Pharoah Sanders

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Pharoah Sanders (b. 1940) is a U.S. jazz saxophonist.

Sanders was born on 13th October 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas, under the name Farrell Sanders. He began his professional career playing tenor saxophone in Oakland, California.

Sanders moved to New York City in 1962. He received his nickname “Pharoah” from Sun Ra, with whom Sanders performed. He came to prominence playing with John Coltrane’s band starting in 1965, as Coltrane began experimenting with the music which would soon become known as avant-garde jazz.

Although he developed a slightly different style from Coltrane, Sanders was strongly influenced by their collaboration together. Sanders was also greatly influenced by Coltrane’s earlier works (in which Sanders did not collaborate), particularly A Love Supreme. Spiritual elements such as the chanting in A Love Supreme would later show up in many of Sanders’ own works. Sanders would also go on to produce much free jazz, being influenced by his free jazz collaborations with Coltrane, particularly Coltrane’s most notable free-jazz work, Ascension (1965), as well as their dual-tenor recording Meditations (1965).

In 1968 he participated in Mike Mantler & Carla Bley’s JCOA: Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Association album Communications featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri. This solo has been referred to by John Zorn and others as the most intense and inspiring free tenor solo ever put to tape.

In the 1970s, Sanders pursued his own recordings and continued to work with the likes of Alice Coltrane on her Journey in Satchidananda album.
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  • Thembi
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  • Karma
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  • Africa
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  • Live
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  • acid_porno

    this guy is a beast

    22 days ago

  • nigel_vs_shark

    "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord" just floors me every time I listen to it.

    February 2012

  • fergalmc

    Black Unity is a landmark recording.

    January 2012

  • Theeboon

    Pharoah Sanders at his best is the sound of screaming horses galloping in Romantic landscapes, the true sound of freedom and beauty fueled by both anger and bliss. Sometimes both at once, other times as a logical continuation of these conflicting emotions that arise out of living in the modern world.

    January 2012

  • optimistic_tour

    btw Black Unity = AMAZING. also it has no vocals so listen away without fear! The keyboard drone and percussion interplay is head spinning crazy

    January 2012

  • optimistic_tour

    "The Creator Has A Master Plan" wouldn't be the same without the vocals [2] no shit, you just need to readjust the way you enjoy some music if a single aspect bothers you but the rest is something you treasure. once your perception has shifted, you're able to fully let the beauty in

    January 2012

  • robbyb0t

    listening to Karma as the first album I've heard in 2012, how fitting.

    January 2012

  • MsGreenEyes

    http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lweh4al3DH1qcbngjo1_400.jpg

    December 2011
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