New releases last eight weeks: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: In 1971, the harpist, pianist and ultimately multi-instrumentalist jazz musician Alice Coltrane performed at the Carnegie Hall for a special gala benefiting the Integral Yoga Institute. Backed by an all-star group of musicians, Coltrane delivered a captivating set which will now be available in its entirety on vinyl for the first time. The Carnegie Hall Concert, now out on Verve, documents one of the defining moments of Coltrane's career, taking place not long after the immediate positive reception to the release of her spotlit Journey In Satchidananda LP. The concert, which spans both recognisable and unique compositions by Coltrane, ultimately conveyed a uniquely Eastern edge lent to Western spiritual jazz, and came as the first dedicated concert to be themed after the lessons gleaned from recognition of the Hindu god and enlightened state, Satchidananda; it enlisted the aid of two of her closest friends in the circle she'd joined during a formative trip to India that year, Kumar Kramer and Tulsi Reynolds.

Review: Four years after the untimely death of her husband John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane held a special concert at Carnegie Hall. This was planned to be released by Impulse at the time but somehow this legendary concert recording stayed dormant until this year. This release is to kick off a release tribute that will continue through the year that joins Verve and Impulse in tribute to Alice and her work. This double CD included two transcendental tunes from Journey in Satchidananda (Which Alice released just the year before), followed by two compositions by John Coltrane and served as a sign of things to come. These two pieces that showed a sign of what was to come from John Coltrane as he entered into the 1970s. Make sure to pick up this special concert!