Hinduism and Jazz

HINDUISM AND ITS INFLUENCE ON JAZZ
Alice Coltrane

Jazz harpist, pianist, organist, composer, arranger, Alice Coltrane, was heavily influenced by Hinduism. Her music reflects not only the influence of her former husband, jazz great John Coltrane, but also her fascination with this Indian religion.
Listen carefully to her music and you will almost always hear the kanjari or tambourine and bells in the background. These instruments are used at a Hindu puja. As you listen to Coltrane’s music you feel like you are at a puja with saxophones added.
Turiya and Ramakrishna from the Ptah, The El Daoud album has this Indian undertone to it. You can hear the sitar, a North Indian string instrument. An Indian or one familiar with Indian classical music can make the connection between Indian classical music and Alice Coltrane’s music. Indian classical music has a calming sound and Coltrane incorporates this soothing sound in her music. While the saxophone may be sporadic and wild, there is a soothing, rhythmic sound in the background.
In one piece, Alice chants Krishna Rama over and over again. You hear the tubla, an Indian drum, in background. It is a spiritual and peaceful experience; you almost feel like you are at a temple. Every now and then there are spurts of saxophone and the flute. The flute is a spiritually significant because one Hindu God, Krishna, plays this instrument. Every few seconds you hear the triangle and this adds more spirituality to the music. At the end of the piece you hear water and birds in the background and feel like you are at the beach.
You feel a sense of peace and relaxation at a Hindu puja and Coltrane’s music gives you the same type of feeling. Her music is spiritual and soft. Just close your eyes, listen to her music and let it transport you to another level.

LINKS FOR MORE ALICE COLTRANE

More on Alice

Biography

A Love Supreme: Ian's Guide to the Ecstatic Spirit in Jazz

Select Discography

LISTEN TO SOME OF ALICE'S MUSIC

Journey In Satchidananda

EXAMPLES OF SONGS THAT HAVE HINDU INFLUENCE

Mantra: Listen carefully and you can hear the tambourine used at puja in the background.
Journey in Satchindananda: The sitar, drums, and saxophones are used in this piece.
Shiva-Loka: The name of this song itself is Hindu. Shiva, also known as the destroyer is the name of a Hindu God. This piece uses the sitar and sounds very similar to classical Indian music.
Stopover Bombay: This song is very lively and uses the piano, tambourine, and saxophone. It sounds like a Hindu puja is going on in the background.

WHERE IS ALICE NOW?

She was a devotee of Swami Satchidananda, and eventually adopted the Hindu name of Turiya. In 1975 she formed the Vedanta Center in California as a center for her spiritual activities. In her spiritual life she is now a devotee of the living Hindu saint Satya Sai Baba, and goes by the name Swamini Turiyasangitananda. In the 1980s and 1990s she made a number of recordings of devotional music that are not very widely distributed, but are now listed here.

INTERVIEW WITH ALICE COLTRANE

Radio Show - WABQ in Cleveland, OH
August 5, 1990 3:40 am
On the Path to Devotion

Alice Coltrane also known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda, and Swami Krishnapad talk about their ashram and what they believe in. Alice Coltrane formed the Vedanta Center in California. When asked what the organization is doing to help the problem of segregation of children and parents, Alice Coltrane said her ashram focuses on teaching the importance of family unity. She believes that family should be a unit and families should consider themselves one whole. Parents should be an example for their children.
Swami Krishnapad was asked if he believed in Jesus. He said YES; God comes in different forms. There are many great teachers and Jesus was one. His teachings are of the father who sent him. We all have same father, Jesus is a Son of God and he came to help us be proper sons. He taught us how to be in harmony with the father. God is love and those who live in God, live in love. He says that he appreciates that Jesus has come because he has helped mankind serve God. God is not for one particular religious group. The kingdom of God is one.
When asked how Alice Coltrane feels about Jesus she said the following: Jesus was an avatar and incarnation of God. He was a prophet of God, but NOT God. He knew that he was the Son of God. All persons can one day rise to the status of Christ and also be prophets.
The radio personality asked why God has many names and what does Krishna mean. Swami Krishnapad responded by saying God has many names but there is only one God. The name Krishna emphasizes knowledge, pleasure, and happiness. He continued by saying that when people practice sense gratification, they are performing idol worship. One should not worship idols. Alice has shown us that you can renounce sense gratification and material goods and uplift to consciousness
For more information about this interview contact:
Institute of Spiritual Technology
PO Box 76451
Capitol Hill, Washington DC
20013

John Coltrane

John Coltrane was heavily influenced by drugs and alcohol in the late 1950's and Eastern religions in the early 1960's. In 1956, Miles Davis fired him from the group due to Coltrane's substance abuse problem. At that point John Coltrane had a "spiritual awakening" and stopped drinking and doing drugs. Fortunately for Coltrane, Miles Davis hired him back in 1957.
Although Coltrane was raised as a Christian, he studied both Hinduism and Islam. He had a thirst for knowledge and also studied other subjects such as yoga and meditation. After his "spiritual awakening", he recorded the album, "A Love Supreme" in 1964 as an expression of gratitude. His music became increasingly religious, focusing on spiritual concepts from Africa and Asia as well as western Christianity.
During his seven-year search for religious truth and beauty, Coltrane played more and more non-Western music. He preferred a sound characteristic of either traditional West African or Indian. "The Love Supreme" is influenced by the mantra, a Hindu meditation technique. In Part, Acknowledgement, he chants "a love supreme" over and over again. This piece shows Hinduism's power and influence on Coltrane's life.
In 1965, Coltrane recorded a piece called "OM". It was the least successful of his one-tune, free-jazz experiments. Like Alice Coltrane, his wife, John has a tambourine playing in the background in the "OM" piece. It sounds similar to what is heard at a puja. However, it differs from both Alice Coltrane's music and his own earlier style. The influence of Hinduism on Coltrane's "OM" resulted in improvisational pieces rather than rhythmic jazz pieces. Alice Coltrane's music, by contrast, is more tranquil and relaxing.
Coltrane was reported to be on acid during the recording of "OM". However, I am skeptical because he was devoted to God and had supposedly stopped using drugs. On the other hand, some people who seek spirituality tend to associate acid with spirituality. This was a common practice in the 1960's.

LINKS FOR MORE JOHN COLTRANE