Pharoah Sanders Music

People are shaped by events in their lives-- and indeed, you can pinpoint single moments in your life that after which nothing was the same. No doubt for Pharoah Sanders, playing in JOhn Coltrane's band was one such moment. Sanders joined Coltrane's band early on, and the influence Coltrane had on Sanders was huge (likewise, the influence that Sanders had on Coltrane was equally huge). But while there's a wealth of material out there from Coltrane before Sanders joined, there's precious little from Sanders beforehand. "Pharoah's First", recorded in Setpember of 1964, around the time Sanders first starting playing with Trane, is probably the only such example.

The album consists of two extended pieces-- "Seven By Seven" and "Bethera", performed by a quintet of Sanders, trumpeter Stan Foster, pianist Jane Getz (who burst onto the New York scene before moving to California and pretty much leaving jazz for other music forms), bassist William Bennett and drummer Marvin Pattillo. Each piece follows the same formula-- a brief, Monkish theme statement (written by Sanders in both cases) followed by solos from Sanders, Foster and Getz and either a brief collective improv (on "Seven by Seven") or rhythm section solos ("Bethera"). The music is more in the adventerous hard bop vein than anything else, akin to Coltrane's early '60s quartet work-- Sanders is remarkably restrained, playing melodic, rhythmic lines and only occasionally diving into the extended technique for which he's largely known. Foster plays in the Don Cherry school-- that sort of less-is-more from Miles Davis fused with a substantial amount of inventiveness. Getz is intriguing-- her style is agressive in the vein of a McCoy Tyner, but has that wide voicing that Alice Coltrane had. While these pieces are well performed, they're just not particularly attention getting-- it's decent advanced hard bop, but that's about it.

This reissue does feature superb sound and a bunch of interviews with Sanders, which improves the value of the set for fans somewhat, but all in all, this is not an essential part of the Sanders catalog.

"Pharoah's First" is the 1964 debut release from tenor saxophonist and future John Coltrane sideman, Farrell "Pharoah" Sanders. Despite the album being his first, many of Sanders' musical trademarks are already apparent even at this early stage. His unique melodic approach along with his infamous atonal shreiks and howls can both be heard alongside stellar performances from the other members of his quintet featured in full prominence here.
The album only includes two tracks but they are both extremely lengthy and include lots of space for free improvisation. Sanders' adventerous atonal runs in the opening track "Seven by Seven" are extraordinary while trumpeter Stan Foster displays a subtle Miles Davis edge and pianist Jane Getz shines with a slight reference to McCoy Tyner.
"Bethera" is also an extended piece but has more of a tonal center and is not quite as avant-garde as "Seven by Seven". Here, Sanders displays a melody that is definitely along the same lines as Coltrane and almost sounds like a "Love Supreme" outtake. His playing is less shreiking here and is more lyrical and melodic. Once again, the other members of the quintet shine with brilliance. The rhythm section of bassist William Bennett and drummer Marvin Pattillo offer some excellent exchanges towards the end of this lengthy piece.
After listening to this album, it's easy to see why John Coltrane chose Pharoah Sanders to join his group just one year after Pharoah made this album. Pharoah's style was perfectly suited for what Coltrane was after musicially and it wasn't long after that Pharoah joined him for the groundbreaking classics "Ascension" and "Mediations", two monumental staples in free jazz. "Pharoah's First" is where it all began for Sanders though and the album also showed what was to come later on for this up-and-coming jazz legend.
Excellent Debut!!!

A Prayer Before Dawn is a jazz cd by Pharoah Sanders that I am hearing for the first time. I must say that I am impressed by eloquence of each track and the passion exihibited by Pharoah with each musical tone played on his Sax. It is a very good CD, easy to listen and captures your imagination. Pharoah has done it again. One of my alltime favorite Jazz musician, as well as a fellow Arkansan.

This is a Sanders'cd I would recommend to all those who have heard of Sanders as a wild musician,shrieking through the saxophone. Here,he is in a very mellow, ,not to say soft ,mood.Religiosity or more accurately,spirituality permeates all the numbers on this cd.He reminds us of an evening service in a protestant church. Even those who are not fanatic jazz fans but like music with rythm should enjoy this cd which is definitely,one of the best this African-American Griot has produced.

As a fan of jazz in its mellower forms I really dig "Priceless Jazz by Pharoah Sanders". Along with albums such as Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue", John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", Charles Mingus's "Mingus Ah Um" and Dave Brubeck's "Time Out", this sampler CD is essential listening. Most of the songs on "Priceless" are spacey and meditative. I'm not so thrilled by the blues-inflected and busy "Bluesin' For John C." (though I know 'where he's coming from'), the oriental flavored "Japan" or the free-form "The Promise" so I've subtracted a couple of stars. The rest of the tracks are gems with "The Creator Has A Master Plan" being the high point for me. If albums like "[...] Brew" by Miles are a bit much, a bit too 'difficult listening' (to borrow a phrase from avant garde popster Laurie Anderson), then this CD is for you.

I am just discovering Pharoah Sanders and I love it. The song I remember from long ago was "The Creator has a master plan" and I was searching just for that song, when I stumbled upon a whole new world. Definitely worth giving a try, I don't regret it.

...this is an excellent cd to jus sit back and meditate to...and it may be true that this doesnt truly represent brother pharoah's full catalogue of material, it represents some good, relaxin jazz music jus the same...this cd could have sixty minutes of hog-callin and i would still give it five stars jus for 'the creator has a master plan'...

This was the first Pharoah Sanders CD I ever bought, and I guess it accomplished its purpose; it made me want to hear everything he did. On that level this CD is a success. But on another level, it's not satisfactory, because mostly it focuses on Pharoah's lyrical side and his more or less straight-ahead work. That's only a part of Sanders' music. A new-age fan might love this CD but then be utterly frightened by albums like Karma and Thembi, where Sanders takes you on a trip through meditative music to furious free jazz energy and back again. Pharoah's free jazz energy work is just not fairly represented here. I love his multiphonic screaming sessions just as much as I love his lyrical, meditative side, and it's a shame this collection chooses just to focus on his mellower work. It shortchanges a really great artist, which is why I can only give this recording three stars. This CD is a good starter, and for some people it will be sufficient, but for those with adventurous souls, buy "Thembi" or "Karma" and jump in the deep end, and leave this for those who can't swim yet.

This is an eclectic session with a few misfires. I you like Journey to the One you'll like this one.

If I had to pick on Pharoah Sanders disc to take with me to a desert Island, this might be it. There's less drawn out 'noise' than on his impulse records, but this record is still heavily steeped in the avant-garde.

The african juju (or whatever Pharoah calls it here) is really catchy, fast, and almost danceable. Pharoah also pulls off a stunning lovable tribute to Trane (if you can execuse the goofy lyrics).

Moments Notice is my favorite song on the CD. I love the Vocalist George V. Johnson, Jr.... His lyrics and vocals are are the best I've heard in a long time. I'm glad I bought this CD. I'm hoping that Pharoah will record with this truly gifted vocalist again! He Amazing! "His Sounds were Mellow soft and Warm....You'll feel his spirit Hum Along! John Coltrane played Love and Magic! Listen to the message of his song! John Coltrane....glad you came along! WOW!

This follow up to Journey to the One follows many of the same patterns. Varied instrumentation, good and bad vocal tracks. The set start off with a bang. The title cut and the two highlife pieces are alive with soaring energy. Unlike the reviewer below, I find Moments Notice to be a huge bump in the road. The lyrics are cheesey open mike night poetry stuff to me. I can't fault Pharoah for his consistantly positive messages, but this track misses the mark for me. The album finishes with more excellent cuts.

No one, I'm quite confident to declare.

Let's break it down. We'll start with control. Has there ever been a saxophonist with his absolute mastery of the entire range of tenor sax? That's easy. No.

On to tone. Sanders is well known to have practiced playing long tones for hours on end. The result: a purity of tonal expression that somehow goes beyond absolutely centered tones throughout the entire range of his horn into inexpressible territory, which reaches the heart of our listening capability.

Next, diversity of expression. Sanders has the capability to wrest perhaps the widest possible range of emotional content from his horn in the history of jazz--everything from garden variety exuberence to ecstatic religious utterance to goofy blats to heart-renching pathos--often in the same number.

Finally, what we might call "architecture of solo expression." His soloing is nothing if not brilliantly structured, yet absolutely free, all at once. It takes a master of musical intuition and accomplishment to even begin to approach Sanders' majesterial concept and execution.

For me, this disc is, perhaps, the apex in his career. Following on the heels of the glorious Journey to the One, this disc just tops that one by virtue of "Rejoice," the two Highlife numbers (featuring the mysterioso e-bassist, Jorge Pomar), "Ntjilo, Ntjilo/Bird Song," and "Farah," perhaps the finest numbers he has ever recorded in his long and storied career. Add to that the contributions of Joe Bonner, the way underrecorded pianist; vibest extraordinare Bobby Hutcherson; Billy Higgins, the best drummer of his generation; bassist Art Davis; and drum monster Elvin Jones, and you have one of the finest jazz ensembles ever assembled.

The only misstep is the vocal rendition of Coltrane's "Moment's Notice," which, even though I would prefer not to have to listen to it, still has a certain cache that is not entirely unpleasant and even, in a way, sums up a certain vibe floating in the air at the time. Besides, the vocal part constitutes a miniscule portion of the whole, so just deal with it, what?

I feel fortunate to own the original Theresa recording, but I imagine there's little if any difference between this disc and the reissued Evidence disc, and the joy of original-issue ownership is pure nostalgia. Whatever.

Just do it.