Universal Music and Third Man have partnered to resurrect the popular reissue series Verve By Request, focusing on rare gems and fan-requested jazz albums from the Verve Group’s iconic labels. Albums will be newly remastered from original analog sources when available, and pressed on audiophile-quality, 180-gram vinyl at Third Man Pressing in Detroit.

• Verve By Request Series
• 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
• Cut by Ryan K. Smith At Sterling Sound
• Pressed by Third Man Pressing, USA
• Gatefold Cover

Verve Records/UMe and Third Man Records have partnered to resurrect the popular reissue series, Verve By Request, with a vinyl twist. Focusing on rare gems and fan-requested jazz albums from the Verve Label Group’s stable of iconic labels, the series will offer two titles per month – each hand-picked by Verve and Third Man Records. The records will include both long-out-of-print titles from the vault as well as the first-ever vinyl pressings for albums released in the ‘90s and aughts that were only originally released on CD. Albums will be newly remastered from original analog sources, when available, and pressed on audiophile-quality, 180-gram vinyl at Third Man Pressing in Detroit. 

After the death of her husband John Coltrane in 1967, Alice Coltrane continued to forward the musical and spiritual version they set out on together and started to release records on her own as composer and bandleader. The hypnotic Ptah, the El Daoud, was the fourth album to bear the pianist and harpist's name released between 1968-70, which also included her joint album, Cosmic Music, partially recorded with John a year before his death.

The transcendent Ptah, the El Daoud, recorded in the Coltrane home studio in 1970 and released later that year on Impulse! Records, features an all-star line-up on the four compositions, including Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson (both on tenor sax and alto flute). A masterpiece of spiritual jazz, the album's title track is an ode to the Egyptian God, Ptah (the El Daoud meaning "the beloved"), while many moments on the record can best be described by the Hindu word "Turiya," which Coltrane defines in the liner notes as "a state of consciousness — the high state of Nirvana, the goal of human life."

Recorded in the basement studio of the Coltrane home in 1970, Alice Coltrane's fourth album is a masterpiece of spiritual jazz. The title track is an ode to the Egyptian God Ptah (the El Daoud meaning "the beloved"). Moments on the album reach what Coltrane defined the term Turiya as "a state of consciousness - the high state of Nirvana, the goal of human life."

"Jazz fans didn't need any reminders about the greatness of Alice Coltrane. That fact was firmly established decades ago when she established herself as a musical force to be reckoned with during her time playing with Terry Gibbs and her husband John. But the steady stream of re-releases that have been arriving in record stores of late have been a wonderful expression of her greatness as a composer and performer. The latest to hit the market is a reissue of Ptah, The El Daoud, Alice's 1970 album, and a gentle explosion of spiritual consciousness in musical form. Recorded at her home studio on Long Island with support from Pharoah Sanders, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson and Ben Riley, the four tracks are a long meditative hum with the two tenor sax players and Alice slowly tangling and untangling into melodic mandalas. Adding the dashes of color and glitter are the rhythm section of Riley and Carter, veteran players apply the perfect amount of pressure and release throughout." - Robert Ham, Paste Magazine

Musicians:

Alice Coltrane, harp, piano
Pharoah Sanders, tenor sax and alto flute
Joe Henderson, tenor sax and alto flute
Ron Cartter, bass
Ben Riley, drums

Track Listing:

1. Ptah, The El Daoud
2. Turiya & Ramakrishna
3. Blue Nile
4. Mantra

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫