Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist. Known for his

overblowing Overblowing is the manipulation of supplied air through a wind instrument that causes the sounded pitch to jump to a higher one without a fingering change or the operation of a slide. Overblowing may involve a change in the air pressure, in the ...

, harmonic, and

multiphonic A multiphonic is an extended technique on a monophonic musical instrument (one that generally produces only one note at a time) in which several notes are produced at once. This includes wind, reed, and brass instruments, as well as the human voic ...

techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "

sheets of sound Sheets of sound was a term coined in 1958 by ''DownBeat'' magazine jazz critic Ira Gitler to describe the new, unique improvisational style of John Coltrane. Gitler first used the term on the liner notes for ''Soultrane'' (1958).Porter 1999, p. 31 ...

", Sanders played a prominent role in the development of

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

and

spiritual jazz Spiritual jazz (or astral jazz) is a sub-genre of jazz that originated in the United States during the 1960s. The genre is hard to characterize musically but draws from free, avant-garde and modal jazz and thematically focuses on transcendence ...

through his work as a member of

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

's groups in the mid-1960s, and later through his solo work. He released over thirty albums as a leader and collaborated extensively with vocalist

Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the ...

and pianist

Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

, among many others. Fellow saxophonist

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

once described him as "probably the best

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

player in the world". Sanders' take on “spiritual jazz” was rooted in his inspiration from religious concepts such as

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

and

Tawhid Tawhid ( ar, , ', meaning "unification of God in Islam ( Allāh)"; also romanized as ''Tawheed'', ''Tawhid'', ''Tauheed'' or ''Tevhid'') is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion's central and single ...

, and his rich, meditative performance aesthetic. This style was seen as a continuation of Coltrane's work on albums such as ''

A Love Supreme ''A Love Supreme'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy ...

''. As a result, Sanders was considered to have been a disciple of Coltrane or, as

Albert Ayler Albert Ayler (; July 13, 1936 – November 25, 1970) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer. After early experience playing R&B and bebop, Ayler began recording music during the free jazz era of the 1960s. Howev ...

said, "Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost".

Early life

Pharoah Sanders was born on October 13, 1940, in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

. His mother worked as a cook in a school cafeteria, and his father worked for the City of Little Rock. An only child, Sanders began his musical career accompanying church hymns on clarinet. His initial artistic accomplishments were in the visual arts, but when he was at

Scipio Jones High School Scipio A. Jones High School was a public high school for black students in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It was named after Scipio Africanus Jones.Hanley, Steven G. and Ray Hanley. ''Around Little Rock: A Postcard History''. Arcadia Publishing, Ju ...

North Little Rock North Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, across the Arkansas from Little Rock in the central part of the state. The population was 64,591 at the 2020 census. In 2019 the estimated population was 65,903, making it the seventh-mo ...

, Sanders began playing the tenor saxophone. After finishing high school in 1959, Sanders moved to

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, and lived with relatives. He briefly studied art and music at Oakland City College.

Career

Pharoah Sanders (1981) by Wojciech Soporek

Sanders pharoah ts william henderson p 070208 altes-pfandhaus koeln

1960s

Pharoah Sanders began his professional career playing

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

in Oakland. He moved to New York City in 1961 after playing with

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

bands. Sun Ra's biographer wrote that Sanders was often homeless and Ra gave him a place to live, clothes, and encouraged him to use the name "Pharoah". In 1965, he became a member of John Coltrane's band, as Coltrane began adopting the

avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...

, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor. Sanders first recorded with Coltrane on '' Ascension'' (recorded in June 1965), then on their dual-tenor album ''

Meditations ''Meditations'' () is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the ''Meditations'' in Koine ...

'' (recorded in November 1965). After this Sanders joined Coltrane's final quintet, usually playing long,

dissonant In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive Sound, sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness ...

solos. Coltrane's later style was influenced by Sanders. Although Sanders' voice developed differently from John Coltrane's, Sanders was influenced by their collaboration. Spiritual elements such as the chanting in '' Om'' would later show up in many of Sanders' own works. Sanders would also go on to produce much

, modified from Coltrane's solo-centric conception. In 1968, he participated in

Michael Mantler Michael Mantler (born August 10, 1943) is an Austrian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer of contemporary music. Career: United States Mantler was born in Vienna, Austria. In the early 1960s, he was a student at the Academy of Music and V ...

and Carla Bley's Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association album '' The Jazz Composer's Orchestra'', featuring Cecil Taylor,

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...

, Larry Coryell, and

Gato Barbieri Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (November 28, 1932 – April 2, 2016) was an Argentine jazz tenor saxophonist who rose to fame during the free jazz movement in the 1960s and is known for his Latin jazz recordings of the 1970s. His nickname, Gato, is Spa ...

. Pharoah's first album, '' Pharoah's First'', was not what he expected. The musicians playing with him were much more straightforward than Sanders, which made the solos played by the other musicians a bit out of place. Starting in 1966 Sanders signed with Impulse! and recorded ''

Tauhid Tawhid ( ar, , ', meaning "unification of God in Islam ( Allāh)"; also romanized as ''Tawheed'', ''Tawhid'', ''Tauheed'' or ''Tevhid'') is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion's central and single ...

'' that same year. His years with Impulse! caught the attention of jazz fans, critics, and musicians alike, including John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Albert Ayler.

1970s and 1980s

In the 1970s, Sanders continued to produce his own recordings and also continued to work with

on her ''

Journey in Satchidananda ''Journey in Satchidananda'' is the fourth solo album by Alice Coltrane. Four of the album's tracks were recorded at the Coltrane home studios in Dix Hills, New York, in November 1970, while the remaining track was recorded live at the Village Gat ...

'' album. Most of Sanders' best-selling work was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s for

Impulse Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positi ...

, including the 30-minute wave-on-wave of free jazz "The Creator Has a Master Plan" from the album ''

''. This composition featured vocalist

's unique, "umbo weti" yodeling, and Sanders' key musical partner, pianist

Lonnie Liston Smith Lonnie Liston Smith Jr. (born December 28, 1940) is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with such jazz artists as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of ...

, who worked with Sanders from 1969 to 1971. Other members of his groups in this period include bassist Cecil McBee, on albums such as '' Jewels of Thought'', '' Izipho Zam'', '' Deaf Dumb Blind'', and ''

Thembi ''Thembi'' is the seventh album by free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, released in 1971. Overview Sanders moved away from the long, intense compositions of his earlier albums and produced an album of shorter tracks. He and other musicians pl ...

''. Although supported by African-American radio, Sanders' brand of brave free jazz became less popular. From the experiments with African rhythms on the 1971 album ''

Black Unity ''Black Unity'' is a composition and album by jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded and released in late 1971. The whole album consists of a single thirty-seven-minute track, which was described by critic Joe S. Harrington as "an exercise in s ...

'' (with bassist

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

) onwards he began to diversify his sound. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Sanders explored different musical modes including R&B ('' Love Will Find a Way''),

modal jazz Modal jazz is jazz that makes use of musical modes, often modulating among them to accompany the chords instead of relying on one tonal center used across the piece. Although precedents exist, modal jazz was crystallized as a theory by compose ...

, and

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

. Sanders left Impulse! in 1973 and explored various other labels, such as

Theresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...

in 1980, which was sold to

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

in 1991.

1990s

In 1992, Sanders appeared on a reissue (''Ed Kelly and Pharoah Sanders'') for the Evidence label of a recording that he completed for Theresa Records in 1979 entitled ''Ed Kelly and Friend.'' The 1992 version contains extra tracks which feature Pharoah's pupil Robert Stewart. In 1994, Sanders traveled to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

to record the

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

-produced album '' The Trance Of Seven Colors'' with

Gnawa The Gnawa (or Gnaoua, Ghanawa, Ghanawi, Gnawi'; Arabic: ڭناوة) are an ethnic group inhabiting Morocco. The name Gnawa probably originated in the indigenous language of North Africa and the Sahara Desert. The phonology of this term accordi ...

musician

Mahmoud Guinia Mahmoud Guinia ( ar, محمود ﯕينيا, and rarely or ; also spelled Gania, Guinea or Khania; 1951 – 2 August 2015) was a Moroccan Gnawa musician, singer and guembri player, who was traditionally regarded as a Maâllem (), i.e. master. T ...

. The same year, he appeared on the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

album '' Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool'' on the track "This is Madness" with

Umar Bin Hassan Umar Bin Hassan (born Gilbert Jerome Huling in Akron, Ohio, 1948) is an American poet and recording artist, associated with The Last Poets. He sold his younger sister's record player to purchase a bus ticket to New York City, where he joined the L ...

and

Abiodun Oyewole Abiodun Oyewole (born Charles Davis, February 1948), is a poet, teacher and member of the African-American music and spoken-word group The Last Poets, which developed into what is considered to be the first hip hop group. Critic Jason Ankeny ...

and on the bonus track "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Trip Hop Remix)." The album was named "Album of the Year" by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

''. He also collaborated with drummer–composer

Franklin Kiermyer Franklin Kiermyer (born 21 July 1956) is a jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader. Biography Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Kiermyer first gained attention in 1994 with his album Solomon's Daughter, featuring tenor saxophonist and forme ...

on Kiermyer's album ''Solomon's Daughter'', also released on the Evidence label (re-released with 3 previously unreleased tracks on the Dot Time label in 2019). Sanders's major-label return came in 1995 when Verve Records released '' Message from Home'', followed by ''

Save Our Children Save Our Children, Inc. was an American political coalition formed in 1977 in Miami, Florida, to overturn a recently legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination in areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation based on sexua ...

'' (1998). But again, Sanders's disgust with the recording business prompted him to leave the label. Sanders worked with Laswell,

Jah Wobble John Joseph Wardle (born 11 August 1958), known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; ...

, and others on the albums ''Message From Home'' (1996) and ''Save Our Children'' (1999). In 1999, he complained in an interview that despite his pedigree, he had trouble finding work. In 1997 he was featured on several

Tisziji Muñoz Tisziji Muñoz (born July 15, 1946) is an American jazz guitarist. He served as drummer in the 440th U.S. Army band. He left the US Army in 1969. In the 1970s, he lived in Canada and New York City. He played in Pharoah Sanders' band. In 1978, h ...

albums which include

Rashied Ali Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson (July 1, 1933 – August 12, 2009) was an American free jazz and avant-garde drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life. Biography Early life Patterson was born and ...

2000s and 2020s

In the 2000s, a resurgence of interest in jazz kept Sanders playing festivals including the 2004 Bluesfest Byron Bay, the 2007

Melbourne Jazz Festival The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz music festival first held in Melbourne, Australia in 1998. The Festival takes place in concert halls, arts venues, jazz clubs and throughout the streets of Melbourne. The 2021 Festiva ...

, and the 2008

Big Chill Festival The Big Chill was an annual festival of alternative, dance and chill-out music and comedy, held in the grounds of Eastnor Castle during early August. The 2011 line-up included The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Jessie J, R ...

, concerts, and releasing albums. He has a strong following in Japan, and in 2003 recorded with the band

Sleep Walker Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a d ...

. In 2000, Sanders released ''

Spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

'' and, in 2003, a live album titled ''

The Creator Has a Master Plan ''The Creator Has a Master Plan'' is a live album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It was recorded on April 23, 2003 at Wonder Station in Tokyo, Japan, and was released later that year by Venus Records. On the album, Sanders is joined by pianist Wi ...

''. He was awarded an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for 2016 and was honored at a tribute concert in Washington DC on April 4, 2016. In 2020, Sanders recorded a collaboration with

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

producer

Floating Points Sam Shepherd, known professionally as Floating Points, is a British electronic music producer, DJ, and musician. He is the founder of Pluto Records, co-founder of Eglo Records and leader of a 16-piece group called Floating Points Ensemble. Bi ...

and the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. Titled '' Promises'', the album was released in March 2021, making it the first major new album released by Sanders in nearly two decades. The album was widely acclaimed by critics, with ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' declaring it "a clear late-career masterpiece".

Death

Sanders died on September 24, 2022, at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 81.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

;with

:'' Ascension'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' Live In Seattle'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' Om'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' Kulu Sé Mama'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' Selflessness: Featuring My Favorite Things'' (Impulse!, 1965) :''

'' (Impulse!, 1965) :'' Live at the Village Vanguard Again!'' (Impulse!, 1966) :'' Live In Japan'' (Impulse!, 1966) :'' Offering: Live at Temple University'' (Impulse!, 1966) :''

Expression Expression may refer to: Linguistics * Expression (linguistics), a word, phrase, or sentence * Fixed expression, a form of words with a specific meaning * Idiom, a type of fixed expression * Metaphorical expression, a particular word, phrase, o ...

'' (Impulse!, 1967) :'' The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording'' (Impulse!, 1967) ;with

:''

Symphony for Improvisers ''Symphony for Improvisers'' is an album by Don Cherry featuring Gato Barbieri, Henry Grimes, and Ed Blackwell, all of whom appeared on Cherry's previous album ''Complete Communion'', along with Karl Berger, Jean-François Jenny-Clark, and Pharoa ...

'' (Blue Note, 1966) :'' Where Is Brooklyn?'' (Blue Note, 1967) ;with

:''

A Monastic Trio ''A Monastic Trio'' is the first solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded in 1968 at the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, New York, and was released later that year by Impulse! Records. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is ...

'' (Impulse!, 1968) :''

Ptah, the El Daoud ''Ptah, the El Daoud'', recorded and released in 1970, is the third solo album by Alice Coltrane. The album was recorded in the basement of her house in Dix Hills on Long Island, New York. This was Coltrane's first album with horns (aside from on ...

'' (Impulse!, 1970) :''

Carnegie Hall '71 ''Carnegie Hall '71'' is a live album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 21, 1971, and was released in 2018 by the Hi Hat label. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is joined by saxop ...

'' (Hi Hat, 2018) ;with

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...

:'' Beyond the Wall'' (

Nonesuch __NOTOC__ Nonesuch may refer to: Plants * ''Lychnis chalcedonica'', a wildflower * ''Medicago lupulina'', a wildflower Places and structures *Nonesuch, Kentucky *Nonesuch Island, Bermuda *Nonesuch Mine, Michigan *Nonesuch Palace, mis-spelling of ...

, 2006) :'' Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium'' (

Mack Avenue Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company is a sponsor ...

, 2008) ;with

Norman Connors Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and producer who has led a number of influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads. He is pos ...

:''

Romantic Journey ''Romantic Journey '' is an album released in 1977 by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania jazz drummer Norman Connors. The album charted at number ten on the jazz albums chart. Track listing ;Side one # "You Are Everything" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) – ...

'' (Buddah 1977) :'' This Is Your Life'' (Buddah 1978) :''Remember Who You Are'' (MoJazz 1993) ;with

:''Visiting This Planet'' (Anami Music, 1980's) :''River of Blood'' (Anami Music, 1997) :''Present Without a Trace'' (Anami Music, 1980's) :''Spirit World'' (Anami Music, 1997) :''Divine Radiance'' (Dreyfus/Anami Music, 2003) :''Divine Radiance Live!'' (Anami Music, 2013) :''Mountain Peak'' (Anami Music, 2014) ;with

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

:'' Love & Peace'' (Trio 1982) :'' Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane'' (Impulse!, 1987) ;with

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious ...

:'' The Spirits of Our Ancestors'' (Verve 1992) :''

Khepera Khepri ( Egyptian: ''ḫprj,'' also transliterated Khepera, Kheper, Khepra, Chepri) is a scarab-faced god in ancient Egyptian religion who represents the rising or morning sun. By extension, he can also represent creation and the renewal of life ...

'' (Verve 1998) ;with others :1964 –

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

– '' Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold'' :1965 –

– '' Chappaqua Suite'' (Columbia) :1968 –

–

Jazz Composer's Orchestra The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group, founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler in 1965, to perform orchestral avant-garde jazz. Its origins lay in the Jazz Composers Guild, an organization founded by Bill Dixon which grew out ...

– '' The Jazz Composer's Orchestra'' (JCOA) :1968 –

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Wor ...

– ''

Another Earth Another or variant may refer to: * anOther or Another Magazine, culture and fashion magazine * ''Another'' (novel), a Japanese horror novel ** ''Another'' (film), a Japanese 2012 live-action film based on the novel * Another River, a river in th ...

'' (Milestone) :1969 –

– ''

Spirits Known and Unknown ''Spirits Known and Unknown'' , subtitled ''New Vocal Frontiers'', is the debut album by American jazz vocalist and percussionist Leon Thomas recorded in 1969 and released by the Flying Dutchman label.Larry Young – ''

Lawrence of Newark ''Lawrence of Newark'' is a jazz album by organist/keyboardist Larry Young, released on the Perception Records label. The album is Young's debut for Perception Records which has since been reissued on CD by Castle Records. Perception Records we ...

'' (Perception) :1979 – Ed Kelly – ''Ed Kelly & Friend'' (Theresa Records) :1979 –

Hilton Ruiz Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player. He was of Puerto Rican descent. Biography Born in New York City, Ruiz began playing piano at the age of ...

– ''Fantasia'' (Denon) :1980 – Idris Muhammad – '' Kabsha'' (Theresa) :1984 –

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

– '' This Is for You, John'' (Baystate) :1985 –

Art Davis Arthur David Davis (December 6, 1934 – July 29, 2007) was a double-bassist, known for his work with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner and Max Roach. Biography Davis was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...

– ''Life'' :1991 –

Sonny Sharrock Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock (August 27, 1940 – May 25, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed. One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the firs ...

– '' Ask the Ages'' (Axiom) :1992 – Ed Kelly – ''Ed Kelly and Pharoah Sanders'' (Evidence Records) with

Robert Stewart (saxophonist) Robert Darrin Stewart is an American saxophonist. He recorded several albums under his own name during the period 1994–2006. He has also recorded as a sideman, including on trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' ''Blood on the Fields''. Stewart went on mu ...

:1992 – New York Unit – '' Over the Rainbow'' (Paddle Wheel) :1994 –

– ''Solomon's Daughter'' :1994 –

Bheki Mseleku Bhekumuzi Hyacinth Mseleku, generally known as Bheki Mseleku (3 March 1955 – 9 September 2008), was a jazz musician from South Africa. He was a pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, composer and arranger who was entirely self-taught.John Fordham"Bh ...

– ''Timelessness'' (Verve) :1994 – Maleem Mahmoud Ghania – '' The Trance of Seven Colors'' (Axiom) :1995 –

Aïyb Dieng Aïyb Dieng is a Senegalese drummer and percussionist specializing in hand drums. He has recorded two solo album, including '' Rhythmagick'' (1995), and has worked with a wide range of musicians, including as a regular collaborator of bassist/pr ...

– '' Rhythmagick'' :1996 –

– ''Heaven & Earth'' (Island) :1997 –

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz (hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from ...

– ''

Village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

'' (Warner Bros.) :1997 – Music Revelation Ensemble – '' Cross Fire'' (DIW) :1998 –

Terry Callier Terrence Orlando "Terry" Callier (May 24, 1945 – October 27, 2012) was an American soul, folk and jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter. Life and career Callier was born in the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in the Cabrini� ...

– ''Time Peace'' (Verve) :2000 – Alex Blake – ''Now is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory'' :2000 –

Kahil El'Zabar Kahil El'Zabar (born Clifton Blackburn; November 11, 1953) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist (mainly a Percussion instrument, percussionist) and composer. He regularly records for Delmark Records. Life and work El'Zabar was born in Chica ...

's Ritual Trio – '' Africa N'Da Blues'' (Delmark) :2004 – David Murray – '' Gwotet'' (Justin Time) :2005 –

Will Calhoun William Calhoun (born July 22, 1964) is an American drummer who is a member of the rock band Living Colour. Career Calhoun was born in the Bronx, New York. He moved to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a de ...

– ''Native Lands'' :2008 – Sleep Walker – ''Into the Sun'' (in ''The Voyage'') :2014 – Chicago Underground/São Paulo Underground – ''Spiral Mercury'' :2019 –

Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...

– '' In the Key of the Universe'' :2021 –

and the

– '' Promises''

References

External links

*
Pharoah Sanders's Page at Wide Hive Records
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Pharoah 1940 births 2022 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Hard bop saxophonists Post-bop saxophonists Grammy Award winners Musicians from Little Rock, Arkansas Musicians from Oakland, California Timeless Records artists Strata-East Records artists Capitol Records artists India Navigation artists Arista Records artists Impulse! Records artists Verve Records artists Avant-garde jazz saxophonists ESP-Disk artists African-American jazz musicians African-American Muslims Converts to Islam Atomic Bomb! Band members 21st-century American saxophonists American male jazz musicians 21st-century American male musicians Jazz musicians from Arkansas Jazz musicians from California Spiritual jazz musicians