Pharoah sanders rip

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Sun Ra Arkestra
@SunRaUniverse

Pharoah Sanders Sun Ra Arkestra alumnus has departed this planet.
Oct 13 1940 - Sept 24 2022 Deepest Condolescences to all family and friends... He will be greatly missed.

RIP.

Guardian just now...

"Pharaoh Sanders, revered American jazz saxophonist, has died aged 81. The news was confirmed by Sanders’ label, Luaka Bop, on Twitter. “We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” the label’s statement read. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.”

[Joseph K]

RIP

Obviously Trane saw something in his playing, but IMO some of the quality of late Trane is compromised by Sanders going on for too long.

This features Sanders at his best -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHgPZfNlI6I

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Yes, maybe now is not the time, but a lot of the later spiritual stuff, the bells, the chanting, just didn't work for me, although I respect the sincerity. I saw him c. 40 years ago on the same bill as McCoy Tyner's trio with Louis Hayes, and while they were utterly magnificent, massive energy, Pharoah was sleep inducing. Maybe an off night or tour fatigue.

[eighthobstruction]

[Tenor Freak]

Journey to the One is the one for me. Here is one of the more straight-ahead tracks on this double-LP with John Hicks p, Ray Drummond b, Idris Muhammad d and Carl Lockett g.

RIP Pharoah S, wish I'd got 'round to seeing you live. Time to move on to the next phase of your cosmic journey.

[Tenor Freak]

...and at the other end of this album is this: I shouldn't like it, but I do. A masterpiece, with same personnel as above but guitar played by Chris Hayes.

[Joseph K]

Now playing: Thembi

On the suggestion of the Music Aficionado facebook page. Was surprised to hear much of the textural extended-techniques of his time with Trane reappear on the second track of this album. Will report back more later.

[Old Grumpy]

Yes, a sad loss.


What an innings, though.

[Jazzrook]

'Crescent With Love' is one of my favourite albums of his recorded in 1992.
Here's a wonderful version of Coltrane's 'Wise One' with William Henderson(piano), Charles Fambrough (bass) & Sherman Ferguson(drums):

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=-gMvHusU7WE

RIP Pharoah

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

I find Pharoah Sanders to be a difficult musician to pigeon hole. I agree with Bruce's comment about that album albeit I always hugely enjoy the "Peace & Love" track. However, I can also understand the point of view offered by Bluesnik. The "Astral-jazz" stuff quickly loses it's appeal when you appreciate that so much just consists of two chord vamps and the whole style has been plagarised so much that it has now become something of a cliche - a cypher for something deep and spiritual that can quickly be called up by musicians looking to appear to be sincere. I totally understand the irritation with the little bells and percussion and whenever I hear Sanders, I always think that the AEOC used these instruments far more imaginatively. The more coruscating elements of his playing can be found on the excellent "Ask the ages" album by Sonny Sharrock although i would argue that this is a hugely accessible record.

Despite these reservations, there is something about his tone which owes as much to Ben Webster as John Coltrane. I find his tenor playing to be almost over-ripe and this made him immediately recognisable. For this reason, he is far easier on the ear than say Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp and I would argue that a lot of the appeal of his music is was that it was very approachable. His tone is not strident and if you are used to the generation of tenor titans from the mid 1930s onwards, you are not going to be put out by much of his work. The modest nature of how he composed ensured that he could take a broad audience with him who might have been affronted by players like Roscoe Mitchell. If anything in the avant garde might be considered to have been popularist, I think it was certainly Sanders. I feel that there are records where he has worked within a more mainstream environment that have better show-cased his mettle. The fact that groove was such an element of his music too also helped bring his audience along with him.

Having seen him live albeit when he was already in mid mid-seventies, I think that , like Shepp, the music has moved on and there are saxophonists working in the avant garde who you could argue have taken the music to a technically higher level. That said, I would argue that none of that have managed to take an audience more used to "pop" music on the same journey. I would argue that the only other name to have acheived this would be Sun Ra. If you like, Sanders was a musician associated with the avant garde whose appeal to other musicians and fans was not limited to the jazz fraternity. Pharoah Sanders was the welcoming face of the avant garde.

[elmo]

I bought this Pharoah album when it came out in the 70's and and I really liked it and still do, lots of this kind of thing haven't stood the test of time but this is special.

https://youtu.be/ii63fKLTSuU

elmo

[Joseph K]

I think Sanders sounds pretty strident in his playing with Coltrane.

Like I say, obviously Coltrane liked him but to me the fact that they both play the same instrument just served to show how much a greater player Trane was.

I listened to Thembi but wasn't impressed. He seems to go between vaguely commercial two-chord vamps as Ian says and harsh timbral playing... neither of which I found engaging.

Ian wrote:

If you like, Sanders was a musician associated with the avant garde whose appeal to other musicians and fans was not limited to the jazz fraternity. Pharoah Sanders was the welcoming face of the avant garde.

I disagree, I don't find Sanders welcoming either in his earlier stuff or ostensibly softer later stuff. John Coltrane was the 'welcoming face of the avant-garde' to me if by 'welcoming' you mean incredible genius!

Sorry, I don't mean to slag him off. Will check out the other selections posted on here later. I'm currently listening to Gurrelieder.

[eighthobstruction]

I bought this Pharoah album when it came out in the 70's and and I really liked it and still do, lots of this kind of thing haven't stood the test of time but this is special.

https://youtu.be/ii63fKLTSuU

elmo

yes I like that album (I'd buy buy I'm skint)....I like Bennie Maupin output from same era....what I call Sunday afternoon relaxing music perhaps with a little Anthony Braxton to liven if necc'....

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

He does seem to have had a big appeal to people who were not primarily jazz orientated. Oddly enough from quite a few journalists I've seen posting today, people I doubt very much would feel the same way (or know) about say Jackie McLean, Wayne or similar. Maybe later Don Cherry is another example of someone who developed this wider persona, and what I find off putting is precisely what attracts them.

Did he do the "back to bop" thing at any time as Shepp did? I haven't listened that closely.

[Joseph K]

Did he do the "back to bop" thing at any time as Shepp did? I haven't listened that closely.

Here he is playing Giant Steps - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TXzz4Kf1II