Translinear Light: The Celestial Songs of Alice Coltrane paid tribute to the music, life, and legacy of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda on May 16th, 2025, at Carnegie Hall. Under Music Director Ravi Coltrane’s guidance, this performance was one of many that occurred throughout 2024-2025 in celebration of the “Year of Alice.” This concert marks a historical moment, as the direct Coltrane descendants Sita Michelle Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and Steven Ellison (aka Flying Lotus) took the stage together for the very first time. Alice’s family and harp reunited on stage at Carnegie Hall, where Alice performed at on numerous occasions throughout her career.
Sita Michelle lead the Sai Anantam Devotional Ensemble in a vocal performance honoring her mother’s later spiritual music. Ravi Coltrane lead the orchestra on saxophone accompanied by an orchestra selected by the Coltrane family. Flying Lotus, Alice’s grandnephew, paid tribute to his great Aunt with a sweeping soundscape that sampled Alice’s original recordings. To tie the assemblage together, Brandee Younger gracefully connected to the spirit of Alice Coltrane in playing Coltrane’s music on Alice’s own harp.
In an interview with the Coltrane Home, Michelle reflects on how she had watched her mother perform on this stage so many times, and now it was her turn to do the same. Michelle describes being back on this stage as a “full circle moment.”
Photography by Rob Teller, 2025