Universal Consciousness cover

Universal Consciousness

Released

Alice Coltrane’s writing for strings was unique; strongly influenced by Stravinsky, she created dramatic, sweeping effects and sudden, jarring accents. For much of this 1971 album, she plays Wurlitzer electric organ, with Jimmy Garrison on bass and several different drummers, and the strings flash through like lightning in the desert. The music reaches an ecstatic peak on the aptly titled “Battle At Armageddon,” a duo with Rashied Ali where her organ sears the air as he chops time up into gleaming shards.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Codona cover

Codona

Collin Walcott, Codona, Naná Vasconcelos, Don Cherry
Dark Day cover

Dark Day

Fred Anderson Quartet
Shake cover

Shake

The Thing
Levels and Degrees of Light cover

Levels and Degrees of Light

Muhal Richard Abrams
Project Elo cover

Project Elo

Tumi Mogorosi
Webo cover

Webo

Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, William Parker
The Adornment of Time cover

The Adornment of Time

Tyshawn Sorey, Marilyn Crispell
The Use of Memory cover

The Use of Memory

Franz Koglmann
REVERENCE cover

REVERENCE

Muriel Grossmann