New York, Jan 16 (IANS) Well known American jazz performer Alice Coltrane, who took the name Swamini Turiyasangitananda after she converted to Hinduism in the 1970s, has passed away in Los Angeles. Coltrane, who died Monday, was 69, reports Newsday.
She was the widow of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane and a follower of the Indian spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba.
During the 1970s, her music was highly influenced by Hindu religious music and many of her albums of the time were devoted to vedic chants.
The jazz performer also founded the Vedantic Center, a spiritual commune now located in Agoura, California. A guru of growing repute, she served as the swami of the San Fernando Valley's first Hindu Temple in Chatsworth.
A pianist and organist, Coltrane was noted for her excellent compositions. Her last performance was in November last year when she participated in an abbreviated tour with her saxophonist son Ravi.
For the last nearly 40 years, she was the keeper of her husband's musical legacy, managing his archive and estate.
Her husband, one of the pivotal figures in the history of jazz, died in 1967.
News RSS