From one core motif, a ripple in the water, a majestic, serene Sunday morningtrip unfolded. The nine-part promises (2021) was a carefully constructedsoundscape of lofty lines, small bubbling sounds from harp to bells,complemented by the classical strings of the London Symphony Orchestra.Pharoah Sanders’ tenor sax was a thoughtful, earthly guideline for him.Sometimes simply bobbing along on sound waves, then freely improvising with atender or more abrasive tone.
The American saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, who died on Saturday at the age of81, signed for the jazz record of the year last year. promises was aninitiative of the British DJ and producer Floating Points and became a ratherunexpected success for the old spiritual jazz king with the white beard. Thealbum, at the top of many annual lists, was a growth brilliant – _promises_sounded stronger each time with a deeply magical and calming effect.
After theannouncementSaturday through his record label Luaka Bop, that Sanders passed away in thepresence of family and friends in Los Angeles, many jazz musicians paid theirlast respects. Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) also said „to have beenhappythat heknew Sanders. Their collaboration was an artistic comeback for thesaxophonist. There was new attention for his music. More gigs at other, notnecessarily jazz places. Online the value of his music on vinyl rose – likefirst pressings of old LPs like Pharoah (1977).
spiritual
Pharoah Sanders, born in 1940 as Farrell Sanders in Little Rock, Arkansas,made an unforgettable impression as an idiosyncratic tenor with a penetratingsound, exceptionally fast solos and a virtuoso technique. After the death oflike-minded people like Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry and Sun Ra, he was one ofthe last living greats of the free jazz sixties. His musical life revolvedaround spiritual jazz.
In the mid-1960s, he stood side by side with John Coltrane, the influentialinnovator in jazz history. Together they played away from the flow withdissonant, screaming solos. Where to go free jazz records like Ascension(1965) and meditations (1965) no one knew.
After Coltrane’s untimely death (liver cancer), Sanders continued on thatmusical free path with influences from Eastern religion and non-Westerninstruments, both as leader and sideman. Albums were released with Coltrane’swife, pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane. His records for the Impulse labelwere strong, mindful and meaningful. The song ‘The Creator Has a Master Plan’from the album Karma (1969) became his own optimistic magnum opus, with thesung mantra: “ the creator has a master plan, peace and happiness for everyman. He played it at every concert.
African rhythms
In the 1970s, Sanders (his first name Pharoah was given to him by Sun Ra)started investigating how he could mix African rhythms, various layers ofpercussion and vocals, with jazz. His interest in free jazz waned. From theeighties, even more mainstream came into his playing, with styles he hadpreviously ignored: modal jazz and hard bop. His playing became less robustand turbulent, but his tone remained sharp.
He continued to perform frequently. North Sea Jazz could count on him. Theheavy tenor saxophone around his neck twisted his body a little more and more.In recent years he has also performed at progressive Dutch music festivalssuch as Rockit, Dekmantel and Le Guess Who. He seemed more and more like askate-grandfather – caps on the side, baggy clothes, sneakers. Although thefirst impression was sometimes a bit slow: dozing on a chair. Only to shuffleforward, hesitating to produce some lazy first notes and then to find thattruly clear deep sound with lots of overtones. Cheers from everyone who wasthere, including himself.