On May 16, Carnegie Hall became a temple of sound for COSMIC MUSIC: The Celestial Songs of Alice Coltrane, a one-night-only celebration honoring the spiritual and musical legacy of one of jazz’s most transcendent voices. The evening marked a historic first: Alice Coltrane’s son Ravi Coltrane, daughter Michelle Coltrane, and grandnephew Flying Lotus performed together for the very first time, joined by an ensemble of world-class musicians and vocalists.
At the heart of the performance were Ravi Coltrane on saxophone and Brandee Younger on harp—whose chemistry and command guided the flow of the evening. Younger, playing Alice’s recently restored harp originally gifted by John Coltrane in 1967, added shimmering layers of beauty and reverence to every piece. Her performance was a deeply emotional bridge to Alice’s original recordings, especially on selections from Journey in Satchidananda, where her harp work echoed and reimagined Alice’s sound with grace and authenticity.
Presented by Absolutely Live Entertainment, the concert capped off The Year of Alice—a yearlong celebration of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s visionary work as a composer, bandleader, and spiritual guide. It also paid tribute to her deep history at Carnegie Hall, where she performed seven times during her career. The concert’s title was a nod to her 1968 Cosmic Music performance at the same venue.
The first half of the program featured Ravi Coltrane’s group—Younger, pianist David Virelles, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, and bassist Robert Hurst—performing material from Alice’s post-Coltrane era, a remarkably creative period that produced some of her most potent work. Flying Lotus followed with an immersive set of experimental soundscapes, bringing a modern, electronic lens to the Coltrane legacy.
In the second half, the group returned with a full chamber orchestra to premiere brand-new orchestrations by Mike McGinnis, created in collaboration with Ravi. Inspired by Alice’s classical influences—Debussy, Stravinsky, and her own orchestral ambitions—these lush arrangements brought new life to compositions like Andromeda’s Suffering, Galaxy in Turiya, Galaxy Around Olodumare, and Galaxy in Satchidananda.
The evening concluded with a deeply spiritual set by the Sai Anantam Devotional Ensemble, led by Michelle Coltrane, performing sacred chants and devotional pieces from Alice’s later years. The ensemble delivered stirring renditions of Raghu Pati Raghava Raja Ram, Om Shanti Om Shanti, Universe, and closed the night with the transcendent Spiritual Eternal.
With Brandee Younger’s harp as a guiding light and Ravi Coltrane’s saxophone carrying the ancestral flame, COSMIC MUSIC was more than a tribute—it was a living testament. A celebration of Alice Coltrane’s cosmic vision, her family’s continued artistry, and her timeless message of spiritual elevation through sound.
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