Illuminations (Alice Coltrane and Carlos Santana album)
| Illuminations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Santana & Coltrane | ||||
| Released | September 1974 | |||
| Genre | Free jazz | |||
| Length | 35:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Turiya Alice Coltrane, Devadip Carlos Santana, Tom Coster | |||
| Carlos Santana chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | C−[2] |
Illuminations is a 1974 collaboration between Alice Coltrane and Carlos Santana. Jazz musicians Jules Broussard, Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland also contributed to the record, on saxophone, flute, drums and bass. Alice Coltrane delivers some harp glissando, while the string orchestra adds a serene mood to the music. Carlos Santana (whose Indian name "Devadip" appears on the sleeve) plays electric guitar in his own fashion, using feedback, long notes and simple melodies, lending much space to the other instruments. The album is conceived as an instrumental jazz album, with lengthy solos on guitar, saxophone and keyboards. The introduction to "Angel of Air", with its violins, has been sampled by the Cinematic Orchestra. It is his first of three solo albums (the others being Oneness and The Swing of Delight) to be released under his temporary Sanskrit name Devadip Carlos Santana, given to him by Sri Chinmoy.
Later releases
This album was reissued on the Super Audio CD format in 2017 by UK label Dutton Vocalion, Remastered in both Stereo and Surround Sound from the original analogue tapes by Michael J. Dutton. The Surround Sound portion of the disc features the Quadraphonic mixes, made available for the first time in over 40 years.
Track listing
Side one
- "Guru Sri Chinmoy Aphorism" (S.Chinmoy) - 1:11
- "Angel of Air / Angel of Water" (Coster-Santana) - 9:55
- "Bliss: the Eternal Now" (A. Coltrane) - 5:33
Side two
- "Angel of Sunlight" (Coster-Santana) - 14:43
- "Illuminations" (Coster-Santana) - 4:18
Personnel
- Alice Coltrane - Piano, Harp, Wurlitzer Organ (on track B1)
- Carlos Santana - Guitar
- Dave Holland - Double Bass (on tracks A2, B1)
- James Bond - Bass
- Jack DeJohnette - Drums and Percussion (on tracks A2, B1)
- Tom Coster - Electric Piano and Hammond Organ (on tracks A2, B1-2)
- Jules Broussard - Flute, Soprano Saxophone (on tracks A2, B1)
- Phil Brown - Tanpura (on track B1)
- Armando Peraza - Congas (on track B1)
- Phil Ford - Tablas (on track B1)
- String section arranged and conducted by Alice Coltrane
- Murray Adler - Violin, concert master
- Ron Folsom - Violin
- Bill Henderson - Violin
- Nathan Kaproff - Violin
- Gordon Marron - Violin
- Paul Shure - Violin
- Charles Veal - Violin
- Anne Goodman - Cello
- Glenn Grab - Cello
- Jackie Lustgarten - Cello
- Fred Seykora - Cello
- Marilyn Baker - Viola
- Myer Bello - Viola
- Rollice Dale - Viola
- Alan Harshman - Viola
- Myra Kestenbaum - Viola
- David Schwartz - Viola
References
- ↑ Ruhlmann, William. Illuminations at AllMusic
- ↑ "Robert Christgau: Album: Devadip Carlos Santana/Turiya Alice Coltrane: Illuminations". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
