PHAROAH SANDERS — The Impulse Story (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like the Archie Shepp and Alice Coltrane volumes in the Impulse Story series, the Pharoah Sanders issue is one of the flawless ones -- despite the fact that it only contains four tracks. Ashley Kahn, author of the book the series is named after, wisely chose tracks with Sanders as a leader rather than as a sideman with John Coltrane (those were documented quite well on the John and Alice volumes). The set begins with "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt," recorded in 1966 while he was still a member of the Coltrane band. Featuring Sanders on tenor, piccolo, percussion, and vocals, it also contains a who's who of the vanguard: pianist Dave Burrell, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, bassist Henry Grimes, percussionist Nat Bettis, and drummer Roger Blank. Sanders could take a disparate group of players like this one and wind them into his sound world. Burrell is the most automatically sympathetic, and lends a hand in creating a series of call-and-response exchanges with Sanders so Sharrock and Grimes follow suit -- not the other way around. This is also the place where the listener really encounters Sharrock's unique (even iconoclastic) playing -- he performed on Miles Davis' seminal Jack Johnson album but was mixed out. At over 16 minutes, it is barely a hint of what is to come. This cut is followed by Sanders' magnum opus, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." Based on a simple vamp, it unravels into an almost 33-minute textured improvisation that sounds like it could move heaven and earth because it almost literally explodes. Recorded for the Karma album in 1969, "The Creator" also features the late great Leon Thomas on vocals, providing his eerie, deep, and soulful "voice as improvisational instrument" approach that sends the tune soaring. Other sidemen here are bassists Richard Davis and Reggie Workman, James Spaulding, Julius Watkins, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, Bettis, and drummer Billy Hart. This is where this track belongs, not on the box where it took time and space away from other artists. "Astral Traveling," from the 1970 platter Thembi, follows, with the great violinist Michael White serving as foil to the lyric Pharoah. The last two tracks really chart Sanders' development not just as an improviser and composer but as a bandleader and in his mastery of the soprano saxophone -- only Steve Lacy and Coltrane did it better. The sprawl is tightened -- this cut is less than six minutes long -- but mainly in the way he leads the band with his approach to the saxophone and its dynamics. Cecil McBee plays bass here and Clifford Jarvis is on drums, and Smith uses an electric piano to fantastic effect. The final cut here, "Spiritual Blessing" from the Elevation album in 1973, is widely regarded as another Sanders classic with the man himself on soprano. He is accompanied by a group of percussionists, including Michael Carvin, Jimmy Hopps, John Blue, and Lawrence Killian. Sanders uses the percussionists as a counter to the featured drone instruments (with Joe Bonner on harmonium and Calvin Hill on tamboura). At just under six minutes, it's a song that perfectly fuses Eastern and Western musical improvisational traditions. Listening to this volume of the course of an hour is literally an aurally expansive and spiritually enlightening experience. If you can only have one of the CDs in this series, this may be the one to snag -- along with Alice Coltrane's chapter, this is spiritual jazz at its very best.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Upper Egypt And Lower Egypt 16:16
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Roger Blank
Electric Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Dave Burrell
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Percussion, Vocals, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
2    The Creator Has A Master Plan 32:45
Bass – Richard Davis
Composed By – Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders
Drums – Billy Hart
Flute – James Spaulding
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3    Astral Traveling 5:48
Bass – Cecil McBee
Electric Piano, Composed By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin – Michael White
4    Spiritual Blessing 5:40
Bells [Bell Tree] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Harmonium – Joe Bonner
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, John Blue
Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tambura – Calvin Hill

PHAROAH SANDERS AND ALICE COLTRANE — Antibes 68 & New York 71 : The Radio Broadcasts (2022) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pharoah Sanders    Medley    (37:54)
1-1    –    Unidentified    
1-2    –    Venus    
1-3    –    The Creator Has A Master Plan    
2    Alice Coltrane–    Africa    28:35
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee (tracks: 1-2), Jimmy Garrison (tracks: 1-2), Norris Jones (tracks: 1-1)
Drums – Clifford Jarvis (tracks: 1-2), Ed Blackwell (tracks: 1-2), Majid Shabazz (tracks: 1-1)
Harmonium – Kumar Kramer (tracks: 1-2)
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith (tracks: 1-1)
Piano, Harp – Alice Coltrane (tracks: 1-2)
Tambora – Tulsi (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-1)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Fife – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Archie Shepp (tracks: 1-2)

ELVIN JONES INTRODUCES TAKEHISA TANAKA WITH SONNY FORTUNE, CECIL McBEE — When I Was At Aso-Mountain (1993) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is basically a recording of the trio of Japanese pianist Takehisa Tanaka and the stellar rhythm team of bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Elvin Jones, with saxophonist/flautist Sonny Fortune performing on three of the eight selections, which include three Tanaka compositions and three standards. Ironically Fortune plays on all three Tanaka compositions, which are the recording's highlights: "I Was Too Young" is a ballad with the beautiful melody played by Fortune's tenor sax; "My Dream Come True, To E.J.," the only up-tempo selection on this recording, with the melody also played by Fortune's tenor sax; and the title track, a medium-tempo number that features Fortune's flute and Jones on mallets and brushes. The three standards, "Beautiful Love," "You Don't Know Where Love Is," and "Stella By Starlight" are given relatively straightforward readings here. The normally aggressive Jones is more restrained than usual throughout this recording, probably so he doesn't overpower Tanaka, a good pianist who seems out of place playing with musicians the caliber of Jones, McBee, and Fortune. Not an essential recording except for Jones completists. Greg Turner

Tracklist :
1    Beautiful Love    7:27
 Haven Gillespie / Wayne King / Egbert VanAlstyne / Victor Young
2    I Was Too Young    8:25
 Takehisa Tanaka
3    You Don't Know What Love Is    10:14
 Gene DePaul / Don Raye
4    My Dream Come True, To E.J.    5:23
 Takehisa Tanaka
5    Dream Gypsy    8:23
 Judith Veevers
6    When I Was At Aso-Mountain    8:12
 Takehisa Tanaka
7    Soultrane    8:51
 Tadd Dameron
8    Stella By Star Light    9:31
 Ned Washington / Victor Young
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums, Music Director – Elvin Jones
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Fortune
Piano – Takehisa Tanaka

ELVIN JONES — It Don't Mean A Thing ... (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Elvin Jones has participated in many recording sessions through the years, but this CD is one of the most well-rounded sets he has ever led. The lineup of musicians is very impressive: trumpeter Nicholas Payton, Sonny Fortune on tenor and flute, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, pianist Willie Pickens, bassist Cecil McBee, and vocalist Kevin Mahogany. Everyone plays up to their potential and the material has plenty of variety, ranging from Monk, Ellington, and Strayhorn to a traditional Japanese folk song arranged by Elvin's wife, Keiko ("A Lullaby of Itsugo Village"), two features for Mahogany (a touching version of "Lush Life" and his scat-filled "Bopsy"), and some authentic-sounding R&B (Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come"). Payton, Marsalis, and Fortune are not on every selection, but each have their chance to shine while pianist Willie Pickens is showcased with the trio on a medley of "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" and "Ask Me Now." And as for the drummer, there is still no one around who has captured the sound and spirit of Elvin Jones. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Green Chimneys 6:58
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
2    A Lullaby Of Itsugo Village 6:04
Traditional
Arranged By – Keiko Jones
3    It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing 5:39
Written-By – Duke Ellington
4    Lush Life 6:41
Written-By – Billy Strayhorn
5    Zenzo's Spirit 6:54
Written-By – Keiko Jones
6a    A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
Written-By – Billy Strayhorn
6b    Ask Me Now 9:06
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
7    Bopsy 4:18
Written-By – Kevin Mahogany
8    Fatima's Waltz 6:26
Written-By – Keiko Jones
9    A Change Is Gonna Come 5:23
Written-By – Sam Cooke
Credits :
Arranged By – Gene Perla
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Elvin Jones
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Fortune
Trombone – Delfeayo Marsalis
Trumpet – Nicholas Paytona\Q1Q
Vocals – Kevin Mahogany

ELVIN JONES — Jazz Machine (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    April 8th 7:03
Composed By – Elvin Jones
2    East Of The Sun 4:06
Composed By – Brooks Bowman
3    Zenzo's Spirit 6:57
Composed By – Keiko Jones
4    A Change Is Gonna Come 5:25
Composed By – Sam Cooke
5    It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing 5:38
Composed By – Duke Ellington
6    Angel Eyes 8:50
Composed By – Matt Dennis
7    Have You Seen Elveen 7:54
Composed By – Nicholas Payton
8    My Romance 6:25
Composed By – Rodgers & Hart
9    A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing/Ask Me Now 9:13
Composed By – Billy Strayhorn, Thelonious Monk
10    Island Birdie 13:02
Composed By – McCoy Tyner
Credits :
Bass – Brad Jones (tracks: 1,2), Cecil McBee (tracks: 3-5,9), Chip Jackson (tracks: 10), George Mraz (tracks: 6,7,8)
Flute, Piccolo Flute – Kent Jordan (tracks: 1,2)
Piano – Willie Pickens (tracks: 1-5,9,10)
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Ravi Coltrane (tracks: 1,2,10)
Tenor Saxophone – Javon Jackson (tracks: 1,2,7), Joshua Redman (tracks: 6,7)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune (tracks: 3-5,9,10)
Trombone – Delfeayo Marsalis (tracks: 3-5,9)
Trumpet – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 1-5,7,9)

LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES — Astral Traveling (1973-2014) RM | Flying Dutchman Jazz Classics Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Lonnie Liston Smith was 32 when, in 1973, he finally got around to recording his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling. By that time, the pianist/keyboardist had a great deal of sideman experience under his belt, and this superb debut made it clear that former employers like Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, and Betty Carter had taught him well. One hears a lot of Sanders, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner influence on Astral Traveling; Smith obviously shares their passion for all things spiritual. Nonetheless, this LP leaves no doubt that the improviser is very much his own man and has a wealth of brilliant ideas of his own; thankfully, he has a cohesive band to help him carry them out. On Astral Traveling, Smith's 1973 edition of the Cosmic Echoes includes George Barron on soprano and tenor sax, Joe Beck on guitar, Cecil McBee on bass, David Lee Jr. on drums, James Mtume and Sonny Morgan on percussion, Badal Roy on Indian tabla drums, and Geeta Vashi on the Indian tamboura. An impressive lineup, and one that shows a great understanding of Smith's spiritual nature. Ninety-five percent of the time, Astral Traveling is serene and tranquil; but on "I Mani (Faith)," the unexpected interesting happens when Barron goes outside during his sax solo and gets into the type of dissonant, forceful screaming one would expect from Albert Ayler or late-period Coltrane. "I Mani (Faith)" has a hauntingly peaceful melody, but Barron's out-of-left-field solo makes it the most avant-garde track that Smith ever recorded as a leader. Produced by the late Bob Thiele -- an eclectic heavyweight who worked with everyone from Coltrane, Ayler, and Charles Mingus to Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong -- Astral Traveling is among Smith's most essential and rewarding albums. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. Astral Traveling (Smith) - 5:30
2. Let Us Go into the House of the Lord (Smith) - 6:22
3. Rejuvenation (Smith) - 5:36
4. I Mani (Faith) (Smith) - 6:11
5. In Search of Truth (Smith) - 7:12
6. Aspirations (Smith) - 4:23
7. Astral Traveling (alternate take) (Smith) - 5:38
8. Rejuvenation (alternate take) (Smith) - 6:33
9. I Mani (Faith) (alternate take) (Smith) - 5:57
10. In Search of Truth (alternate take) (Smith) - 6:23
Credits :
Lonnie Liston Smith - Piano, Electric Piano
George Barron - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Joe Beck - Guitar
Cecil McBee - Bass
David Lee, Jr. - Drums
Badal Roy - Tabla
Sonny Morgan, James Mtume - Congas, Percussion
Geeta Vashi - Tamboura

DOLLAR BRAND — African Marketplace (1980) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is one of Abdullah Ibrahim's most colorful band recordings. With a 12-piece group that includes altoist Carlos Ward, trombonist Craig Harris and bassist Cecil McBee along with some lesser-known names, Ibrahim performs eight folklike originals that pay tribute to his life growing up in South Africa. "The Homecoming Song," "Anthem for the New Nation" and especially "The Wedding" (a beautiful hymn) are particularly memorable. Scott Yanow
Tracklist
  1. Whoza Mtwana
  2. The Homecoming Song
  3. The Wedding
  4. Moniebah
  5. African Marketplace
  6. Mamma
  7. Anthem For The New Nation
  8. Ubu-Suku
Credits
Dollar Brand - Keyboards, Soprano Saxophone and Conga
Carlos Ward - Alto and Soprano Saxophone
Jeff Jawarrah King, Dwayne Armstrong - Tenor Saxophone
Kenny Rogers - Baritone Saxophone
Malindi Blyth Mbityana, Craig Harris - Trombone
Gary Chandler - Trumpet
Cecil McBee - Double Bass
Miguel Pomier - Percussion
Andre Strobert - Drums and Percussion
Lawrence Lucie - Banjo

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS – Salutes Bessie Smith (1980-1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Vocal perfection and landmark recording for this keyboardist and singer. Desert island music. Michael G. Nastos   Tracklist & Credits :

JOE SAMPLE — Invitation (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A luscious outing from piano great Joe Sample, this disc includes beautiful interpretations of ten standards and near standards. Featuring plush orchestral arrangements by Dale Oehler wrapped over and around Sample's piano trio, Invitation is simply one of the loveliest recordings of Sample's career. With a rhythm section made up of bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Victor Lewis, augmented by Lenny Castro on percussion, the music is of a piece from start to finish. Producer Tommy Lipuma has found a wonderful setting for Sample to show his gorgeous, acoustic piano stylings, and the orchestra feels like part of the trio instead of an add-on. When Sample uses synths, they are indistinguishable from the orchestra. Overall, a smooth, romantic, highly recommended recording. Jim Newsom     Tracklist & Credits : 

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions 1989 For Warne Marsh (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Two Not One    7:14
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
2    317 E 32nd Street    8:14
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
3    Dreams    5:41
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
4    Lennies Pennies    9:20
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
5    How Deep Is The Ocean 4:42
Composed By – Irving Berlin
6    Victory Ball    4:45
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
7    Sax Of A Kind 4:05
Composed By – Warne Marsh
8    Lennie Bird    6:25
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
9    Time On My Hands 4:50
Composed By – Vincent Youmans
10    Victory Ball (Take 2)    5:07
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
11    Baby    5:10
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
12    April    9:26
Composed By – Lennie Tristano
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Flute, Arranged By [All Arrangements By] – Anthony Braxton
Baritone Saxophone – John Raskin
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Andrew Cyrille
Piano – Dred Scott

ARCHIE SHEPP - Lady Bird (1978-1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Donna Lee 6:32
Charlie Parker    
2     Relaxin' at Camarillo 7:14
Charlie Parker    
3     Now's the Time 7:43
Charlie Parker    
4     Lady Bird 7:47
Tadd Dameron    
5     Flamingo 12:29
Edmund Anderson / Ted Grouya
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Jaki Byard

PHAROAH SANDERS - The Impulse Story (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like the Archie Shepp and Alice Coltrane volumes in the Impulse Story series, the Pharoah Sanders issue is one of the flawless ones -- despite the fact that it only contains four tracks. Ashley Kahn, author of the book the series is named after, wisely chose tracks with Sanders as a leader rather than as a sideman with John Coltrane (those were documented quite well on the John and Alice volumes). The set begins with "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt," recorded in 1966 while he was still a member of the Coltrane band. Featuring Sanders on tenor, piccolo, percussion, and vocals, it also contains a who's who of the vanguard: pianist Dave Burrell, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, bassist Henry Grimes, percussionist Nat Bettis, and drummer Roger Blank. Sanders could take a disparate group of players like this one and wind them into his sound world. Burrell is the most automatically sympathetic, and lends a hand in creating a series of call-and-response exchanges with Sanders so Sharrock and Grimes follow suit -- not the other way around. This is also the place where the listener really encounters Sharrock's unique (even iconoclastic) playing -- he performed on Miles Davis' seminal Jack Johnson album but was mixed out. At over 16 minutes, it is barely a hint of what is to come. This cut is followed by Sanders' magnum opus, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." Based on a simple vamp, it unravels into an almost 33-minute textured improvisation that sounds like it could move heaven and earth because it almost literally explodes. Recorded for the Karma album in 1969, "The Creator" also features the late great Leon Thomas on vocals, providing his eerie, deep, and soulful "voice as improvisational instrument" approach that sends the tune soaring. Other sidemen here are bassists Richard Davis and Reggie Workman, James Spaulding, Julius Watkins, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, Bettis, and drummer Billy Hart. This is where this track belongs, not on the box where it took time and space away from other artists. "Astral Traveling," from the 1970 platter Thembi, follows, with the great violinist Michael White serving as foil to the lyric Pharoah. The last two tracks really chart Sanders' development not just as an improviser and composer but as a bandleader and in his mastery of the soprano saxophone -- only Steve Lacy and Coltrane did it better. The sprawl is tightened -- this cut is less than six minutes long -- but mainly in the way he leads the band with his approach to the saxophone and its dynamics. Cecil McBee plays bass here and Clifford Jarvis is on drums, and Smith uses an electric piano to fantastic effect. The final cut here, "Spiritual Blessing" from the Elevation album in 1973, is widely regarded as another Sanders classic with the man himself on soprano. He is accompanied by a group of percussionists, including Michael Carvin, Jimmy Hopps, John Blue, and Lawrence Killian. Sanders uses the percussionists as a counter to the featured drone instruments (with Joe Bonner on harmonium and Calvin Hill on tamboura). At just under six minutes, it's a song that perfectly fuses Eastern and Western musical improvisational traditions. Listening to this volume of the course of an hour is literally an aurally expansive and spiritually enlightening experience. If you can only have one of the CDs in this series, this may be the one to snag -- along with Alice Coltrane's chapter, this is spiritual jazz at its very best.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1    Upper Egypt And Lower Egypt 16:16
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Roger Blank
Electric Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Dave Burrell
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Percussion, Vocals, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
2    The Creator Has A Master Plan 32:45
Bass – Richard Davis
Composed By – Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders
Drums – Billy Hart
Flute – James Spaulding
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3    Astral Traveling 5:48
Bass – Cecil McBee
Electric Piano, Composed By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin – Michael White
4    Spiritual Blessing 5:40
Bells [Bell Tree] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Harmonium – Joe Bonner
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, John Blue
Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tambura – Calvin Hill

PHAROAH SANDERS - Meditation (Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 1 & 2) 2xCD (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although Pharoah Sanders first made his name in the free jazz scene of early-'60s New York and then by playing with John Coltrane in his most radical lineup, the saxophonist has never been merely a harsh, aggressive player. Meditation: Pharoah Sanders Selections, Take 1 does Sanders a great service by introducing the uninitiated to his work through music that is accessible and at times downright pretty without watering down his often-astonishing melodic freedom. 1970's "Thembi" marries an African rhythm to Sanders' graceful soprano sax and a fluid lead violin line by Michael White. "Morning Prayer," from the same sessions, has a hypnotic feel rooted in its polyrhythmic hand percussion (courtesy of Lonnie Liston Smith and a four-man team of African percussionists) and features an outstanding set of solos by Sanders on alto flute. "Colors" suffers a bit from being taken out of its original context as the becalmed coda to 1969's epic "The Creator Has a Master Plan," but Leon Thomas' incantatory vocal still has an eerie power. Finally, the epic 15-minute "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" has the ecstatic frenzy of a classic Sun Ra Arkestra side and the cockeyed grace of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's best work, blended with perhaps Thomas' finest vocal ever, mixing the staid cadences of a four-square preacher with some defiantly outside ululations. Besides the album's four other tracks (which include 1971's rare "Mansion Worlds," a fairly traditional piece of modal jazz making its CD debut), these tracks alone are evidence of Sanders' abiding spirituality and restless creative spirit, making Meditation: Pharoah Sanders Selections, Take 1 a perfect introduction to the man and his work. Stewart Mason  
Meditation - Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 1 -
1.    Greeting To Saud 4'06
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, Kenneth Nash, Lawrence Killian, Michael Carvin, Pharoah Sanders
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tambora – Calvin Hill
Violin – Michael White
Vocals – Sedatrius Brown
2.    Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah 05'05
Drums – Roy Haynes
Drums, Percussion – Idris Muhammad
Flute, Thumb Piano, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Percussion – Cecil McBee
Tenor Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet, Flute, Thumb Piano, Chimes, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3.    Mansion Worlds 9'14
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – Art Webb
Piano – Joe Bonner
Soprano Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
4.    The Gathering 13'53
Bass – Calvin Hill
Congas, Bell Tree – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Percussion – John Blue
Piano, Flute, Horn, Vocals, Percussion – Joe Bonner
Sopranino Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
5.    Morning Prayer 9'12
Bass, Effects – Cecil McBee
Percussion – Anthony Wiles, Chief Bey, Majid Shabazz, Nat Bettis
Piano, Finger Cymbals, Thumb Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute, Handbell, Thumb Piano, Maracas, Fife – Pharoah Sanders
6.    Thembi 7'02
Bass, Finger Cymbals, Percussion – Cecil McBee
Drums, Maracas, Bells, Percussion – Clifford Jarvis
Finger Cymbals – James Jordan
Piano, Electric Piano, Claves, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bells, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin, Percussion – Michael White
7.    Memories Of Lee Morgan 5'37
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Norman Connors
Percussion – Hannibal (Marvin Peterson)
Piano, Flute, Percussion – Joe Bonner
Sopranino Saxophone, Vocals, Percussion, Bells – Pharoah Sanders
8.    Colors 5'38
Bass – Reggie Workman, Ron Carter
Drums – Freddie Waits
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
Meditation - Pharoah Sanders Selections Take 2 -
1    Shukuru 5'49
2    Rejoice 12'45
3    Pharomba 4'35
4    Origin 5'44
5    Naima 7'31
6    Sun Song 6'05
7    Think About The One 4'18
8    Midnight At Yoshi's 6'00
9    You Got To Have Freedom 6'51
10    Heart Is A Melody Of Time 7'34
11    Light At The Edge Of The World 5'09

PHAROAH SANDERS — Izipho Zam (1973-2006) RM | Serie 70年代ジャズを味わう!! – 11 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two years after the death of his mentor and boss, John Coltrane, and just before signing his own contract with Impulse!, Pharoah Sanders finally got around to releasing an album as a leader apart from the Impulse! family. Enlisting a cast of characters no less than 13 in number, Sanders proved that his time with Coltrane and his Impulse! debut, Tauhid, was not a fluke. Though hated by many of the jazz musicians at the time -- and more jazz critics who felt Coltrane had lost his way musically the minute he put together the final quintet -- Sanders followed his own muse to the edges of Eastern music and sometimes completely outside the borderlines of what could be called jazz. That said, Izipho Zam is a wonderful recording, full of the depth of vision and heartfelt soul that has informed every recording of Sanders since. Guests include Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chief Bey, Cecil McBee, Sirone, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Howard Johnson, and others. The set begins with a gorgeous soul tune in "Prince of Peace," with Leon Thomas doing his trademark yodel, croon, and wail as Smith, McBee, and Hart back him and Sanders fills the gaps. Next is "Balance," the first blowing tune on the set, with the African drums, the modal horns, and Sanders' microtonal investigations of sonic polarity contrasted with Johnson's tuba, leaving the rhythm section to join him as Sharrock and Smith trade drone lines and Sanders turns it into a Latin dance from outer space about halfway through to the end -- it's astonishing. Finally, on the 28-minute title track, the band members -- all of them -- begin a slow tonal inquiry, a textured traipse into the abyss of dissonance and harmonic integration, with Thomas as the bridge through which all sounds must travel on their way to the ensemble. From here, percussion, bells, whistles, Sharrock's heavily chorded guitar -- all provide rhythm upon interval upon tonal figure until the horns enter at about 12 minutes. They move slowly at first and gather force until they blast it right open at 20 minutes and the last eight are all free blowing and an endurance ride for the listener because, with four minutes left, Sanders leads the band in a gorgeous lyric ride that brings together all disparate elements in his world and ours, making this track -- and album -- an exhilarating, indispensable out jazz experience.
> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <
Tracklist :
1     Prince of Peace 8:50
Pharoah Sanders    
2     Balance 12:43
Pharoah Sanders    
3     Izipho Zam 28:50
Pharoah Sanders    
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Fortune
Bass – Cecil McBee, Sirone (Norris Jones)
Drums – Billy Hart, Majeed Shabazz
Drums [African] – Chief Bey
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis, Tony Wylie
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Saxophone, Percussion, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tuba – Howard Johnson
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas

PHAROAH SANDERS - Jewels of Thought (1969-2007) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1969, Pharoah Sanders was incredibly active, recording no less than four albums and releasing three. The band on Jewels of Thought is largely the same as on Deaf Dumb Blind and Karma, with a few changes. Idris Muhammad has, with the exception of "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah Hum Allah," replaced Roy Haynes, and Richard Davis has permanently replaced Reggie Workman and Ron Carter, though Cecil McBee is still present for the extra bottom sound. Leon Thomas and his trademark holy warble are in the house, as is Lonnie Liston Smith. Comprised of two long cuts, the aforementioned and "Sun in Aquarius," Jewels of Thought sees Sanders moving out from his signature tenor for the first time and delving deeply into reed flutes and bass clarinet. The plethora of percussion instruments utilized by everyone is, as expected, part of the mix. "Hum-Allah" begins with a two-chord piano vamp by Smith and Thomas singing and yodeling his way into the band's improvisational space. For 12 minutes, Sanders and company mix it up -- especially the drummers -- whipping it first quietly down into the most pure melodic essences of Smith's solo and then taking the tension and building to ecstatic heights with all manner of blowing and intervallic interaction between the various elements until it just explodes, before coming down in pieces and settling into a hush of melodic frames and the same two-chord vamp. On "Sun in Aquarius," African thumb pianos, reed flutes, sundry percussion, and orchestra chimes are employed to dislocate all notions of Western music. Things get very quiet (though there is constant motion); the innards of the piano are brushed and hammered quietly before Sanders comes roaring out of the tense silence with his bass clarinet, and then the tenor and bass share an intertwined solo and Smith starts kicking ass with impossibly large chords. It moves into another two-chord vamp at the end of 27 minutes, to be taken out as a closed prayer. It's more like a finished exorcism, actually, but it is one of the most astonishing pieces by Sanders ever.  
 |> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1 Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah 15:04
Drums – Roy Haynes
Lyrics By – Amos Leon Thomas
2 Sun In Aquarius 27:51
Bass, Percussion – Richard Davis 
Credits
Bass, Percussion – Cecil McBee
Bells [Orchestra Chimes], Contrabass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Reed], Percussion, Thumb Piano [African] – Pharoah Sanders
Composed By – Lonnie L. Smith, Jr., Pharoah Sanders
Drums, Percussion – Idris Muhammad
Percussion, Piano, Thumb Piano [African], Flute [African] – Lonnie Liston Smith
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas

PHAROAH SANDERS - Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) (1971-1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After Karma was issued and Sanders had established himself -- to himself -- as a musician who had something valuable and of use to say, he was on what this critic considers to be a divinely inspired tear. Deaf Dumb Blind is an example of that inspiration. Beginning with the title cut, a suite of over 21 minutes, Sanders brings in the whole of his obsession with rhythm and R&B. Using African percussion, bylophones, shakers, cowbells, and all manner of percussion, as well as drummer Clifford Jarvis, Sanders brought in Cecil McBee to hold down the bass chair and Lonnie Liston Smith back in on piano, and added a three-piece horn section that included Gary Bartz on alto and Woody Shaw on trumpet in addition to himself. Whew! Here the Latin and African polyrhythms collide and place the horns, as large and varied as they are, in almost a supplementary role. The horns check counterpoint in striated harmony, calling and responding over the wash of bass and drums and drums and drums! It evolves into a percussion orgy before the scary otherworldly multiphonic solos begin. And Shaw and Bartz are worthy foils for Sanders. And no matter how out it gets, those rhythms keep it rooted in the soul. "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord" is almost 18 minutes in length. It has a long soprano intro, covered in shimmering bells and shakers with a glorious piano fill by Smith, who becomes more prominent, along with some excellent arco work by McBee, until the piece becomes a meditation on lyricism and silence about halfway through. The entire band eventually rejoins for a group ostinato with very little variation, except in timbre and subtle accented color work by Sanders and McBee. It is a stunningly beautiful and contemplative work that showcases how intrinsic melodic phrasing and drones were to Sanders at the time -- and still are today. This piece, and this album, is a joyful noise made in the direction of the divine, and we can feel it through the speakers, down in the place that scares us.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1    Summun, Bukmun, Umyun 21:16
Written-By – Pharoah Sanders
2    Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord 17:46
Adapted By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Bells, Cowbell, Shaker, Percussion – Gary Bartz
Bass – Cecil McBee
Congas [Conga Drum], Percussion [African] – Anthony Wiles
Drums – Clifford Jarvis
Piano, Cowbell, Kalimba [Thumb Piano], Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Horn [Cow], Whistle [Tritone], Cowbell, Flute [Wood], Kalimba [Thumb Piano], Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Trumpet, Yodeling, Percussion – Woody Shaw
Xylophone [Bylophone], Yodeling, Percussion [African] – Nathaniel Bettis

PHAROAH SANDERS - Black Unity (1971-1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By 1971, Pharoah Sanders had taken the free thing as far as he could and still live with himself. He was investigating new ways to use rhythm -- always his primary concern -- inside his music and more tonally strident ways of involving the front line in extrapolating tonal and harmonic diversions from the melodic framework of his music. To that end, he entered into a more groove-laden arrangement with himself and employed some funkier players to articulate his muse. Along with Cecil McBee and Billy Hart, who were frequent Sanders sidemen, a young Stanley Clarke fills the second bass chair, and Norman Connors fills out the second drum seat. Carlos Garnett accompanies Sanders on tenor, Joe Bonner on piano, and Hannibal Peterson on trumpet. Sanders also added a full-time percussionist in Lawrence Killian. The only cut on the album is "Black Unity," over 37 minutes of pure Afro-blue investigation into the black sounds of Latin music, African music, aborigine music, and Native American music, with a groove that was written into the standard three-chord vamp Sanders used, opening up a world of melodic and tonal possibilities while also bringing a couple of stellar talents to the fore -- Garnett being one of them and Connors being another. The heavy, hypnotic groove and a double-time tempo are controlled by dynamics and the groupings of instruments, signaled by Bonner with his stacked fifths, sevenths, and ninths. This is a solid, moving piece of work that seals the cracks in Sanders' vocabulary. His arrangement and the staggering of solos into the whole are magnificent. Here was Sanders as he saw himself in the mirror, a mass of contradictions, and the embodiments of the full fury and glory of music in one man.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1     Black Unity 37:21
Pharoah Sanders    
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Congas, Talking Drum, Balafon [Balophone] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – William Hart, Norman Connors
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Tenor Saxophone, Balafon [Balophone] – Pharoah Sanders
Trumpet – Marvin Peterson

PHAROAH SANDERS - Thembi (1971-1987) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded with two different ensembles, Thembi was a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Pharoah Sanders had been pursuing for most of his solo career. It's musically all over the map but, even if it lacks the same consistency of mood as many of Sanders' previous albums, it does offer an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas, making it something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. Over the six selections, Sanders romps through a tremendous variety of instruments, including tenor, soprano, alto flute, fifes, the African bailophone, assorted small percussion, and even a cow horn. Perhaps because he's preoccupied elsewhere, there's relatively little of his trademark tenor screaming, limited mostly to the thunderous cacophony of "Red, Black & Green" and portions of "Morning Prayer." The compositions, too, try all sorts of different things. Keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith's "Astral Traveling" is a shimmering, pastoral piece centered around his electric piano textures; "Love" is an intense, five-minute bass solo by Cecil McBee; and "Morning Prayer" and "Bailophone Dance" (which are segued together) add an expanded percussion section devoted exclusively to African instruments. If there's a unifying factor, it's the classic title track, which combines the softer lyricism of Sanders' soprano and Michael White's violin with the polyrhythmic grooves of the most Africanized material (not to mention a catchy bass riff). Some fans may gripe that Thembi isn't conceptually unified or intense enough, but it's rare to have this many different sides of Sanders coexisting in one place, and that's what makes the album such an interesting listen. Steve Huey  
Tracklist :
1     Astral Traveling 5'48
Lonnie Liston Smith
2     Red Black and Green 8'56
Pharoah Sanders
3     Thembi 7'02
Pharoah Sanders
4     Love 5'12
Cecil McBee
5     Morning Prayer 9'11
Pharoah Sanders / Lonnie Liston Smith
6     Bailophone Dance 5'43
Pharoah Sanders
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee
Cymbal [Finger], Percussion – Cecil McBee (pistas: 1 to 3)
Cymbal [Ring] – James Jordan (pistas: 3)
Cymbal [Ring], Featuring [Bailophone], Voice [Shouts] – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 5, 6)
Drums – Roy Haynes (pistas: 5, 6)
Effects [Bird Effects] – Cecil McBee (pistas: 5, 6)
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Claves, Percussion – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 1 to 3)
Flute [Alto], Koto, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion [Brass Bell], Featuring [Bailophone], Horn [Cow Horn], Maracas, Flute [Fifes] – Pharoah Sanders (pistas: 5, 6)
Percussion [African] – Anthony Wiles (pistas: 5, 6), Chief Bey (pistas: 5, 6), Majid Shabazz (pistas: 5, 6), Nat Bettis (pistas: 5, 6)
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 6)
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bells, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders (pistas: 1 to 3)
Violin, Percussion – Michael White (pistas: 1 to 3)

PHAROAH SANDERS - Live At The East (1971-2007) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By 1971 Pharoah Sanders' playing essentially alternated between two moods: ferocious and peaceful. This live record gives one a good example of how the passionate tenor sounded in clubs during the early '70s. Sanders is joined by an impressive group of players: trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson, flutist Carlos Garnett, Harold Vick on tenor, pianist Joe Bonner, the basses of Stanley Clarke and Cecil McBee, drummers Norman Connors and Billy Hart, and percussionist Lawrence Killian. On the 20-minute "Healing Song," the lengthy "Memories of J.W. Coltrane," and the two-part "Lumkili," Sanders is heard in top form. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Healing Song 21'46
Written-By – J. Bonner, F. Sanders
2    Memories Of J. W. Coltrane 12'52
Written-By – F. Sanders
3    Lumkili 8'35
Written-By – F. Sanders
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee, Stanley Clarke
Congas, Marimba [Bailophone] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – William Hart, Norman Connors
Flute, Voice – Carlos Garnett
Piano, Harmonium – Joseph Bonner
Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Tenor Vocals – Harold Vic
Trumpet – Marvin Peterson

PHAROAH SANDERS - Love In Us All (1974-2007) RM | Japan Mini LP | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded near the end of Pharoah Sanders' tenure at Impulse, Love in Us All consists of two extended compositions. Together, they serve as an aural representation of the way Sanders' music polarized the jazz world at the time. Like many of his "New Thing" peers, the saxophonist sought the sound world beyond the constraints of conventional harmony. This often translated into music played at the grating, far reaches of his instrument. "To John" finds Sanders in this territory. His solo begins with Coltrane-isms of short motive development before stretching out into a more personal sound. Finding himself engulfed by a rising musical tide, he plays like he's fighting desperately to stay above it. Soon his saxophone takes on a sorrowful tone as if admitting inevitable defeat. With little optimism apparent, it ultimately communicates a sense of emptiness. However, the often one-dimensional criticism of Sanders as an angry, confrontational musician fails to take in the ragged beauty of a work like "Love Is Everywhere." The song offers little explanation as to what the furor was all about. It begins with an exquisite bass vamp that the song builds from. "Love is everywhere" is repeatedly and passionately shouted as the music escalates into a disorienting swirl of sound. Sanders enters midway through with a surprisingly restrained and lyrical solo on soprano. These two songs hardly seem to belong on the same album and are best approached separately. Many of the players who took musical and philosophical inspiration from John Coltrane failed to translate it into resonant works of their own. Sanders' unsuccessful attempt on "To John" falls in this category. Yet, in a way, Coltrane himself never created a work as emotionally direct as "Love Is Everywhere." Nathan Bush
Tracklist :
1    Love Is Everywhere    19:52
2    To John    20:42
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Norman Connors
Flute – James Branch
Percussion – Badal Roy, James Mtume, Lawrence Killian
Piano – Joe Bonner
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders