Pharoah Sanders Music

Although it might seem surprising, jazz and Arabic music have quite a bit in common. In particular, both emphasis a strong tradition of improvisation. Perhaps that is why this CD works so well... a collaboration between Pharaoh Sanders on saxophone and the intense driving beats and rhythms of Morocco's Gnawa Sufi brotherhood. As others have noted, the result is a strange spiritual experience, but it works. It takes a certain amount of talent and sensitivity to be able to pull something like this off, but the musicians managed to do so on this album, and quite successfully I might add. Listening to it, one can easily be overwhelmed by the sheer powerful of this music - it is beautiful, devotional and innovative all at the same time. It is especially interesting to see how both traditions manage to complement each other without either overwhelming the other. All in all, a very well done effort. Perhaps those interested in this CD will also do further exploration of Sufi music, of which there are no shortage of commercially available recordings on the market today.

This is more than music...it's a ritual, a healing event. And this is some of the fiercest and most inspired blowing that Pharoah has done in a long time...reminicent of the old days actually.

This disc reproduces a meeting between Sanders and the master Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania. Gnawa people are Morrocan descendents of black African slaves, who have maintained a spiritual and musical tradition that is an amalgam of Sufi mysticism and elements of West African spirit religion. The music is haunting. It is a vocal music, driven by an instrument called the guimbri...a bass lute with gut stings and a head made out of camel hide. The musician plucks the strings and slaps the head to create a sound somewhere between a bass guitar and a drum. The rest of the ensemble consists of a responding chorus who accompany the music with hand claps and Krkaba, loudly resounding hand cymbals. The music is equal parts Sufi ceremonial music and West African drum ritual. On it's own the music is compelling.

But over top of this on many of the tracks on the album, Pharoah Sanders let's loose on some of the most firey, spirit filled improvisation that he's done since the late 60s. Not all of this is out...some is quite beautiful and very melodic. His ballad Peace in Essaouira is deeply moving. But even when he maintains tonal structures and specific pitches in his improvising, there is a spirit here which is bracing. And when he goes out....watch out! It's a true meeting of the two groups, not a gimmick.

This is an album that will give you energy and literally raise the spirits. I find that I can't keep still while listening to it. It is true trance music.

Truely a transcendental, wonderful, real emoting soundscape. I agree with all that was said by Chris, this is a great recording, a must have. Very spiritual with calming, even healing qualities. I have yet to find another recording that compares, the closest thing I uncovered was a Sub Rosa release Moroccan Trance Music SUFI (recommended!)

Originally recorded four years after the death of one of his major influences and collaborators, John Coltrane, this disc finds Pharoah Sanders exploring the depths of jazz. It makes one wonder if this is the direction Trane might have taken. The disc reflects his then recent stints with Alice Coltrane as this disc has spiritual overtones. The collection of musicians to make this disc is impressive. It features thirteen different musicians, including notables like Norman Connors on drums, Cecil McBee and Stanley Clark on bass, Sedatrius Brown on vocals and nice percussion work by Joe Bonner with Kylo Kylo adding a Eastern touch to the percussion. Recorded over a period of two years the personnel varies. The three part "Village of The Pharoahs" has Sanders playing a subdued Traneish soprano sax in the midst of some nice improvisational Eastern sounding music that goes to the edge , just peeks into the realm of avant garde, than retreats into peaceful melodic dronning music. If you are familiar with Sanders you know that sometimes his music is out there going into the chaos like an exploding nebula; there is not much of that on the title track-suite. Sanders allows the "Creator Has A Master Plan" vibe to roll on "Mansion worlds." The opening percussion and piano is very similar and invokes that gentle calm before the storm. When Sanders finally blows his soprano it builds in ferocity, not to the point of chaos but rather runs that are stimulating without irritating. The peaceful vibe triumphs and the emerging sax vanquished to a voice in a quiet whisper. It is a beautiful peace in which Stanley clark lays down some nice bass riffs in his own inimitable style. Pharoahs Sanders homage to jazz great Lee Morgan is all about serenity. It features flute (not by Sanders) and sax intermingling primarily to createa harmonious and composed tribute. All in all this is a lovely Sanders disc where his explorations are considerable in a amicable,mute style that reflects Sanders in some of his late period works. The one exception is "Went Like it Came" that is more free form jazz, with vocals that invoke a jazz rhythm and blues commingling. Well. "Myth" is a little far out too as Sanders trades jibberish vocals(not really scat) with Brown for what proves to be interesting but the best moments are without vocals. If you like the gentler side of Pharoah Sanders but still challenging than this disc might be for you. Other Sanders discs you might like include Karma,Tauhid or Love Will Find a Way which reflect different time periods in this Coltrane proteges career. Recommended for jazz aficionados who remember the spirit of John Coltrane.

Originally recorded four years after the death of one of his major influences and collaborators, John Coltrane, this disc finds Pharoah Sanders exploring the depths of jazz. It makes one wonder if this is the direction Trane might have taken. The disc reflects his then recent stints with Alice Coltrane as this disc has spiritual overtones. The collection of musicians to make this disc is impressive. It features thirteen different musicians, including notables like Norman Connors on drums, Cecil McBee and Stanley Clark on bass, Sedatrius Brown on vocals and nice percussion work by Joe Bonner with Kylo Kylo adding a Eastern touch to the percussion. Recorded over a period of two years the personnel varies. The three part "Village of The Pharoahs" has Sanders playing a subdued Traneish soprano sax in the midst of some nice improvisational Eastern sounding music that goes to the edge , just peeks into the realm of avant garde, than retreats into peaceful melodic dronning music. If you are familiar with Sanders you know that sometimes his music is out there going into the chaos like an exploding nebula; there is not much of that on the title track-suite. Sanders allows the "Creator Has A Master Plan" vibe to roll on "Mansion worlds." The opening percussion and piano is very similar and invokes that gentle calm before the storm. When Sanders finally blows his soprano it builds in ferocity, not to the point of chaos but rather runs that are stimulating without irritating. The peaceful vibe triumphs and the emerging sax vanquished to a voice in a quiet whisper. It is a beautiful peace in which Stanley clark lays down some nice bass riffs in his own inimitable style. Pharoahs Sanders homage to jazz great Lee Morgan is all about serenity. It features flute (not by Sanders) and sax intermingling primarily to createa harmonious and composed tribute. All in all this is a lovely Sanders disc where his explorations are considerable in a amicable,mute style that reflects Sanders in some of his late period works. The one exception is "Went Like it Came" that is more free form jazz, with vocals that invoke a jazz rhythm and blues commingling. Well. "Myth" is a little far out too as Sanders trades jibberish vocals(not really scat) with Brown for what proves to be interesting but the best moments are without vocals. If you like the gentler side of Pharoah Sanders but still challenging than this disc might be for you. Other Sanders discs you might like include Karma,Tauhid or Love Will Find a Way which reflect different time periods in this Coltrane proteges career. Recommended for jazz aficionados who remember the spirit of John Coltrane.

This CD could have been titled "the gentle side of Pharoah Sanders". Here is a beautiful collection of ballads, most of which were favorites of John Coltrane. If you like Pharoah's outside playing this might not be the best choice; there's none of that here. I like all of it, in and out, and he gets sounds out of his tenor that no else can, but on this date he treats the songs with reverent lyricism on both tenor and soprano. Great trio support also.

This CD has many similarities with the John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman CD and titled it Music of Incredible Beauty and Sensitivity. Each CD shares a moving version of the jazz ballad, My One and Only Love. There are more parallels. Coltrane himself recorded several of these tunes. Coltrane and Sanders collaborated in furious free-jazz explorations at the end of Trane's life. Sanders became famous within the jazz community for those recordings. However, he has explored music and the saxophone from then until now. This CD, recorded in 1990, issued in 1996, explores the gentler side of Pharoah Sanders, a jazz giant, communicating subtly and serenely.

Here, the musicians are a quartet. Sanders is on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Stafford James on bass and Eccleston W. Wainright, Jr. on drums. The included songs are standards and ballads, songs of love, tempos of reflection and deliberation, compositions clearly within the mainstream jazz tradition.

Sanders' performances are stunning. On tenor, his tone is lyrical and sure in his upper register, big, yet mellow in his lower one. His incredible technique is displayed not in furious runs but in exquisite note choices, the mark of the outstanding communicator as demonstrated in the art of the ballad. Sanders plays six of the eight cuts on tenor. On soprano, IMHO the most difficult of the saxophones to play with excellent tone and intonation, Sanders communicates with a warmth and tonal center that is unusual among present players and compares favorably to many soprano sax greats. Mr. Sanders lays claim to these tunes as his own - through subtle lines constructed inside the changes but unique in their beauty, romance and evocativeness. It's incredible to realize that a free-jazz explorer of fire and fury could choose to come around full circle and be equally inventive in a setting of deliberation and subtlety. Even the few free jazz effects, subtle warbling to end a couple of the cuts, are deployed gracefully. The opening cut, My One And Only Love is exceptionally beautiful in it's restatement of the melody and introspective solo and is my favorite, although the entire CD is uniformly great.

While cynics will cry that Pharoah is cashing in on his Coltrane connection, just listen and you will hear what a fantastically sensitive player Sanders is. Those who have listened to Sanders throughout the years already know this.

I like this CD for the same reasons Ballads is one of my favorite Trane CDs - Its is just so nice to listen to.