<I>Black Journal: 26; Alice Coltrane</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1970
name: label: Produced by
content: National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970
label: Produced by
content: William Greaves, American, 1926 - 2014
label: Directed by
content: Stan Lathan, American, born 1945
label: Subject of
content: Alice Coltrane, American, 1937 - 2007
label: Subject of
content: John Coltrane, American, 1926 - 1967
label: Owned by
content: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
notes: label: Caption
content: This 16mm film is a documentary segment focusing on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz musician John Coltrane.
label: Description
content: The 16mm color film print is a short documentary made for a segment of National Education Television's Black Journal television program. The segment focuses on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz musician John Coltrane. This film was shot sometime during 1970; three years after the death of John Coltrane.
label: Description
content: This film opens with a collage of photos of jazz musician John Coltrane with a voice-over of a male narrator communicating the musical genius and personal demeanor of the renowned music artist. The voice-over ends with an open-ended statement on John Coltrane's family, leading into an interview with his wife, Alice Coltrane. Alice Coltrane discusses the influence her late husband has had on her life, both musically and spiritually. She speaks of him being a spiritual person, although not tied to one organized religion, his vegetarian diet, and how he carved time out of his days to meditate. There is footage of their children playing in the yard and walking with their mother. Alice plays the harp and talks about how her music is a manifestation of her spirituality.
label: Description
content: She discusses her musical career and how she balances that with being a mother and paying tribute to her late husband, but also not wanting to be defined as an extension of John Coltrane's music. Instead, when she finds herself playing some of the music he wrote, she sees herself as sharing in what he produced throughout his career. Footage of her playing the piano at a small jazz concert with a few other musicians plays for two minutes. In the final minutes of the segment, Alice Coltrane explains her relationship with a higher power and the personal enlightenment she has felt and gained through meditation. The film ends with a dolly-out/zoom-out long shot of Alice Coltrane and her children waving from their home.
place: label: Place filmed
content: Dix Hills, Huntington, Long Island, New York, United States, North and Central America
title: label: Title
content: Segment from Black Journal: Episode 26
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Motherhood
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Profile films
label: Topic
content: Public television
label: Topic
content: Spirituality
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Pearl Bowser Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: Black Journal
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.79.1.16.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © National Educational Television
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 580 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 17 min.