R.I.P. Pharoah Sanders (13 Oct 1940 - 24 Sep 2022)

Another jazz giant has departed this world. Tenor saxophonist Farrell 'Pharoah' Sanders died peacefully at his home in L.A. on Saturday surrounded by his family.

He was born in Little Rock, AK in 1940 and moved to Oakland, CA, after finishing school in 1959 and played jazz clubs. In 1961 he moved to New York City being attracted by the 'free-jazz' movement and by 1965 joined John Coltrane and featured on a dozen of his albums until Coltrane's death in 1967.

Rather than creating a playlist which would only scrape the surface of his 60 year career in which he released over 40 albums and featured on around another 60+ (including with Norman Connors ("You Are My Starship" (1976), "Romantic Journey" (1977) and "This Is Your Life" (1978)) I'll just post his 1969 masterpiece. It's, the almost 33 minute long, "The Creator Has A Masterplan" from "Karma", which includes Lonnie Liston Smith on piano and Leon Thomas on vocals and percussion. 

Norman Connors included a version on "You Are My Starship" featuring Gary Bartz on sax and then on "This Is Your Life" with Sanders on sax and featured Bobby Lyle on piano. 

Co-writer Leon Thomas also recorded it on his debut album, "Spirits Known And Unknown", in 1969 and then as a single in 1971, both on Flying Dutchman.

There is video of  shorter version taken from his show at London's Jazz Cafe in 2011 along with the full concert which lasts 1 hour and 48 minutes which is a more fitting tribute.

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved