Originally released September 1970
Reissued November 11, 2022
Verve (By Request Series)
1xLP
Alice Coltrane is one of the true giants of jazz, a harpist and pianist who was able to move the genre into the spiritual realm more so than nearly any other before or since. Given the enormity of her reputation and catalog it can be intimidating to find a place to start listening to her. Ptah, the El Daoud is as good of a place that you can start for anyone who’s cut their teeth on bop from legends like Miles Davis and Alice’s late husband John and are looking to delve into the sometimes difficult but always rewarding world of spiritual and avant-garde jazz where Alice made her home. With assists from Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane makes one of the most accessible albums of her career that is still transformative in a way that only she really could be.