.jpg/200px-A_Monastic_Trio_(Alice_Coltrane).jpg)
Sad to hear the news. This fall my friend Sam and I decided, last minute, to attend what turns out to be one of her last concerts (Ann Arbor ,(September 23, John Coltrane's birthday). We scrambled to get a ride to A2 with friends since neither of us had a car, and, literally, we--kindly driven by friends Brad and Becky. I am especially thinking of Brad today who loved Alice so much--arrived at Hill Auditorium with a minute to spare. It was a lovely, uplifting concert, unsurprisingly. She played with her son Ravi, Charlie Hayden, and Roy Haynes, which was really a special treat. Not to be cyncial, but there were moments when the spiritual uplift got a bit treacly, and the short movie tribute of John Coltrane's life was bizarre, hagiographic. But... it was also filled with amazing, beautiful moments. Leaving the concert, I saw so any people I knew (or recognized) standing in the rain outside Hill Auditorium chatting, smiling, looking and feeling happy. It's interesting to realize that you shared that last musical moment with a community of Alice Coltrane devotees.
2 comments:
Damn! All I had seen so far today were the Michael Brecker obits. Universal Consciousness is still a great, great album, navigating all the new age pitfalls without a trip.
I know, isn't it sad? I swear, I feel so weird that I got to see one of her last shows. I swear, something made me go. Well, I guess it was just my desire to see her, but it feels so meaningful now. Plus, the chance to see Roy Haynes and Charlie Hayden? There was a segment where just the three of them (minus son Ravi) played this beautiful peice. The way they paid attention and rsponded to one other was so cool to watch--what I love the most about live jazz performances.
She did fall into the "new age pitfalls" as you say, at certain moments in the concert, tho I think most of her work manages to, as you say, navigate them. I'm listening to Journey in Satchidananda right now......
Post a Comment