World Galaxy is a studio album by African-American jazz pianist, harpist and bandleader, Alice Coltrane, released in 1972 on Impulse! Records.
Similar to her previous recordings, World Galaxy would see Alice furthering the tradition of "spiritual jazz" pioneered as early as John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. It would also find her experimenting more with classical music, seeing that this record would see her playing the harp as her primary instrument, but also the inclusion of a string section. Both of which also being from her previous work Lord of Lords.
World Galaxy (along with other records in Alice's catalogue such as Journey in Satchidananda) would be considered a pivotal record within the "spiritual jazz" movement, as well as the free jazz and third stream movements of the late 60s and early seventies. It's association with these genres being marked by her use of spiritual and mythological concepts and experimental compositional work.
Tracklist
Side A- "My Favorite Things" (6:22)
- "Galaxy Around Oludumare" (4:15)
- "Galaxy in Turiya" (9:55)
- "Galaxy in Satchidananda" (10:25)
- "A Love Supreme" (9:58)
Galaxy in Tropes
- Avant-Garde Music
- Classical Music: This record would take heavy influence from it. With its incorporation of a string section as well as elements from romanticism.
- Cover Version: She would interprete "My Favorite Things" and "A Love Supreme" on the record. Two of her husband's most noted compositions.
- Design Student's Orgasm: The album cover would show a photo of Alice against a psychedelic backdrop.
- Epic Rocking: Most of the record's tracks clock in at over five minutes, with "Galaxy in Satchidananda" being the longest at ten minutes.
- Face on the Cover
- Instrumentals: It's a jazz album, so it's justified.
- Jazz: A noted record within the spiritual jazz genre, as well as free jazz and the third stream genres.
- New Sound Album: The record would see her further her avant-garde inclinations with a sizeable influence from classical music sounding much different from her past recordings.
- Spoken Word: Her spiritual advisor, Swami Satchidananda, would contribute narration to her interpretation of "A Love Supreme".
