I’ve been disappointed to find out that Alice Coltrane was regarded as something of a hack musician that just happened to share the spirituality of one of 20th Century music’s undisputed geniuses. And they weren’t even married for all that long. Something like three years plus whatever time preceded the marriage and then he died and the world receded to a polite and uninterested distance. The only consolation I can gather from her story (aside from her music) is that her spirituality was true and blessed and dear. It did what spirituality is supposed to do—it sustained her through all of the years when she was ignored. That’s a good thing but, man, the world is missing out on something so crazily good. There is no justice, only chaos and a wing and a prayer.