Without a doubt Cosmic Music is set to become the definitive text on the life of the artist perhaps best known as Alice Coltrane. A labour of love, exhaustively researched by respected journalist Andy Beta, the book traces Alice’s transformation from McLeod to Hagood, Coltrane, Turiya and Swamini Turiyasangitananda. 

Beta pens every paragraph of its 400 pages as tightly, yet poetically, and rhythmically, as possible. Deftly weaving disparate sources and subjects into a dense narrative. There’s a lot to squeeze in and not a line is wasted. Detailing Alice’s physical travels from Detroit, to New York, Paris, India, Sri Lanka and California, and describing her spiritual journey from Baptist to Hindi teacher and healer. From a childhood performing in church to founding an ashram. Along the way meeting, marrying, and losing her soul mate – who just happened to be the world’s most venerated jazz musician. Mastering piano, timpani, vibes, harp, synthesiser and Sanskrit.

For the first half of the book, Beta works like a detective, tirelessly uncovering events in the story of someone who was clearly a very private person. Beta uncovers Alice’s early career by trawling through local newspaper listings and conducting interviews with childhood friends, neighbours, and fellow church congregation members. Plus those players who’ve survived. In the process, intertwining the roles of key figures in the development of the Detroit, and ultimately the US, jazz scene, and placing these in context with the Black American history of Jim Crow segregation and the Civil Rights movement.

Beta also catalogues the musical evolution of Mr. And Mrs. Coltrane. How John and Alice, together, moved from be-bop toward a bigger, the titular, cosmic music. How in their joint search for a sound that truly celebrated the divine they drew inspiration from eastern modalities, Egyptology, gospel, LSD, meditation, Stravinsky and Vedic chant. Ancient architecture and maps of the stars. 

The second part focuses on Alice’s devotional travails, in the aftermath of John’s passing in July 1967. A path of personal suffering, family tragedy, past lives, meetings with holy beings. Direct dialogues with god. Her progression from follower to guru. Much of the information here is taken from Alice’s autobiographical memoirs / teachings, Monumental Eternal, Endless Wisdom and Divine Revelations, but Beta builds on this with interviews with Alice’s students and disciples. He also provides helpful background on the origins and Hindi music and song. 

Beta explains that from a very early age Alice was subject to visions and astral projections, and makes plain that throughout her life the sole aim of her music was to share the awakenings she experienced. Each performance and recording is considered in turn, charting the changes and the concepts behind them. Finally tracing Alice’s influence through a new generation of artists: Radiohead, Four Tet, Bjork, and more directly Alice’s grandnephew Flying Lotus, Brandee Younger, Sophye Soliveau, Ganavya, and Surya Botofasina. The latter having grown up on Alice’s Sai Anantam Ashram. 

Reading Cosmic Music took me on my own personal trip. I had a few of Alice’s records, and like many had wowed at the magical, mediative properties of her interpretations of the sacred bhajans when they were rediscovered and compiled by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop. 

For starters Beta’s persuasive prose made me search out an incredible clip of Terry Pollard and Terry Gibbs – the first performance by a black female musician on US television. 

Then his enthusiasm encouraged me to purchase albums like World Galaxy. Which, to me, was new, but now totally essential. 

To be honest, though, I struggled with the spiritual aspects of the book. As a cynical old south London geezer, these came across a bit cult-y. The retrospective reframing of mental illness, dangerous even. 

When I was forced to stop taking drugs, around a couple of decades ago, I did go looking for a bigger picture, primarily through music. Blown away, for example, by the hypnotic similarities between traditional Indonesia gamelan and futuristic Detroit techno. The Pandit Pran Nath-mentored drones of Marian Zazeela and La Monte Young. I did think I would wind up exploring religion, but to date this hasn’t happened. 

Again, to be honest, right now, I feel far too rooted in the horrors of the present to be able to meditate, and contemplate the universal eternal. I can’t have a bath without worrying about the global rise of fascism. 2026, what the fuck’s going on?

Smashed by SNS, likely another part of the plan of the powers that be, attempts at momentary transcendence are hampered by constant distraction, and seem both selfish and blinkered. However, I guess, all true change is based on the individual and must come from within. It really is time to switch off my phone. 

When I finished the epilogue, and tidied the manuscript, I was left with a sadness. This is often the way, when I finally put down something lengthy, that I’ve been lost in, since it feels like the end of a conversation. Like a friend has left. However, here it was deeper. I was sad at Alice’s passing. Ashamed of my own scepticism. Her story, her dedication, devotion held up a mirror to my own lack of faith. I was sad because despite everything, I would really like to believe in something.

Andy Beta’s Cosmic Music: The Life, Art and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane can be ordered directly from White Rabbit Books.