By 1975 she’d founded her own spiritual center at the Sai Anantam Ashram and Vedantic Center in the Santa Monica Mountains outside of Los Angeles. The responsibilities of running such a place were lofty, as the compound housed several followers who lived, ate, and practiced on the property, guided by her weekly sermons and musical offerings.

Simultaneously, her children were still young and required her constant presence and labor, plus she’d released eleven profound albums in the years since John’s death. By the same year as the ashram’s opening, she’d signed with Warner Bros. Records and had collaborated with Carlos Santana, Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, and Kenny Burrell among other icons in the field. The albums released in this era, where Alice took on duties as primary composer and bandleader, pianist, organist, and harpist (which she’d taught herself), were at the forefront of expanding the language of jazz.

They showcased rich contrapuntal theory reflecting her foundational classical music education, divine vocal expressions reminiscent of her early days as a gospel player, urgent rethinking of jazz music virtuosity, and expansive tones rooted in her newfound devotion to Eastern sounds. Alice through the end of the 70s began striding along the path she’d forged, as a musician expanding upon the ingenuity developed in her storied career, as a mother raising four children into early adulthood, and as a religious leader solidifying a community of uniquely minded individuals brought together by faith and devotion to the words and customs she preached.