pharoah saunders

[Paul S]

this is a player that gets talked about very little, but i think he has something unique - particularly in his sound.

I have 2 albums: Journey to the One and Crescent with love (double album - Coltrane dedication. he played with coltrane quite a bit from what i read)

I've been listening to Journey to the One in my car ............LOUD!!! :twisted:

I wouldn't say his playing is pretty or impressive for the notes that he plays - but the sound he gets! so raw and emotive.... Those of you who have this album and have played the first track LOUD will know what i mean. I get an adrenalin rush and feel like partying just listening to this (who said sax had to be laid back)

Does anyone know if those shreaks he gets are just normal fingering overblown or is this an example of multiphonics? He uses quite a bit of harmonic overtone series stuff - and can pick this up quite easily, but there's something else going on as well?

For those of you tenor playes that are maybe feeling a little jaded and bored with your playing and want an exciting, raw, emotive, funky, danceable experience - go listen to this album.......wonderful! 8)

[Mike Ruhl]

Sanders, not Saunders.

[Mike Ruhl]

Here's a good little interview:

http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/jazz/note/sanders.html

[Paul S]

and i think i mispelled Pharoah :( . its Pharaoh in the dictionary

apologies Pharaoh Sanders, no disrespect intended

[Paul S]

thanks for the interview 8)

[Paul S]

Nope, its Pharoah on the CD cover.... maybe he mispelled it to? just kidding :lol:

[Ritchie]

Names are not often found in the dictionary... Pharoah Sanders is a great player. He started his career as one of the "New thing" players, played with Coltrane a lot. I think that's where his energetic way to play is rooted in.

[mr00420]

According to interviews w/ Coltrane during the time he was touring w/ his last band (Alice, Pharaoh, Ali, etc.) he said Pharaoh had really influenced his sound... meaning I think, that he really reinforced 'Trane's interest in letting loose w/ the multi-phonics, and playing a more "organic," less "orthodox" style on his horn. With this group 'Trane really totally ignored the standard limitations of the saxophone, and played it as a more "natural" instrument the way indigenous musicians would.

On one of web pages dedicated to him they speak briefly about his "spilt reed" technique. This may have been written by a non-musician/ sax player so it probably translates to: use of multi/harmonics.... but perhaps Pharaoh plays w/ chipped or split reeds in order to magnify the potential multi/harmonics available to him? Anyone know?

BTW, I haven't heard anything from P.S. in a while... does anyone know if he's still alive? I ask this b/c I just know found out that Thomas Chapin passed away in 1997, while I just though he was out of favor w/ the labels or something.

[SonnyMurphy]

Pharoah (from "Farrell" via Sun Ra) is very definitely alive. Continually making great records. There's a very good one (I think its called Spirits) made recently with 2 percussionists. His ballad records like "Welcome To Love" are incomparable. A far cry from his style in the Coltrane days, but his sound alone is somethin else...

[Paul S]

thanks - think its time to check out some more of his stuff. Which are considered the "must have" albums?

Karma seems to get most mention......others?

[mr00420]

Check out "Ask the Ages"... actually a Sonny Sharrock album w/ P. Sanders, Rasheed Ali, and Charnet Moffet. Electric, "Energy" music.

[SonnyMurphy]

My fave Pharoah's

Journey To the One
Welcome To Love
Karma
Spirits (?)

[hershel]

in 1994 pharoah sanders recorded the album 'the trance of seven colors' with the gnawa musicians of morocco. the gnawa play music as heavy as it gets. pharoah gets it.

[mr00420]

Anyone know about the "split reed" thing I mentioned in my above post?

[BayviewSax]

Anyone know about the "split reed" thing I mentioned in my above post?

When I first read that, I was about 12. I tried to physically split a rico royal and then play... results were poor to dreadful.

More on Pharoah: I saw him in Boston about 8 years ago. My only beef is when he tries to play tunes at a pace that he can't cut. Guitarist Mark Kopfler (sp?) has said he doesn't play fast because he can't. Pharoah should read that. As for the energy, the guy was unconscious. I've been hooked since I first heard Hum-Allah. Journey is by far his best album, and it's definately worthy of the ear-bleed setting on your volume dial. The Sonny Sharrock album referenced a few posts back is excellent, but it features Elvin, not Rashad Ali. Elvin is unconscious (as usual). If you can find a copy, check out Pharoah Live!. There is a 14-minute version of YOU GOTTA HAVE FREEDOM that has an energy level of about 103 on a scale of 1-10. John Hicks on piano, as usual, is the scwartz! Okay... I gotta stop here...

One more thing: A friend does some booking here in Maine and told me that Pharoah is more costly to book than Billy Harper. This, I don't get. I love both guys, but there is simply no comparison. Harper never rests on his laurels and his music is as alive, inspirational, and important as it was 30 years ago. So how come nobody's heard of him?

http://www.billyharper.com/

[mr00420]

You're right about the Elvin thing..sorry. I would definitely pay more money to see Pharoah than Billy Harper. That's like comparing apples and oranges... completely different styles; and I prefer Pharoah's.

[BayviewSax]

Good point, I hadn't really cosidered it in those terms. But it seems like there is a derth of serious tenor players out there. Pharoah, James Carter, Harper, Abraham Burton... I could come up with others, but, my point: What had shocked me is that Pharoah is roughly 3 times the cost of Billy, and my ears, as much as I love Pharoah, just don't hear it that way.

[mr00420]

Yeah... I guess your gig fees are only as big as your Rep. I used to see Leroy Vinnegar and his group in Port., OR for like $5 a gig... but they maybe a cut of the bar and played around town three or four nights a week.

[gyrofrog.com]

Definitely check out the CD "Solomon's Daughter" by Franklin Kiermyer, with Pharoah Sanders on sax. Very heavy, up there (out there) with "Ask the Ages."

I saw Pharoah at the Blue Note in NYC back in '96. Maybe he's just gettin' tired, but when he wasn't playing, he would rest against the piano and generally looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. I've read a couple of similar anecdotes. (OTOH I've seen a webcast of Sam Rivers, who is 10 or 15 years older than Paharoah, and he started out the set yellin' and screamin'...)

[BayviewSax]

I think Rivers qualifies as being a bit more of a heavy weight (especially now). Sam's been strange for over 50 years, but always been authentic. I've seen and heard Pharoah when he was just picking up a check. If you want a hoot, find the *rare* recording of Sam Rivers with Miles (I believe post-Mobley, pre-George Coleman).

[Kritavi]

I saw Pharoah and Ravi Coltrane in the band of my dear friend guitarist Tisziji Munoz Tuesday night at the Village Underground in NYC. Both horn players as well as the rest of the cats (Paul Shaffer, Don Pate, Rashied Ali) were in exceptional form. Pharoah was firery and beautiful all at once. This cat is not too old or too tired to throw down and take it out in an amazing way, far from it. I wish I could think of one young cat with his soul, his sound and his wisdom. Sam Rivers is one of the few peers for this great musician.

As for Ravi what great playing in the company of these masters. A great dark sound and he does not sound or play like his father. A very warm gracious and humble person, it was a pleasure to hang with him for a little while.

As to essential Pharoah recordings you should include this new one Divine Radiance with the above band as well as Cecil McBee on bass also. It is a Dreyfus Jazz label recording under the name Tisziji Munoz. Pharoahs best playing context in many years.

[Vortex]

Some of my "Essential Pharoah" list:

Hopefully some of these are new discoveries for listeners.

Venus (I think that's the title) - From the Live in Washington D.C. album. It's basically a modern, pumped up version of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Just wait till about 6 minutes in when Pharaoh executes what's possibly one of his most magical, fierce shrieks ever - it WILL give you goosebumps! After awhile Pharaoh goes acapella with some mad key-pressing noise, then fires the BBQ back up and the song resumes. Ending is kinda strange, but still cool. Turn this one up LOUD, sit back and enjoy

The Creator Has a Master Plan - From the Karma album. It's just a classic. No comparison. Pure artistry and bliss. THE song!

Nozipho - Not sure what album this is from. An unusual backdrop for Pharaoh's music, but a very smooth song that takes you on one cool journey.

Morning in Soweto - From the Spirits album. Just Pharaoh and some (African?) drums. A whole lot neater than you'd think.

This Is Madness - Doesn't really *feature* Pharaoh, but nevertheless... who wants pervasive lyrics and some hot fire?

- - - - - -

I'm really fascinated by this player. Truly one-of-a-kind.

[Leon]

" a friend does some booking here in Maine and told me that Pharoah is more costly to book than Billy Harper. This, I don't get. I love both guys, but there is simply no comparison. Harper never rests on his laurels and his music is as alive, inspirational, and important as it was 30 years ago. So how come nobody's heard of him?

Back in the the 70's, when I was working the door at the Jazz Workshop in Boston, my best friend was an assistant manager there, and between the two of us we sometimes were able to chat with the musicians who worked there. Musicians expressed happiness at working with Pharoah because he always made sure they were well taken care of, and even asked then outright if they were okay with the amount of money he was paying them. So, maybe he Pharoah charges more because he pays his band members more.

Billy Harper - yes, wow, a serious important musician and person, and what a powerful Texas tenor he is - thanks for mentioning him. He has that slashing texas tenor sound of another Texas tenorman, Booker Ervin, don't you think?

[littlemanbighorn]

I think Rivers qualifies as being a bit more of a heavy weight (especially now). Sam's been strange for over 50 years, but always been authentic. I've seen and heard Pharoah when he was just picking up a check. If you want a hoot, find the *rare* recording of Sam Rivers with Miles (I believe post-Mobley, pre-George Coleman).


As much as I love his playing and writing, I saw an extremely uninspired gig that Sam Rivers played with his band. They all had multiple doubles and as much as they had some proficiency on all of them, they didn't have much to say on most of them and seemed to be screwing around more than playing a serious, focussed gig.

[Lenny]

I love one of his recent albums "Crescent with Love" which is a collection of standards and coltrane ballads. His "Misty" is beautiful, my favorite.
His phrazing is still about as close to Trane as you can get on earth these days, but its still got Pharoah's own stamp. Its his sound and conviction that are so deep. I don't know anybody else with that strength.