A Monastic Trio, created in the year following her husband’s passing, is Coltrane’s first recording as a band leader and features six original compositions. Alice Coltrane’s 1968 solo debut on Impulse still stands tall in the artist’s excellent discography. Coltrane had already gained a considerable education playing in the band of her late husbandJohnduring one of his boldest and most exploratory periods. The searching quality underpinning the saxophonist’s last albums is also present on A Monastic Trio, as are the Eastern modalities and the balance between density and expansiveness often associated withTrane.

But to consider Coltrane’s debut a mere offshoot of her late husband’s inventions is to do her a great disservice. Coltrane distinguishes herself as a composer (all the tunes on the album are hers), and as an instrumentalist (her harp playing, in particular, is noteworthy). A Monastic Trio also benefits from a superb personnel list, includingRashied Alion drums,Jimmy Garrisonon bass, and the irrepressiblePharoah Sanderson saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. This recording remains one of the landmark debuts in avant-garde jazz. (via AllMusic)

Alice Coltranes solo debut Monastic Trio (1968) is one of her finest, confidently establishing her compositional voice with a series of tunes that combine Easter modes with blues and gospel tonalities. As the sole lead instrumentalist, Coltrane plays the shit out of the piano, particularly on Ohnedaruth and Gospel Trane, where she brings her rippling, harp-like phrasing to complex modal structures. The gracefulness of her right-hand playing is underpinned by a gutsy sense of swing that reflects her gospel and bebop roots. The harp makes its first outing on Side B, as Coltrane conjures shimmering clouds of tone over Garrisons exploratory bass (Ill even wager that Lovely Sky Boat is an influence on Parliaments simultaneously sublime and ridiculous Silent Boatman, with its Skye Boat Song references and luscious harp). (via The Quietus)

Label: Verve Records, UMe, Impulse!
Series: Verve By Request
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Gatefold
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1968
Genre: Jazz
Style: Free Jazz, Soul-Jazz

File under: Jazz // Avant Garde / Free Jazz