Alice Coltrane Plays the Blues: Turiya and Ramakrishna

Alice Coltrane, much like John Coltrane, went toward avant garde and "Eastern" religious and spiritual influences in her music. Taken from Ptah, the El Daoud, an excellent release from 1970, "Turiya and Ramakrishna" captures Coltrane encapsulating the spirit of the blues in her approach to jazz piano. She seamlessly fuses her blues-drenched tone poem with avant garde and "Eastern" influences to exemplify the soul of jazz, paying homage to one's roots while taking future routes to new lands. The basic blues form, which builds the foundation for the composition, the light swing and additional percussion, and Coltrane's stunning solo glides across the keyboard. Her style actually bears some commonalities with McCoy Tyner, who played with John Coltrane prior to Alice, though without the penchant for block chords. Ron Carter, the bassist, gets in on the fun, too, showing his keen attention to melody and grace per usual.