Review: In 1971, the harpist, pianist and ultimately multi-instrumentalist jazz musician Alice Coltrane performed at the Carnegie Hall for a special gala benefiting the Integral Yoga Institute. Backed by an all-star group of musicians, Coltrane delivered a captivating set which will now be available in its entirety on vinyl for the first time. The Carnegie Hall Concert, now out on Verve, documents one of the defining moments of Coltrane's career, taking place not long after the immediate positive reception to the release of her spotlit Journey In Satchidananda LP. The concert, which spans both recognisable and unique compositions by Coltrane, ultimately conveyed a uniquely Eastern edge lent to Western spiritual jazz, and came as the first dedicated concert to be themed after the lessons gleaned from recognition of the Hindu god and enlightened state, Satchidananda; it enlisted the aid of two of her closest friends in the circle she'd joined during a formative trip to India that year, Kumar Kramer and Tulsi Reynolds.
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