5 papers in the library · publishing 2026
August 3, 2026 David Stephen Calonne
Abstract Alice became the wife of John Coltrane and became increasingly involved in creating a new “spiritual jazz” for the 1960s. Alice’s works have often been ignored in jazz history because she was a woman and considered less important than her husband, but she created an outstanding body of original work that deserves wider attention. She traveled to India, where she studied with guru...
August 3, 2026 David Stephen Calonne
Abstract This chapter explores the ways Sonny Rollins embarked on a lifelong quest for the sacred through his studies of Rosicrucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Rollins formed close friendships with Thelonious Monk and Don Cherry and the chapter explores these friendships as well. Rollins—like several jazz musicians—struggled with drug addiction, and the chapter discusses his recovery as well...
August 3, 2026 David Stephen Calonne
Abstract Charles Mingus from early in his life possessed mystical tendencies that surfaced in his personal relationships and began to be expressed in his music. A gifted double-bass player, Mingus became friends with Farwell Taylor, who influenced him to begin a serious study of Hinduism. Mingus read widely in contemporary literature and became acquainted with Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary...
Cambridge University Press eBooks March 27, 2026 David Stephen Calonne
This chapter explores the many ways Mexico became central in Ginsberg’s poetic evolution. Inspired by the example of his mentor, William S. Burroughs, Ginsberg visited several archaeological sites in Mexico such as Palenque, which inspired one of his most successful early poems, “Siesta in Xbalba.” Ginsberg traveled widely throughout the country and continued the mystical quest which began with...
October 5, 2026 David Stephen Calonne
Abstract Jazz, Counterculture, and the Sacred seeks to explore the works and lives of the Black jazz composers Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane, Anthony Braxton, and Nicole Mitchell in relation to their fascination with a variety of spiritual traditions. The purpose of the book is to compare the ways these musicians employed Buddhism, Hinduism,...