2026.06.08 Vijay Iyer on Alice Coltrane - 3 of 3

2026.06.08 Vijay Iyer on Alice Coltrane - 3 of 3

Author: Small Media Large July 12, 2026 Duration: 1:01:45
This episode of Deep Focus does not have a spoken introduction. It starts immediately after the previous episode ends.     The moment you invoke the name of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, the widow of John Coltrane, you open a door into other ways of understanding.  She was part of her husband's last working band, but after his death, and for the next 40 years, her music became suffused with her spiritual practice and mystical experiences.  Her conviction was so thorough that some listeners found it alienating, but others were compelled by it.  Although she is no longer with us, her music remains a deep well of discovery.   Pianist Vijay Iyer has explored her music richly.  What has he found in it? What influence has it had on him?  On his music and his life?  Let's listen with him to rare, live recordings of her and find out how and why her work is so fascinating.     Tune in this Monday (6/8) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org.     Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/.  It will join over 450 promo-free episodes.  Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted.  It's ad-free, all free, sponsor-free, totally non-commercial.  We won't even ask for your contact info.   Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.   Photo credit: Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, 1972.  No publishing information available.   #WKCR #DeepFocus #VijayIyer #AliceColtrane  # AliceColtraneTuriyasangitananda #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman 

Mitch Goldman, from Small Media Large, sits down with a different working musician each week for Deep Focus. The premise is beautifully simple yet endlessly revealing: together, they dive into rare archival recordings-bootlegs, demo tapes, lost studio sessions-of an artist the guest deeply admires. This isn't a standard interview format. Instead, you're listening in on a shared, intimate listening session between two knowledgeable fans. The conversation flows from technical dissection of a guitar tone to personal stories about how a particular live bootleg soundtracked a pivotal life moment. You'll hear the crackle of a vintage tape as Mitch and his guest pause, rewind, and marvel at a forgotten vocal take or an experimental arrangement that never made the official album. This podcast lives in the spaces between the famous tracks, uncovering the raw, unpolished moments that often reveal an artist's true process and passion. It’s for anyone who believes the magic isn't just in the finished product, but in the journey of how it got there. Each episode of Deep Focus feels like being invited into a private club where the sole entry fee is a genuine love for music's hidden corners.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Deep Focus
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