Vinyl Record

Alice Coltrane (featuring Pharoah Sanders & Joe Henderson) - Ptah the El Daoud (Verve By Request Series)

Alice Coltrane’s Ptah the El Daoud on LP (Verve By Request) — essential spiritual jazz for deep listening. Available from Kilmorna, Listowel.

LP · Jazz · 2022

Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.

Buyer notes: 2022 LP, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection Jazz shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel or ship within Ireland for EUR 5.50.

Alice Coltrane’s "Ptah the El Daoud" is one of those records that feels like a doorway: rooted in jazz tradition, but reaching for something wider, calmer, and more searching. With Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson in the front line, the music balances intensity with stillness—long-form themes that unfold patiently, then lift into surging improvisation. It’s a session that rewards attention, but it’s also remarkably inviting if you’re new to spiritual jazz. The title track sets the tone with a slow-burning pulse and wide-open space, while "Turiya & Ramakrishna" flows with a devotional focus. Flip the record and you get the river-like "Blue Nile" before "Mantra" closes things out in expansive fashion, letting the ensemble stretch and breathe. This Verve By Request LP reissue brings the album back into easy reach for listeners who want the full side-long journey on vinyl.

This album sits at a key crossroads: deep modal playing, searching spirituality, and an ensemble powerful enough to move from meditative to fierce without losing clarity. It’s a cornerstone listen for anyone tracing the arc from classic post-bop into the cosmic, devotional side of late-60s/early-70s jazz.

Issued as part of the Verve By Request series, this edition is a modern reissue aimed at clean, reliable playback and everyday enjoyment—ideal if you want the album on the shelf without chasing original pressings. Expect a standard single-LP presentation; as with many contemporary reissues, exact mastering and pressing details can vary by batch.

Wide, open sound with plenty of air around the horns, a steady undercurrent from the rhythm section, and long improvisations that build gradually. Best enjoyed at a comfortable volume where the dynamics can bloom.

Recommended for: Fans of spiritual jazz and deep listening records; Listeners who love Pharoah Sanders’ searching tenor tone; Coltrane collectors expanding beyond the core canon; Anyone who enjoys long, side-length jazz journeys.

Is this the original pressing? No—this is a modern reissue in the Verve By Request series, intended to make the album accessible on new vinyl. What style of jazz is it? Spiritual/modal jazz with extended improvisation—meditative themes that can rise into powerful, expressive peaks. Is it an easy entry point if I’m new to Alice Coltrane? Yes. It’s expansive, but the pacing is patient and the melodies are strong—an excellent starting point if you like immersive jazz albums.