Alice Coltrane – Om Rama
Alice Coltrane – Rama Rama
Alice Coltrane – Er Ra

For the better part of the past decade, I’ve always been curious about the very rare cassette recordings of devotional music that Alice Coltrane recorded in the 1980s and 1990s. Though I’d been a fan of her music many years prior, it was only around the time I moved to LA that I heard about these recordings. Further, I had no idea that the place where she worshipped and gave spiritual counsel was still in operation and less than an hour’s drive from LA proper. Thankfully, the good folks at Luaka Bop have put together this compilation to make these recordings more well known than they had previously been.

While the sound of these recordings fits within some of the recorded material Coltrane had become well-known for in the 1970s, it also stands apart and on it’s own as a singular artistic achievement. There is an obvious influence, particularly in the use of Vedic chants, with spiritual music associated with parts of India, but Coltrane also incorporates aspects of her Jazz, Blues and Gospel heritage, to produce this unique sound.

Joining Coltrane on these recordings are members of her spiritual community. On Sunday, August 27th, Alice Coltrane’s 80th birthday, I had the extremely good fortune to attend what was described as a “Appearance Day Observance” at the Sai Anantam Ashram. As with the Eclipse at the beginning of last week, I feel at a loss for words to describe how beautiful the entire experience was. I’ve attempted to describe everything I saw, but running down everything that I saw and experienced seemed to not do the moment it’s full majesty. As a religious service, it was one of the most spiritual events I’ve ever witnessed. What was most clear was the genuine and deep affection members of the Ashram had for Coltrane, or Turiyasangitananda as she was more often called in the company of these people during her later years. For this service, or what they described as an “Appearance Day Observance,” to celebrate Coltrane’s birth, several members of the Ashram spoke about her influence in their lives, from the kindness she had shown them, to even larger moments of spiritual rebirth/reflection that she guided them through. One of the members even performed a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” changing the lyrics to fit Coltrane and the Ashram’s community.

Shortly after that, a man began to play out a number of melodies on a keyboard/synthesizer, melodies which I now recognize because of the music on this collection. The members of the Ashram were not separated, nor were they given a privileged space, from the other people who did not directly belong to it, but had come to celebrate Coltrane’s life and music. As such, people scattered throughout the room would have additional instruments to play, several types of drums, flutes, tambourines, shakers, etc.

In contrast to most worship services I have attended, where the musicians/choir are seated/standing together separate from the congregation, the members of the Ashram were dispersed and as such, instead of being in contrast and separate to everyone else, they blended in, giving the effect that there were even more voices singing. The musical part of the service went on, non-stop, for over two entire hours. It was just too much for a few people, quite a number of which left well before the music ended. The keyboardist also played around with people’s expectations, because every time it seemed like a song was going to end, he would suddenly shift tempos, and a new song would begin. These false endings must have happened 7 or 8 times, and each time we would lose a few more stragglers. In some ways I felt like the length of the performance was a weeding out process to see who was really serious about celebrating this woman’s life. Sitting through every single moment of each song was an extraordinary experience.

The man playing the piano, once he finally finished, having played non stop for over two hours, knelt in prayer besides one of the pictures of Alice Coltrane. I heard him mention something to the effect of, “Thank you for letting me be your son,” though I didn’t recognize him as any of the sons she had had with John Coltrane. It’s possible that when he said that he meant it in a different way, but the emotion of the moment was overwhelming for him as he quite literally leaned on the shoulder of one of the other Ashram members and began to weep deeply.

I found the experience also deeply emotional and would highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Los Angeles area on a Sunday (services are generally at 1pm). I’m not sure if the Ashram, and the surrounding area, are still up for sale, or will be sold in the near future, but for the time being, it fills my heart with great joy that every Sunday, the people who loved her and knew her best most. The music on this collection is a testament to that love and devotion, A True Love Supreme.

People should also take note that there will be a performance of much of this music on October 29th, as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Music Festival here in Los Angeles.

Charles Mingus – Eclipse
CHarles Mingus – Half Mast Inhibition
Charles Mingus – Prayer For Passive Resistance

I swear I’d shared this Mingus record before, but search as I might, it seems I haven’t. This was originally released as “Pre-Bird Mingus” and there’s another Limelight pressing of “Revisited,” but this is the one to search for. As with the Rahsaan record shared earlier in the month, this was part of this exceptionally beautifully crafted Limelight series, each unique in their own ways. There’s no doubt why this album has been on my mind of late, and that’s because of the Solar Eclipse that is arriving here in the U.S. on my birthday! “Eclipse,” like the celestial event it is named for, is a rare vocal tune written by Mingus, and sung hauntingly by Lorraine Cousins.

Eclipse – Written By Charles Mingus

Eclipse, when the Moon meets the Sun,
Eclipse, these bodies become as one,
People all around, eyes look up and frown,
For it’s a sight they seldom see,
Some look through smoked glasses, hiding their eyes,
Others think it’s tragic, staring as dark returns,
But the Sun doesn’t care,
And the Moon knows no fear,
Destiny’s making the choice,

Eclipse, the Moon has met the Sun,
Eclipse, two loves, Sad Child, as One,

But the Sun doesn’t care,
And the Moon knows no fear,
For Destiny’s making the choice,

Eclipse, the Moon has met the Sun,
Eclipse, two loves are joined as one.

Though most of the album finds Mingus squarely within his “Duke Ellington Gone Insane” style, it does also feature are fairly rare step towards “Classical Art Music,” with “Half-Mast Inhibition,” where Mingus makes great use of one of his largest recorded ensembles, a 20+ group, including Eric Doplphy, Booker Ervin and Yusef Lateef.

As this was recorded in 1960, it also features one of Mingus’ earliest protest songs connected to the struggle for Civil Rights, “Prayer for Passive Resistance.” Musically, this stands as one of the most interesting dates in Mingus’ discography, visually it is a rare treat indeed, especially with all the different portraits of Mingus, in his various moods.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Walk On By
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Raouf
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Safari
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Ebrauqs

As is our custom here on Melting Pot, on this day, August 7th, we always pay tribute to our patron saint, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, on what would have been his 82nd birthday. Slightly Latin is a record that I picked up earlier in the year, during a lightning quick stop at Montebello’s Record Jungle. The title clearly references the use of latin colors and flavors, particularly through the use of percussionists Montego Joe and Manuel Ramos.

Many moons ago, I used to own this music as part of the Complete Mercury Recordings collection. I’d never seen the original vinyl release until I happened upon it at the Jungle. As you can tell, this was part of Limelight’s exquisitely designed series of albums in the mid-1960s, in this case by Daniel Czubak. I’m not sure there are more lovelier designed albums than this series. At least three of Kirk’s albums are featured in it (I Talk With The Spirits and perhaps my favorite from this era, Rip, Rig & Panic) and each one is unique and beautiful in it’s own way. This one was not only designed by Czubak, but also features his very evocative photography, all featured below.

Of course, the real draw is the music, and as always Rahsaan doesn’t disappoint. One of the things I most appreciate about Rahsaan’s work is how he plays around with conventions, especially on popular tunes. Right from the start of “Walk On By,” you know this isn’t going to be the usual treatment as you get this big booming horn sound, that to my ears sounds like Rahsaan doubling his Baritone sax (though he most solos on tenor in the song) with trombonist Garnett Brown. There are few players who could have blown that strong and that long without the use of either additional players or overdubs, but with his circular breathing technique, Rahsaan extends that note for what seems like an eternity. The song is also frequently punctuated by Rahsaanisms such as “Yes, Walk It! Walk It!” and “Strut! Strut!”

“Raouf,” features some largely wordless singing (well, wordless, aside from the title being repeated many times) and, according to the liner notes quoting Rahsaan, was named for a woman who, “had an American name, but she got on the bandwagon with this new African thing, letting her hair grow out natural and changing her name, which used to be Ruth.”

“Safari,” perhaps the standout of the album, was composed by Rahsaan’s bassist for this session, Eddie Mathias. The tune features studio guests on all manner of whistles, flutes and bells, a mainstay of Kirk’s live performances. While “Safari” might be my favorite track on the album, “Ebrauqs” is a really interesting one. It’s without a doubt the most “out” piece on this record, which is interesting given that the title in reverse is “almost Square” (I suppose technically it’s “Squarbe” but when you think about it “Squarbe” IS almost the same as “Square,” just with an additional letter). Rahsaan was often interested in breaking through to “Squares” and breaking “Squares” out of their self-imposed conventional boxes. Perhaps more than any other musician of the 1960s/1970s Rahsaan was able to expertly bridge the gaps between the popular and the avant-garde, and part of what Slightly Latin shows is how he could make “out” sounds more “in” and make “in” sounds more “out,” making it possible to bring everyone together for all the beautiful bright moments Music allows us.

Bright Moments…