PHAROAH SANDERS - Save Our Children (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Back with Bill Laswell after their ecstatically successful pan-African collaboration Message From Home, Sanders tries to capture that lightning again but this time, the ambience is mellower, the spirituality less fierce. Though the African percussive element is still present, it now takes a back seat to subtle layered electronics and influences from India and the Middle East, and the huge, passionate Pharoah sound of old is mostly toned-down and recessed, sometimes squeezed into a double-reeded instrument. The 14-minute "My Jewels of Love" captures the ethereal Sanders particularly well, his cool soprano rising over tablas, harmonium and electric piano as Laswell's production imperceptibly changes the scenery over time. On "The Ancient Song," there are some ghostly fascimiles of the exciting Pharoah of not very long ago, and Sanders attains some gentle spiritual fervor over the subtly layered electronics of "Kazuko." Then there is the anomaly of "Midnight In Berkeley Square," which is "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" done pretty straight, with Pharoah playing sweet and almost sentimental tenor, until the dream world of pop standards slowly dissolves at the close. This record has a sleek, absorbing sound of its own, but that's mostly Laswell's triumph. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist :
1    Save Our Children 7:51
Voice – Abiodun Oyewole, Asante
Voice, Talking Drum – Abdou Mboup
2    Midnight In Berkeley Square    9:17
3    Jewels Of Love    14:00
4    Kazuko    10:15
5    The Ancient Sounds    10:51
6    Far-Off Sand    9:09
Credits :
Bass [Acoustic] – Alex Blake
Drums, Tabla, Percussion – Trilok Gurtu
Harmonium – Tony Cedras
Organ, Piano [Electric], Synthesizer – Bernie Worrell
Piano, Harmonium – William Henderson
Producer – Bill Laswell
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano], Reeds [Double], Percussion, Voice – Pharoah Sanders
Synthesizer, Programmed By – Jeff Bova
Tabla, Voice – Zakir Hussain

THE ALEX BLAKE QUINTET ft. PHAROAH SANDERS - Now Is The Time (Live At The Knitting Factory) (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Now is the Time is a series of impeccably performed tracks culled from Alex Blake's live sessions at New York's Knitting Factory. Though nothing intensely brilliant evolves out of Now, the musicianship is paramount and unmatched on any late-'90s jazz recordings. Blake, who started as a bass player in Sun Ra's Arkestra at a very young age, sits himself comfortably in the background as it seems piano and drums take most of the attention on the record. John Hicks' piano playing immediately recalls McCoy Tyner's, while Victor Jones and Neil Clark tap out rather complex beats that help to build the central framework of the seven solid tracks. Now Is the Time is Blake's first record as a bandleader, and it proves he has come a long way since playing in the bands of Dizzy Gillespie and other post-bop performers. Surprisingly, the record is quite traditional in its style, covering "On the Spot" and plotting along through some familiar jazz territory. Perhaps a bit more experimentation would set the record aflame considering Pharoah Sanders' and Blake's worlds don't usually collide in such predictable space. Still, it's an incredibly joyous record that doesn't seem steeped in trying to bring about any great meaning. Though Now Is the Time may seem pedestrian, it simply illustrates Blake's ability to play all manner of music, ranging from traditional jazz to avant-garde to rock. To say that Blake never steps forward is an understatement, though. He rarely plays a simple walking bassline as he usually flecks them with slaps and skitters to make for exciting listening. "The Chief" and "Little Help Solo" see Blake riffing and improvising in some swung-out solos, but for the most part he's content to sit back and provide the structure for the others to create their magic. Ken Taylor  
Tracklist :
1    On The Spot    11:48
2    Intro - Neil Clark    2:53
3    The Chief    12:36
4    Little Help Solo 6:03
Electric Bass – Alex Blake
Written-By – Lennon-McCartney
5    Intro - Alex Blake    1:27
6    Now Is The Time    9:52
7    Mystery Of Love 9:18
Written-By – Guy Warren
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Percussion, Vocals, Written-By – Alex Blake
Alto Saxophone [Additional] – Chris Hunter
Drums – Victor Jones
Liner Notes – Randy Weston
Percussion – Neil Clark
Piano – John Hicks
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders

DON PULLEN ft. SAM RIVERS - Capricorn Rising (1976-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Break Out 12'35
Composed By – Sam Rivers
2    Capricorn Rising 11'48
Composed By – Don Pullen
3    Joycie Girl 6'36
Composed By – Don Pullen
4    Fall Out 15'04
Composed By – Sam Rivers
Credits :
Bass – Alex Blake
Drums, Tambourine – Bobby Battle
Piano – Don Pullen
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Sam Rivers