A Tribute to Dorothy Ashby & Alice Coltrane
27th Letter Books & Ginkgo Records
3546 Michigan Avenue
Detroit
April 5, 2026
“Music is made for healing.”
That’s the message the harpist AnJelic brought to her Sunday night tribute to Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, two fellow Black women harpists also from Detroit. You might know AnJelic as "The Black Harpist" on Instagram.
Like Ashby, AnJelic studied at Cass Tech, which just crossed the milestone of 100 years of harboring a celebrated harp music program in the hallowed halls of this Detroit school.
On Easter Sunday, AnJelic brought her harp and top-notch band to 27th Letter Books and Ginkgo Records on Michigan Avenue in Detroit.
The band included Zekkerreya el Magharbel (trombone), Caelin Amin (an absolute stand out on bass), Laina Martin (violin, who also did some lovely flower arrangements as a backdrop for the band), Sasha Gusik (flute), Tazeen Ayub (tanpura), Lufuki Ismael (guitar), Kazza Kitchell (piano) and Tariq Gardener (drums).
To see this book and record store turned into a music venue with a standing room-only crowd on a holiday Sunday night was a refreshing reminder that live local music does still bring the people out, especially when you’re honoring the legacy of the harp greats who came before you and fundraising to get your own harp fixed along the way.
“Growing up seeing a Black woman play the harp was such an influence on me,” says AnJelic, leading her band through renditions of Coltrane’s “Journey in Satchitananda” and Ashby’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.”
With Alice Coltrane’s music, the arrangements are massive and loose; a true journey into cosmic jazz music, where Coltrane helped carve out space for the harp itself. It’s music you can step inside of and lose your sense of self.
There were no doubt nerves affecting AnJelic’s performance at times, making some of these songs feel a bit stiff and rushed, a bit too connected to reality. That’s understandable given a short rehearsal period with a band of musicians with their own gigs to compete with.
With Ashby’s arrangements, a bit of stiffness doesn’t hurt. She was a straight-ahead groover with a guitarist father, so a lot of those guitarist sensibilities come through in her motifs. AnJelic’s band absolutely excelled at these numbers, including “Wax and Wane” and “By The Time I Get To Phoenix.”
There were true moments of transcendence, with AnJelic and her eight-piece band channeling Alice Coltrane herself.
On the opening song “Journey in Satchitananda,” I was completely absorbed. The crowd was in awe.
By the time they got to the closer for the night – “Blue Nile” by Coltrane – they were completely dialed in. The crowd went absolute feral, giving her a standing ovation that felt like it lasted for minutes. After warming up, the band had truly found their groove – and the packed house wanted more.
Here’s the thing -- you don’t see a lot of harpists out in the world because these instruments are expensive to buy and maintain. AnJelic threw this performance as a way to raise money for 1976 Model 23 harp, which she describes as a “cherished instrument with immense sentimental value.”
It’s in need of about $30,000 worth of repairs. She’s started a GoFundMe to help support this cause.
“This harp is not just a musical instrument; it’s a profound connection to my past and the legacy of my harp teacher and mentor,” she writes.
It was a profound evening to see AnJelic perform alongside her band, and to see the community come out to support her cause.
