This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2022) |
Pharoah Sanders(bornFerrell Lee Sanders;October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an Americanjazzsaxophonist. Known for hisoverblowing,harmonic, andmultiphonictechniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound",Sanders played a prominent role in the development offree jazzandspiritual jazzthrough his work as a member ofJohn Coltrane's groups in the mid-1960s, and later through his solo work. He released more than thirty albums as a leader and collaborated extensively with vocalistLeon Thomasand pianistAlice Coltrane,among many others. Fellow saxophonistOrnette Colemanonce described him as "probably the besttenorplayer in the world ".[1]
Pharoah Sanders | |
|---|---|
 Sanders in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ferrell Lee Sanders |
| Born | October 13, 1940 Little Rock, Arkansas,U.S. |
| Died | September 24, 2022(aged 81) Los Angeles,California,U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,spiritual jazz,free jazz,avant-garde jazz,world fusion,ethno jazz,post-bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader |
| Instrument | |
| Years active | 1964–2022 |
| Labels | Douglas,Theresa,Impulse!,Strata East,Luaka Bop |
Sanders' take on spiritual jazz was rooted in his inspiration from religious concepts such askarmaandtawhid,and his rich, meditative performance aesthetic.[2]This style was seen as a continuation of Coltrane's work on albums such asA Love Supreme.[3]As a result, Sanders was considered to have been a disciple of Coltrane or, asAlbert Aylersaid, "Trane was theFather,Pharoah wasthe Son,I amthe Holy Ghost".[4]
Early life
editPharoah Sanders was born on October 13, 1940, inLittle Rock, Arkansas.[5]His mother worked as a cook in a school cafeteria, and his father worked for the City of Little Rock. An only child, Sanders began his musical career accompanying church hymns on clarinet. His initial artistic accomplishments were in the visual arts,[6]but when he was atScipio Jones High SchoolinNorth Little Rock,Sanders began playing the tenor saxophone.
After graduating from high school in 1959, Sanders moved toOakland, California,where he lived with relatives. He briefly studied art and music atOakland City College.[7][8][9]He has earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from an unknown art institution.
Career
edit
1960s
editPharoah Sanders began his professional career playingtenor saxophonein Oakland, then moved to New York City in 1962.[10]Sun Ra'sbiographer wrote that Sanders was often homeless and Ra gave him a place to live, clothes, and encouraged him to use the name "Pharoah".[11]According to Sanders himself his grandmother had wanted to call him afterpharaohs in the Biblebut chose Ferrell instead. Upon joining the New York musicians' union, Sanders chose "Pharoah" as an artist name. Initially it was sometimes misspelled as "pharaoh".[12]
By 1963, he was playing with musicians likeBilly HigginsandDon Cherryand had caught the attention ofEric DolphyandJohn Coltrane.[10]In 1965, he became a member of Coltrane's band, as the latter gravitated towards theavant-garde jazzofAlbert Ayler,[13]Sun Ra, andCecil Taylor.Sanders first recorded with Coltrane onAscension(recorded in June 1965), then on their dual-tenor albumMeditations(recorded in November 1965). After this, Sanders joined Coltrane's final quintet, usually playing long,dissonantsolos. Coltrane's later style was influenced by Sanders.[14]
Although Sanders' voice developed differently from John Coltrane's, Sanders was influenced by their collaboration. Spiritual elements such as the chanting inOmwould later show up in many of Sanders' own works. Sanders would also go on to produce muchfree jazz,modified from Coltrane's solo-centric conception. In 1968, he participated inMichael MantlerandCarla Bley'sJazz Composer's Orchestra AssociationalbumThe Jazz Composer's Orchestra,featuringCecil Taylor,Don Cherry,Larry Coryell,andGato Barbieri.[5]
Pharoah's first album,Pharoah's First,was not what he expected. The musicians playing with him were much more straightforward than Sanders, which made the solos played by the other musicians a bit out of place.[citation needed]Starting in 1966 Sanders signed withImpulse!and recordedTauhid,released the following year. The years Sanders spent with the label were both a commercial and critical success.[10]
1970s and 1980s
editIn the 1970s, Sanders continued to produce his own recordings and also continued to work withAlice Coltraneon herJourney in Satchidanandaalbum. Most of Sanders' best-selling work was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s forImpulse Records,including the 30-minute wave-on-wave of free jazz "The Creator Has a Master Plan" from the albumKarma.This composition featured vocalistLeon Thomas's unique, "umbo weti" yodeling,[15]and Sanders' key musical partner, pianistLonnie Liston Smith,who worked with Sanders from 1969 to 1971. Other members of his groups in this period include bassistCecil McBee,on albums such asJewels of Thought,Izipho Zam,Deaf Dumb Blind,andThembi.
Although supported by African-American radio, Sanders' brand of brave free jazz became less popular. From the experiments with African rhythms on the 1971 albumBlack Unity(with bassistStanley Clarke) onwards he began to diversify his sound. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Sanders explored different musical modes includingR&B(Love Will Find a Way),modal jazz,andhard bop.Sanders left Impulse! in 1973 and explored various other labels, such asTheresain 1980, which was sold toEvidencein 1991.
1990s
editIn 1992, Sanders appeared on a reissue (Ed Kelly and Pharoah Sanders) for the Evidence label of a recording that he completed for Theresa Records in 1979 entitledEd Kelly and Friend.The 1992 version contains extra tracks which feature Pharoah's pupilRobert Stewart.In 1994, Sanders traveled toMoroccoto record theBill Laswell-produced albumThe Trance Of Seven ColorswithGnawamusicianMahmoud Guinia.The same year, he appeared on theRed Hot OrganizationalbumStolen Moments: Red Hot + Coolon the track "This is Madness" withUmar Bin HassanandAbiodun Oyewoleand on the bonus track "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Trip Hop Remix)." The album was named "Album of the Year" byTime.He also collaborated with drummer–composerFranklin Kiermyeron Kiermyer's albumSolomon's Daughter,also released on the Evidence label (re-released with 3 previously unreleased tracks on the Dot Time label in 2019).
Sanders's major-label return came in 1995 when Verve Records releasedMessage from Home,followed bySave Our Children(1998). But again, Sanders's disgust with the recording business prompted him to leave the label. Sanders worked with Laswell,Jah Wobble,and others on the albumsMessage From Home(1996) andSave Our Children(1999). In 1999, he complained in an interview that despite his pedigree, he had trouble finding work.[16]In 1997 he was featured on severalTisziji Muñozalbums which includeRashied Ali.
2000s and 2020s
editIn the 2000s, a resurgence of interest in jazz kept Sanders playing festivals including the 2004Bluesfest Byron Bay,the 2007Melbourne Jazz Festival,and the 2008Big Chill Festival,concerts, and releasing albums. He has a strong following in Japan, and in 2003 recorded with the bandSleep Walker.In 2000, Sanders releasedSpiritsand, in 2003, a live album titledThe Creator Has a Master Plan.He was awarded anNEAJazz Masters Fellowship for 2016 and was honored at a tribute concert in Washington DC on April 4, 2016.[17]
In 2020, Sanders recorded an album titledPromises,with the Englishelectronic musicproducerFloating Pointsand theLondon Symphony Orchestra.It was released in March 2021, the first major new album by Sanders in nearly two decades.[18][19]It was widely acclaimed, withPitchforkdeclaring it "a clear late-career masterpiece".[20]
Death
editSanders died on September 24, 2022, at his home inLos Angelesat the age of 81.[9][21]
Discography
editAs leader
edit| Title | Year Recorded | Year Released | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharoah's First(also released asPharoahandPharoah Sanders Quintet) | 1964 | 1965 | ESP-Disk |
| Tauhid | 1966 | 1967 | Impulse! |
| Karma | 1969 | 1969 | |
| Jewels of Thought | |||
| Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) | 1970 | 1970 | |
| Thembi | 1970–1971 | 1971 | |
| Black Unity | 1971 | ||
| Live at the East | 1972 | ||
| Wisdom Through Music | 1972 | 1973 | |
| Izipho Zam (My Gifts) | 1969 | Strata-East | |
| Village of the Pharoahs | 1971–1973 | Impulse! | |
| Love in Us All | 1972-73 | 1974 | |
| Elevation | 1973 | ||
| Pharoah | 1976 | 1977 | India Navigation |
| Love Will Find a Way | 1977 | Arista | |
| Journey to the One | 1979 | 1980 | Theresa |
| Beyond a Dream | 1978 | 1981 | Arista |
| Rejoice | 1981 | 1981 | Theresa |
| Pharoah Sanders Live... | 1982 | ||
| Heart Is a Melody | 1982 | 1983 | |
| Shukuru | 1981 | 1985 | |
| Africa | 1987 | 1987 | Timeless |
| Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong | Doctor Jazz | ||
| A Prayer Before Dawn | Theresa | ||
| Moon Child | 1989 | 1989 | Timeless |
| Welcome to Love | 1990 | 1991 | |
| Crescent with Love | 1992 | 1993 | Venus;Evidence |
| Ballads with Love(compilation / reissue) | 1994 | Venus | |
| Message from Home | 1996 | 1996 | Verve |
| Save Our Children | 1997 | 1998 | |
| Spirits | 1998 | 2000 | Meta |
| The Creator Has a Master Plan | 2003 | 2003 | Venus |
| With a Heartbeat | Evolver Records | ||
| Promises | 2019-20 | 2021 | Luaka Bop |
| In the Beginning 1963-1964(4 CD compilation) | 1963–1964 | 2012 | ESP-Disk |
| Live at Antibes Jazz Festival Juan-Les-Pins July 21, 1968(Unofficial / bootleg) | 1968 | 2019 | Alternative Fox |
| Live in Paris (1975) (Lost ORTF Recordings) | 1975 | 2020 | Transversales Disques |
| Live At Fabrik Hamburg 1980 | 1980 | 2023 | Jazzline |
| Oyster Club, Nice, France Fm 18/07/1971(Unofficial / bootleg) | 1971 | 2023 | WHP |
As sideman
edit- withJohn Coltrane
- Ascension(Impulse!, 1965)
- Live In Seattle(Impulse!, 1965)
- Om(Impulse!, 1965)
- A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle(Impulse!, 1965)
- Kulu Sé Mama(Impulse!, 1965)
- Selflessness: Featuring My Favorite Things(Impulse!, 1965)
- Meditations(Impulse!, 1965)
- Live at the Village Vanguard Again!(Impulse!, 1966)
- Live In Japan(Impulse!, 1966)
- Offering: Live at Temple University(Impulse!, 1966)
- Expression(Impulse!, 1967)
- The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording(Impulse!, 1967)
- withDon Cherry
- Symphony for Improvisers(Blue Note, 1966)
- Where Is Brooklyn?(Blue Note, 1967)
- withAlice Coltrane
- A Monastic Trio(Impulse!, 1968)
- Ptah, the El Daoud(Impulse!, 1970)
- Journey in Satchidananda(Impulse!, 1970)
- Carnegie Hall '71(Hi Hat, 2018)
- The Carnegie Hall Concert(Impulse!, 2024)
- withKenny Garrett
- Beyond the Wall(Nonesuch,2006)
- Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium(Mack Avenue,2008)
- withNorman Connors
- Romantic Journey(Buddah 1977)
- This Is Your Life(Buddah 1978)
- Remember Who You Are(MoJazz 1993)
- withTisziji Muñoz
- Visiting This Planet(Anami Music, 1980's)
- River of Blood(Anami Music, 1997)
- Present Without a Trace(Anami Music, 1980's)
- Spirit World(Anami Music, 1997)
- Divine Radiance(Dreyfus/Anami Music, 2003)
- Divine Radiance Live!(Anami Music, 2013)
- Mountain Peak(Anami Music, 2014)
- withMcCoy Tyner
- Love & Peace(Trio 1982)
- Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane(Impulse!, 1987)
- withRandy Weston
- The Spirits of Our Ancestors(Verve 1992)
- Khepera(Verve 1998)
- with others
- 1964 –Sun Ra–Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold
- 1965 –Ornette Coleman–Chappaqua Suite(Columbia)
- 1968 –Michael Mantler–Jazz Composer's Orchestra–The Jazz Composer's Orchestra(JCOA)
- 1968 –Gary Bartz–Another Earth(Milestone)
- 1969 –Leon Thomas–Spirits Known and Unknown(Flying Dutchman)
- 1971 – The Latin Jazz Quintet –Oh! Pharoah Speak(Trip) reissued in 1973 asSpotlight on Pharoah Sanders with the Latin Jazz Quintet
- 1973 –Larry Young–Lawrence of Newark(Perception)
- 1979 – Ed Kelly –Ed Kelly & Friend(Theresa Records)
- 1979 –Hilton Ruiz–Fantasia(Denon)
- 1980 –Idris Muhammad–Kabsha(Theresa)
- 1984 –Benny Golson–This Is for You, John(Baystate)
- 1985 –Art Davis–Life(Soul Note)
- 1991 –Sonny Sharrock–Ask the Ages(Axiom)
- 1992 – Ed Kelly –Ed Kelly and Pharoah Sanders(Evidence Records) withRobert Stewart (saxophonist)
- 1992 – New York Unit –Over the Rainbow(Paddle Wheel)
- 1994 –Franklin Kiermyer–Solomon's Daughter
- 1994 –Bheki Mseleku–Timelessness(Verve)
- 1994 – MaleemMahmoud Ghania–The Trance of Seven Colors(Axiom)
- 1995 –Aïyb Dieng–Rhythmagick
- 1996 –Jah Wobble–Heaven & Earth(Island)
- 1997 –Wallace Roney–Village(Warner Bros.)
- 1997 –Music Revelation Ensemble–Cross Fire(DIW)
- 1998 –Terry Callier–Time Peace(Verve)
- 2000 –Alex Blake–Now Is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory
- 2000 –Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio –Africa N'Da Blues(Delmark)
- 2001 –Gigi (singer)-Gigi (Guramayle)
- 2004 –David Murray–Gwotet(Justin Time)
- 2005 –Will Calhoun–Native Lands
- 2008 – Sleep Walker –Into the Sun(inThe Voyage)
- 2014 –Chicago Underground/São Paulo Underground –Spiral Mercury
- 2019 –Joey DeFrancesco–In the Key of the Universe
- 2021 –Floating Pointsand theLondon Symphony Orchestra–Promises
References
edit- ^King, Daniel (June 24, 2011)."Tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders burst through the gates in John Coltrane's group. Pharoah's children are Ferrell Jr, Fazal, Muzill Lumkile, Farah, Hadiya, Tomoki, and Naima. At 79, he's going strong".The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^Farberman, Brad (November 29, 2017)."Review: Pharoah Sanders LPs Resurrect Early Spiritual-Jazz Classics".Rolling Stone.RetrievedNovember 7,2019.
- ^Dineen, Donal."Donal Dineen's Sunken Treasure: 'Karma' by Pharoah Sanders (1969)".The Irish Times.RetrievedNovember 7,2019.
- ^"Albert Ayler: Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost album review".Allaboutjazz.October 31, 2004.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
- ^abColin Larkin,ed. (1992).The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.p. 2184.ISBN0-85112-939-0.
- ^Friedman, Nathaniel (January 12, 2020).""If You're in the Song, Keep on Playing": An Interview With Pharoah Sanders ".The New Yorker.RetrievedSeptember 26,2022.
- ^Parkins, Hannah (2020)."Pharoah Sanders".The Oakland Artists Project.RetrievedSeptember 30,2022.
- ^Flanagan, Andrew; Chinen, Nate (September 24, 2022)."Pharoah Sanders, giant of spirit-driven jazz, dies at 81".NPR.RetrievedSeptember 30,2022.
- ^abCorcoran, Nina (September 24, 2022)."Pharoah Sanders dies at 81".Pitchfork.RetrievedSeptember 30,2022.
- ^abcCrépon, Pierre (September 2022)."Let it end some kind of way: Pharoah Sanders (1940–2022)".The Wire.
- ^Swzed, John F. (August 22, 1998).Space is the place: the lives and times of Sun Ra(1st ed.). Pantheon Books. p. 197.ISBN0-306-80855-2.
- ^DiMartino, Dave (September 27, 2022)."'I Just Have To Make Sure I Mean Every Note…' Pharoah Sanders Remembered ".Mojo.RetrievedDecember 22,2023.
- ^Nisenson, Eric (2009)Ascension: John Coltrane and His Quest,p.150. Da Capo Press.At Google Books. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
- ^Patton, Alli (September 28, 2022)."5 Celestial Live Performances in Honor of Late Jazz Legend Pharaoh Sanders".American Songwriter.
- ^Shanley, Mike (November 11, 2010)."Jazz legend Pharoah Sanders joins Pittsburgh musicians for his first area show in decades".Pittsburgh City Paper.RetrievedDecember 18,2010.
- ^"A Fireside Chat With Pharoah Sanders article".Allaboutjazz.March 21, 2003.RetrievedAugust 9,2020.
- ^"The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert".Jazz Night in America.NPR.RetrievedApril 27,2016.
- ^"Promises, by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra".
- ^Russonello, Giovanni (March 25, 2021)."Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points Meet in the Atmosphere".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 8,2021.
- ^"Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / The London Symphony Orchestra: Promises".Pitchfork.
- ^Pareles, Jon (September 24, 2022)."Pharoah Sanders, whose saxophone was a force of nature, dies at 81".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 25,2022.
