In a long-awaited, timely, and historically grand gesture, spiritual leader, composer, and musician Alice Coltrane is being honored with 2024–2025 being declared “The Year of Alice.” Her family and estate, alongside partners such as Impulse! Records, Detroit Jazz Festival, Hammer Museum, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and the New York Historical Society have combined their resources and influence to uplift the memory and legacy of the spirit and contributions of Alice Cotrane, also known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda and simply Turiya, for her impact in forging a path that altered the course of musical history.
As a trailblazer, she created works that radiated universal love and spirituality. Her prolific career includes iconic albums such as “Journey in Satchidananda” and “A Monastic Trio,” each contributing to her legacy as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz.
Beyond her musical achievements, Alice Coltrane was a beloved spiritual leader, a savvy businesswoman, and a compassionate humanitarian. Her emphasis on charitable giving, education, and spiritual guidance added depth to her legacy.
“We are honored and delighted to offer insight into the legacy of my mother…Alice, Turiya Coltrane,” said Michelle Coltrane, her daughter. “My mother engaged herself in the spiritual process known as God-realization. Her life on Earth consolidated artistic expression, spiritual principles, and charitable giving. She emphasized selfless service that uplifted the giver as well as recipients of the giving. She understood well the relevance of all life in terms of universal consciousness.”
Her younger brother, Ravi, said, “Alice was ahead of her time—one of the first people to move outside the mainstream, and certainly one of the first female, black, American jazz musicians to record her own music in her own studio, and to release music on her own terms. There is something to be said about timing. It can take a moment for people to recognize where the energies are, where the weight is…But now people across all generations are finding their way to Alice’s music in a myriad of different ways. It’s hard to pinpoint what makes her music so powerful, but there’s something in her spirit, in her intention that is very clear—and people can feel that immediately.”
To kick off The Year of Alice, Impulse! Records is set to release “Alice Coltrane—The Carnegie Hall Concert” on March 22. This performance from 1971 features an ensemble including Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Jimmy Garrison, Cecil McBee, and Ed Blackwell. Later in June, UMe/Verve will re-release her first solo album, “A Monastic Trio,” originally recorded in 1968. A third Impulse! release is also slated for the holiday season.
Programming also set to take place this year includes “An Oral History of Alice Coltrane,” a unique program led by Michelle Coltrane and harpist Brandee Younger. This initiative combines panel discussions, performances, and oral histories to bring the extraordinary life of Alice Coltrane to universities, colleges, and museums across the country. The program will unfold at institutions like the Center for Women’s History at the New York Historical Society, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Oberlin College, University of Michigan, and more.
In early 2025, the Hammer Museum at UCLA will host an Alice Coltrane-inspired exhibit, spanning 10,000 square feet. This multimedia showcase will feature architectural installations and works from new artists inspired by Coltrane’s creative legacy.
In 1967, John Coltrane gave Alice a harp that became the instrument on which she recorded seminal works. Lyon & Healy, a Chicago-based instrument manufacturer, is restoring this historic harp to its peak condition. After the restoration, the harp will be on loan to Brandee Younger, who will use it in special performances throughout the year.
Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles, three cities pivotal to Alice Coltrane’s life, will host large-scale concerts curated by Ravi Coltrane in 2024 and 2025. The Detroit Jazz Festival will kick off the celebrations on Labor Day weekend, featuring a world premiere performance. In addition, Alonzo King LINES Ballet of San Francisco will present two world premiere dance works inspired by Alice Coltrane’s music during the 2024–2025 season.
For the first time, the John & Alice Coltrane Home will present community programming in Brooklyn, N.Y. This initiative includes lectures, performances, and more at ShapeShifter Plus, in partnership with the School for Improvisational Music. The series will commence with a listening party and conversation with Ravi Coltrane and Reggie Workman about Alice Coltrane’s album “Transfiguration.”
To complement the musical celebrations, plans are underway to re-release Alice Coltrane-Turiyasangitananda’s 1977 devotional text and autobiography, “Monument Eternal.” A previously unreleased devotional literary work by Coltrane entitled “Endless Wisdom III” will be unveiled during The Year of Alice.
As The Year Of Alice unfolds, it promises to be filled with previously unreleased treasures, insightful discussions, mesmerizing performances, and captivating exhibits. This celebration invites music enthusiasts, art aficionados, and spiritual seekers to join in commemorating the life and legacy of an extraordinary artist.
This article originally appeared in the Amsterdam News.
The Year of Alice: Celebrating the life and legacy of Alice Coltrane
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