Posted by Alice Coltrane’s seminal Ashram Tapes are set to be issued in full through Matador Records. This landmark release marks the first complete, authorized collection of the four devotional recordings that the legendary American jazz musician and composer, also known as Turiyasangitananda, captured during the 1980s and 1990s.
Originally distributed to members on cassette—with the fourth installment appearing on CD—at the Sai Anantam Ashram north of Los Angeles, these recordings have remained largely unavailable to the public for decades. While Luaka Bop curated a selection of materials from the second, third, and fourth albums in 2018 for the acclaimed compilation The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, this new project from Matador promises a comprehensive restoration of the original four albums, including the artist’s full mixes, original artwork, and intended sequences.
The collection will be made available across vinyl, compact disc, cassette, and all major digital formats. The music itself represents a profound synthesis of gospel, traditional Indian chants, and avant-garde jazz, featuring a rich tapestry of synthesizers, organs, and the ethereal voices of the Ashram choir.
Reflecting on the significance of this release, Michelle Coltrane noted: “Alice’s vow to a monastic life opened a passageway that introduced her to ancient sacred recitations, voices, rhythms, and melodies—divine, ethereal sounds that bridged the material and spiritual realms. Many interpret this experience as offering a profound understanding of the human experience.”
She continued, “Musically, it’s a pure reflection of the life journey my mother was on at the time. She was seeking, in every, most authentic way, a life of devotion, transcendence, and spiritual elevation. The music was an inspired offering to the sanctity and feeling of this spiritual path. The profundity of Turiya Alice Coltrane’s musical offerings now being made publicly available is in alignment with a divine order, something Alice often spoke about. Artists never stop creating.”
Photo Credit: Radha Botofasina