Journey in Satchidananda [Import, Original recording remastered]

Alice Coltrane | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 23, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Universal
• ASIN: B0002T1ZXA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #921,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Journey in Satchidananda

2. Shiva-Loka

3. Stopover Bombay

4. Something About John Coltrane

5. Isis and Osiris [Live] [Live]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alice Coltrane's masterpiece., November 7, 2005

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey in Satchidananda (Audio CD)

Perhaps the best album Alice Coltrane recorded, "Journey in Satchidananda" is one of those records where everything comes together-- Alice Coltrane took her late husband's final bands and their spiritual sounds and eschewed the frantic extended improvisations in favor of a more tame and subtle spiritual groove. The results here are stunning.

The majority of the album is made of from a studio session recorded in November of 1970-- Coltrane, heard on harp and piano, is joined by Pharoah Sanders (heard exclusively on soprano sax), Tulsi (playing tamboura, an Indian droning instrument), Cecil McBee (bass), Rashied Ali (drums) and Majid Shabazz (percussion). The pieces are all set up in a deep spiritual groove by the rhythm section (particularly McBee, who really finds a pocket throughout), with an air added to the pieces by the presence of the tamboura. Coltrane's framing, on either piano or harp, is lovely, reminiscent of her works with John Coltrane, and her harp playing has evolved greatly even since "A Monastic Trio" (1968) to become very unique and exciting. Sanders, for his part, solos lyrically and rather restrained, and is far more melodic than he often was at that time. It's difficult to discuss highlights-- the whole thing is utterly superb.

The closing track is a less performance from July of the same year, with Coltrane on harp joined by Sanders (again on soprano) and Ali again, but also joined by Vishnu Wood (on oud) and Charlie Haden (on bass). The sound is remarkably different, with Wood providing the driving rhythmic figures and Sanders soloing even more delicately then he does on the studio track, and it makes for a fitting coda for the record.

I can't really recommend this album enough, it is one of the great spiritual jazz records. It belongs in the collection of anyone interested in this sort of music.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great treasure and a rare experience, February 24, 2000

By 

macfawlty "macfawlty" (potomac, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey in Satchidananda (Audio CD)

I came to this record rather late in my collecting as I never came across it on LP even though I have most all of the other Alice Coltrane titles on LP. When it came out on CD it was such a great pleasure to experience the blend of eastern influence with beautiful harp playing by Alice and tremendous work of Pharoah Sanders. Definitely Pharoah at his BEST! This is truly the best Alice Coltrane CD and is very well complimented by Ptah El Daoud which I just purchased last week. If you listen to them both long enough, you will ascend to heaven.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Light has NOT gone out!, January 15, 2007

By 

Louis Alemayehu "mr. jones" (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey in Satchidananda (Audio CD)

Alice Coltrane, made her transition a few days ago... My son, an emerging jazz singer/musician, on the cusp of a career, called from NYC feeling down. I must admit that I hadn't taken time to sit with this news really until now as I listen to Journey to Satchidananda, the title song of the CD along with Something About John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders blowing and breathing vivid rivers of sound through his soprano saxophone. Yes, fervent prayers on saxophone, harp, piano, bass, bells, drum, oud and tambourine!

Memories rush back to being my son's age when this came out. This was the music that kept me engaged in life during a cruel and turbulent time: The decline of the civil rights movement, the murders of Malcolm, Martin, Bobby, the Viet Nam War, Kent and Jackson State etc, etc... our High Tech Dark Age. Today we live with much more of the same with real psychopaths in high places. During that time this was some of the music that kept the lights on for me.

It was Albert Ayer who articulated, "Music is the Healing Force of the Universe." Alice knew this and lived this and touched millions of lives and will touch millions more yet to be born. Through her expansive all embracing sound, she showed us a way to be in the world. Her sound was the sound of LOVE. She wed blues, jazz, spirituals and classical musics with the Vedic traditions. There are ways that she saw the universal truths within many religious & spiritual traditions and could channel that back to us as unified whole in a shimmering sound-scape. India, Africa, Asia, Europe, Jerusalem, Mecca, Harlem-NYC, California... "Be the change you want to see in the world." Journey to Satchidananda was an exquisite example of channeling wisdom & healing through those sacred sounds we call music, pure music. This spirit never dies. This music will always be in my ears. Thank you dear Alice for music as perfect as the center point of silence.