Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane (née McLeod; August 27, 1937 – January 12, 2007) was an American jazz musician and composer. She was an accomplished pianist and one of the few harpists in the history of jazz. Coltrane recorded many albums as a bandleader, beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s for Impulse! and other record labels. Known for her spiritual jazz style, her music had a wide influence both within and outside the world of jazz.

In addition to her musical career, Coltrane dedicated herself to religious education. She founded the Vedantic Center in 1975 and later established the Shanti Anantam Ashram in California in 1983, where she served as spiritual director. During this time, she recorded several albums of Hindu devotional songs before returning to jazz in the 2000s.

Coltrane's journey into music began at Cass Technical High School in Detroit where she learned to play the harp under Velma Froude's guidance. Her talent on this instrument would become a defining aspect of her unique sound.