Pharoah Sanders

Date: 1970
Release: IMPULSE #265
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A passionate recording from the greatest disciple of John Coltrane. The two side-long performances of “Summun, Bukmun, Umyon” and “Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord” stetch and flow forward in spirited abandon. Pharoah’s passion is sustained and heightened by supportive rhythm section comprised of pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Clifford Jarvis, and two percussionists. Sticking strictly to the soprano sax, Pharoah shows little of the cacaphonous ferocity for which he is so well known. Instead, he builds majestically on an intensely hypnotic rhythm that throbs with a strong African vibe. The vastly underrated Woody Shaw adds his shimmering trumpet to this potent mixture. Deaf Dumb Blind brimms with creative energy and drive, and thus makes it the best place to begin for those unacquainted with this living legend of the saxophone.

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Date: 1972
Release: Impulse #9233 (lp)
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Living up to the promise of its title, Pharoah Sanders‘ Wisdom Through Music delivers just that. Although he made a name for himself as a fiercely expressionistic, almost anarchic tenor saxophonist in John Coltrane’s later bands, the music on this album is guided by gentler passions. More reflective of Pharoah’s Eastern-looking musical collaborations with Coltrane’s widow, Alice, Wisdom Through Music manages to soothe the soul without sacrificing any of the intensity that defined his earlier work as Trane’s apprentice. Much like his previous Impulse! LP, Black Unity, this 1972 offering finds Sanders and his group weaving together cosmic musical mood collages in front of which the occasional solo peaks out. What makes this record so unique is the strong emphasis on song over solo.

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