Brooklyn Raga Massive's Coltrane Raga Tribute is a reflection of the relationship between Indian Classical Raga music and American Jazz through the legacy of John and Alice Coltrane. John Coltrane remains a pivotal force in the styles of modal jazz, avant-garde jazz, hard-bop and world music. With a lifelong friendship with Ravi Shankar and records like “Aum” and songs like “India,” John Coltrane and his legacy have led a movement towards bringing Indian music influences, especially Raga, closer to the world of Jazz music. Similarly, the vast legacy of pianist, harpist, singer, composer and spiritual leader Turiya Alice Coltrane has been an endless source of inspiration and mystique for the musicians of Brooklyn Raga Massive. As a professional jazz artist who played with legends Ornette Coleman, Pharaoh Sanders, Carlos Santana, as well as her husband, Alice Coltrane embodies the spiritual, thrilling, and ephemeral energy of improvisation that made her a pioneer of the cosmic jazz movement. BRM honors both of these artists in their Coltrane tribute performances and have recently developed an Alice Coltrane - specific performance that breathes new life into her work with entrancing sojourns into her classic albums such as Journey in Satchidananda, Turiya Sings, and more.
"The group has achieved the rare feat of honoring a great artist’s contributions with respect and reverence while pushing the boundaries of creativity. The Brooklyn Raga Massive is building on the Raga-inspired legacy that John and Alice Coltrane started.”
Abhik Mukherjee, sitar
Anupam Shobhakar, sarod
Arun Ramamurthy, Carnatic violin
Ben Tyree, guitar
Brandee Younger, harp
Courtney Bryan, piano
David Ewell, bass
Destiny Muhammad, harp
Dezron Douglas, bass
Jay Gandhi, bansuri
Kev Choice, piano
Marc Cary, piano
Neel Murgai, sitar
Rashaan Carter, bass
Reggie Workman, bass
Richard Howell, saxophone
Sameer Gupta, drums,tabla
Trina Basu, violin
“We're just all about trying to keep those vibrations and those compositions that she [Alice Coltrane] wrote alive and to keep that moving forward. I'm one of the last people still living who was very close to Alice and John and their music, and I feel fortunate that (the Brooklyn Raga Massive) called me in to collaborate with them for this project."