MEDIUM Vinyl Record
WEIGHT 2 x 180gr (black Vinyl) 33rpm
CONDITION sealed
COVER Gatefold
CONDITION COVER M mint
COVER DAMAGES No, we take care about that
SERIALNUMBER No
LIMITED Yes
MISCELLANEOUS Stereo
MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE --
Pharoah Sanders - tenor sax, tambura, sleigh bells
Eddie Henderson - flugelhorn (tracks 2, 6)
John Hicks - piano (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
Joe Bonner - piano, electric piano (track 4, 9)
Bedria Sanders - harmonium (track 5)
Paul Arslanian - harmonium, wind chimes (track 3)
Mark Isham - synthesizer (track 9)
James Pomerantz - sitar (track 5)
Yoko Ito Gates - koto (track 3)
Chris Hayes - guitar (track 10)
Carl Lockett - guitar (tracks 1, 7, 9)
Ray Drummond - bass (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
Joy Julks - bass (track 9)
Idris Muhammad - drums (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
Randy Merritt - drums (track 9)
Phil Ford - tabla (track 5)
Babatunde Lea - shekere, congas (track 9)
Dee Dee Dickerson - vocals (tracks 6, 9)
Bobby McFerrin - vocals (tracks 6, 9)
Vicki Randle- vocals (tracks 6, 9)
Ngoh Spencer - vocals (tracks 6, 9)
Claudette Allen - vocals (track 9)
greetings to idris - 7:28
doktor pitt - 12:13
kazuko - 8:07
after the rain - 5:36
soledad - 4:56
you've got to have freedom - 6:48
yemenja - 5:35
it's easy to remember - 6:32
think about the one - 4:15
bedria - 10:30
By 1980 when this was originally released Pharoah Sanders was solidly entrenched with his own voice on tenor
The passing of John Coltrane and Sanders's fruitful years of playing with the prolific saxophone genius resulted with an unmistakable influence on his sound and explorations of the instrument
Beginning with "Greetings To Idris" the structure of the music is one that follows tradition yet opens up for the musicians to improvise within the arrangements
"Greetings To Idris" is in reference to the featured drummer Idris Muhammad who also played with Coltrane during his late period
Naturally Sanders is featured as the main instrument and his horn can be bold and demanding of your full attention
Always interested in other instruments from other cultures, much like Trane, he incorporates the Japanese instrument the koto, a beautifully harmonic stringed instrument to counter his soft rich blowing on tenor with only wind chimes and a harmonium for a delicious peaceful bit of music on "Kazuko" (Peace Child) that has the qualities of a meditative offering
Most of the music, eight tracks, is composed and arranged by Sanders and demonstrates his leadership
There is one John Coltrane composition entitled "After The Rain" that gets the Tranesque treatment by Sanders that makes it hard for even the most discerning listener to distinguish between the original version and Sanders impression
It is a bluesy duet featuring only sax and piano and leaves you wanting to hear it over and over again because of it's simple and haunting melodies
Another song that Coltrane recorded entitled "Easy To Remember" has a gentle swing to it built around a classic quartet (drums, bass, piano, sax) like that employed by Coltrane that results in a superb standard
Sanders incorporates the use of another 'foreign' instrument to jazz by working in a tabla and sitar on "Soledad " that takes center stage before Sanders joins in on the music
The result is a thing of genius as the East and West merge and interface for composition that is peaceful
Sanders music on this LP fluctuates between the tranquil sounds of his mellow horn to the outer limits where he left off with the explorations of Trane's late period
What separates this LP from others is that it is a group playing under his leadership where he gives all others close to equal billing
The uptempo, "You've Got To Have freedom" is one such song where Sanders gets out there on some of his solos but works within the group structure as the other musicians, most notably Eddie Henderson on flugelhorn, bring the music back home
There is a chorus sung much of the time throughout where the the proclamation »Ya gotta have peace and love, ya gotta have freedom« is presented in Manhattan Transfer style but with much more soul
The use of vocalists is done again on the track entitled "Think About The One"
The chorus features vocalese specialist Bobby McFerrin
This LP shows the different sides of Pharoah Sanders, a man always willing to explore the music, explore his soul and share it with you
The closing track "Bedria" is a mellow exploration of the various ranges of the tenor
It is a ten minute song that displays all the grace of his being, a gentle giant who can manipulate the horn to do extraordinary things, reverberating out and back in undulating waves of harmonic bliss
Sanders on this LP is next to perfect
One of his best recording from his post Impulse career
It belongs in your jazz collection right next to John Coltrane
RECORDING December 1979 in San Francisco, CA
ENGINEERING Mark Needham
LABEL Theresa
RE MASTERING Ray Staff
RE RELEASED 2020
AVERAGE RATING 4 ½ Stars out of 5
PRESSING by Pallas
MADE IN England / Germany
STYLE Jazz / Modal Jazz
AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
