ALICE COLTRANE MINT 1977 PROMO 'TRANCENDENCE'
UPLIFTING WORLD MUSIC & FREE IMPROV JAZZ!
PRIVATECOL48 NOW SHIPS AROUND THE GLOBE VIA eBay's INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.
EVERY DISK IS PRE-PACKAGED IN AN 'INVEST IN VINYL' OUTER SLEEVE. PROFESSIONALLY PACKAGED AND SHIPPED USING VALUE MAILERS' CARDBOARD LINERS AND RECORD MAILERS.

Transcendence Review by Thom Jurek

Courtesy of All Music.com

Like her other recordings from the Warner Bros. period, Transcendence, is a late album created from various musical notions Alice Coltrane was exploring, rather than conceived as a whole as her Impulse material was. These eight tracks are all based in Indian themes. As such, the instrumentation varies widely across the album, ranging from Ms. Coltrane playing her harp with a string quartet on the stunningly beautiful "Radhe-Shyam" and the title track, to her playing organ and/or Fender Rhodes piano with large groups of Indian musicians (some of whom sing), such as on "Sivaya" or "Ghana Nila." The upshot is that the vision on display here is not so much a grand musical one as it is an intensely focused spiritual one, based upon a sacred Vedic text. As such, it makes for a challenging but thoroughly engaging listen, wherein moods, modes, ambiences, and densities are offered as meditative spaces for the listener -- check out the gentle yet blessed-out joy in "Vrindavana Sanchara," a solo track where Coltrane plays harp, tamboura, wind chimes, and a tambourine. As such it sets up the title track, which is more complex and more angular, yet still somehow has no edges, where the string quartet returns and creates a series of subtle modes where tonal expressions are held against and pulled through a cadence of minor and diminished seventh articulations built upon a harmonic figure of eights. The effect leaves dissonance as mere sense impression and offers instead a vertigo effect of moving deeper and deeper into something that cannot be identified. On "Ghana Nila," Coltrane and her Indian counterparts get downright funky in chanting the names of the Lord. Using a Fender Rhodes, Coltrane creates a Southern gospel groove with Eastern modalities, and she and a chorus begin chanting in a cadence that suggests a Pentecostal Church meeting the Krishna dharma. This track -- and the others that feature this lineup -- keeps the experience of the transcendent rooted in common communal experience, as if singing and playing to God with a shimmering, funky groove for accompaniment it were the most natural thing in the world. Ever-forward, brave, and truly visionary, Transcendence is another chapter in a body of work by Ms. Coltrane that was not generally understood until the 21st century, where it received the acclaim it so richly deserved. as time passes, it may actually be instructive to a new generation of musicians and listeners -- a love supreme indeed.

Alice Coltrane – Transcendence

More images

Label: Warner Bros. Records – BS 3077 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Los Angeles Pressing Country: US Released: 1977 Genre: Jazz, Folk, World, & Country Style: Fusion, Religious, Free Improvisation

Tracklist

Hide Credits A1 Radhe-Shyam Viola – Pamela Goldsmith Violin – David Montagu, Fred Seykora* Violin [First] – Murray Adler Violin [Second] – Jay Rosen Viola – Pamela Goldsmith Violin – David Montagu, Fred Seykora* Violin [First] – Murray Adler Violin [Second] – Jay Rosen 7:22 A2 Vrindavana Sanchara 4:03 A3 Transcendence Viola – Pamela Goldsmith Violin – David Montagu, Fred Seykora* Violin [First] – Murray Adler Violin [Second] – Jay Rosen Viola – Pamela Goldsmith Violin – David Montagu, Fred Seykora* Violin [First] – Murray Adler Violin [Second] – Jay Rosen 5:56 B1 Sivaya Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Purushattama Hickson, Saiheshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Saiheshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa Vocals – Mahashakti Williams*, Sarada Devi King* Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Purushattama Hickson, Saiheshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Saiheshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa Vocals – Mahashakti Williams*, Sarada Devi King* 4:48 B2 Ghana Nila Backing Vocals – Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Mukunda Dasa Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa Tambourine – Purushattama Hickson Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Mahashakti Williams* Backing Vocals – Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Mukunda Dasa Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa Tambourine – Purushattama Hickson Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Mahashakti Williams* 6:26 B3 Bhaja Govindam Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mahashakti Williams*, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mahashakti Williams*, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa, Mukunda Dasa Vocals – Sarada Devi King* Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mahashakti Williams*, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Dasa, Mahashakti Williams*, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa, Mukunda Dasa Vocals – Sarada Devi King* 4:33 B4 Sri Nrsimha Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Das*, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Das*, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa, Mukunda Dasa Vocals – Mahashakti Williams* Backing Vocals – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Das*, Mangalananda Dasa, Mukunda Dasa, Purushattama Hickson, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Handclaps [Hand Percussion] – Brahmajyoti Lee, Chitsukhananda, Christine Soricelli, Dharmadhyaksa Das*, Mangalananda Dasa, Rasangi Dasi, Saieshwar Roberts, Sarada Devi King*, Shankari Adams, Sita Coltrane Instruments [Karatales] – Purushattama Hickson Mridangam – Jagajivana Dasa, Mukunda Dasa Vocals – Mahashakti Williams* 4:55

Companies, etc.

• Produced For – Village Producers, Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Los Angeles
• Published By – Jowcol Music
• Recorded At – The Village Recorder
• Recorded At – The Burbank Studios
• Mixed At – The Village Recorder
• Mastered At – Kendun Recorders

Credits

• Arranged By, Adapted By – Alice Coltrane (tracks: B1-B4)
• Art Direction – John Cabalka
• Artwork [Airbrush Illustration] – Charlie Wild
• Design – Louise Spencer
• Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Alice Coltrane (tracks: B2)
• Engineer – Baker Bigsby
• Engineer [Assistant] – Barbara Issak, Baxter Fillmore, Gilmar Fortis, John Jainos, Peter Knapp, Tim Green, Wendi Bluth
• Harp – Alice Coltrane (tracks: A1 to A3)
• Mastered By – Geoff Sykes
• Organ – Alice Coltrane (tracks: B1 to B4)
• Photography By – Gary Heery
• Producer – Ed Michel
• Recording Supervisor – Alice Coltrane
• Tambourine – Alice Coltrane (tracks: A2)
• Tambura – Alice Coltrane (tracks: A2)
• Wind Chimes – Alice Coltrane (tracks: A2)
• Written-By – Alice Coltrane (tracks: A1-A3)

Notes

Recorded at the Village Recorder, Los Angeles (Side A) and the Burbank Studios, Burbank (Side Two). Mixed at the Village Recorder, West Los Angeles. Mastered at Kendun Recorders, Burbank.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Side A runout): BS-1-3077-LW5 KENDUN A
• Matrix / Runout (Side B runout): BS-2-3077-LW3 2 KENDUN A
• Rights Society: BMI