from soulful predecessors, like Dorothy Ashby or Alice Coltrane – yet equally captivating as well, especially when grounded by the deep, rich tones that Kofi brings from his horn – blown in modes that take us back to some of the spiritual saxophone giants on Impulse records! And yet the pair aren't out here to just ape older modes – as there's a very thoughtful, very personal approach to the music – meditative, but never too much so to lose its groove – on titles that include "Tu Vides", "Tange", "Alteria Vita", "Anima", and "Tabula Rasa". CD

The time has definitely come for the Cosmic Groove Orchestra – a hip spiritual jazz combo, and one who makes amazing sounds on some really wonderful strings! The group clearly borrow inspiration from Alice Coltrane – as a jazz harp is their lead instrument, mixed beautifully with guitar lines, bass, and drums – all in a blend that has this beautifully meditative feel, while still hanging onto plenty of jazz – as Coltrane did during her best years on Impulse Records! The concept's never too high or haughty, and there's an understated feel to the record that reminds us of some of the best Nimbus Records sides at the end of the 70s – a spirit that's still burning bright, but with a mellow light that's totally compelling. Titles include a version of Coltrane's "Journey In Satchidananda", plus "Suite Cosmique (parts 1 & 2)", "You Know You Know", "Kanon", "Shelter", "Harp Song", and "Walzer Fur Ilse Proskauer". CD

Incredible modal sounds from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite contemporary jazz artists, and one whose vision just gets bolder and bolder with each new record! This completely sublime set has Halsall working tightly with reedman Nat Birchall – a frequent musical partner whose own records bristle with the same sort of spiritual energy – given some slight additional flavors here with extra flute, harp, and koto – used alongside the more familiar piano, bass, and drums that have always grounded the pair's work together. All tunes are original, and have this vibe that's perfect for the post-Coltrane spiritual jazz generation – but delivered in a way that's quite fresh, too – and not just a simple rehash of early 70s Impulse Records modes. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Sagano Bamboo Forest", "Tribute To Alice Coltrane", "When The World Was One", "Falling Water", and "Kiyomizu Dera". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool condensed version of the larger 4LP box set of work from the legendary Laraaji – a set that features passages from both his debut album and parts of six more extended tracks that were never issued at the time! That debut album is his legendary Celestial Vibrations – a beautifully trippy set of tracks from Edward Larry Gordon – an artist who's probably better known for his later Laraaji album recorded with Brian Eno, but one who sounds even better here on this debut set! The sound is very spiritual and meditative – long, drawn-out, side-long tracks that feature Gordon playing a weird, electrified zither – an instrument that's hardly the hokey, European-sounding one from mid-century – and instead a very tripped-out, abstracted one here – very spacey, with some great phase shifting employed in the studio, which creates an almost electronic pulse out of the acoustic instrumentation. The album features parts of two very long tracks – "All Pervading" and "Bethlehem" – done in a way that would make Alice Coltrane proud! Added to those cuts are parts of six other titles – all originally pressed only as acetates, and recorded around the same time – "Kalimba", "Ocean", "Koto", "Segue To Infinity", "Kalimba 2", and "Kalimba 4". LP, Vinyl record album

After the initial harp jazz experiments of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, it seemed as if the instrument had disappeared from jazz – but now, it's back, alive and well – thanks to the work of a new generation of musicians that includes Marysia Osu! Osu's got a style that's a bit more unconventional than some of her contemporaries – jazz-based, but also presented with a more overall sense of sonic creativity – one element in a palette of sounds that's usually comprised with relatively spare instrumentation, but delivered with this shimmeringly beautiful sound overall! The record maybe lies in a space between recent post-jazz experiments on the Brownswood label, and some of the spiritual currents of the LA scene in the hand of Carlos Nino – and other musicians on the record include Yuis on flutes, Tom Oldfield on cello, and drums by Matt Davies. Plumm sings on two tracks, and Osu also plays a bit of piano and clarinet – on titles that include "Care To Care", "Despite Being In Love", "Until Tomorrow Continues", "Dream Language", "Cascades", "Memento Mori", and "Melting Timbers". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and players on the set include Alice Coltrane on harp, Gary Bartz on alto, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a wonderful lineup that really holds tightly to the soaring, soulful energy that Tyner spins from his piano – a mode that's never too far out or avant, yet which stretches to the skies with a heavenly vision. The whole thing's wonderful – and tracks include "Message From The Nile", "The Wanderer", "Survival Blues", and "His Blessings". LP, Vinyl record album

That's the lovely Alice Coltrane on the cover – given some great treatment inside by author Ashley Khan, who literally wrote the book in Impulse Records! There's lots more too – a great piece on Sun Ra, a look at contemporary production of vinyl, record guru/label owner John Corbett, a talk with Alan Braufmann, and a look at the scene in Berlin! But most of all is the presentation – as this is more of a journal than a magazine – done in a book-style package that's like Wax Poetics – squarebound, beautifully printed, with lots of full color images throughout! Magazine

A set that looks at the surprisingly strong contribution to spiritual jazz from the Riverside Records label – a company best known for their late 50s/early 60s classics from Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and others – but one who also allowed enough artistic freedom for other artists on the label to really open some new doors! A lot of the work here is from the early 60s years of the label, and tunes have these modal currents that echo some of the rhythmic directions that were inspiring John Coltrane – followed by some later tracks that showcase the way that Riverside artists were really carving their own musical paths alongside work on other labels like Impulse and Blue Note. Titles include "The Crystal Ball" by Frank Strozier, "Ariscene" by Sal Nistico, "The Mode" by Sonny Red, "Turquoise" by Blue Mitchell, "Primitivo" by Cannonball Adderley, "New Delhi" by James Clay, "Bombastica" by Warner Rosengren Quintet, "Thumb Under" by Lee Konitz, "Sunrise In Mexico" by Clifford Jordan, "Valley Of Life" by McCoy Tyner, and "Earth" by Joe Henderson with Alice Coltrane. CD

A set that looks at the surprisingly strong contribution to spiritual jazz from the Riverside Records label – a company best known for their late 50s/early 60s classics from Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and others – but one who also allowed enough artistic freedom for other artists on the label to really open some new doors! A lot of the work here is from the early 60s years of the label, and tunes have these modal currents that echo some of the rhythmic directions that were inspiring John Coltrane – followed by some later tracks that showcase the way that Riverside artists were really carving their own musical paths alongside work on other labels like Impulse and Blue Note. Titles include "The Crystal Ball" by Frank Strozier, "Ariscene" by Sal Nistico, "The Mode" by Sonny Red, "Turquoise" by Blue Mitchell, "Primitivo" by Cannonball Adderley, "New Delhi" by James Clay, "Bombastica" by Warner Rosengren Quintet, "Thumb Under" by Lee Konitz, "Sunrise In Mexico" by Clifford Jordan, "Valley Of Life" by McCoy Tyner, and "Earth" by Joe Henderson with Alice Coltrane. LP, Vinyl record album