Pharoah Sanders

• 180 GRAM VINYL LP

• 4 stars all music guide

Later work by Pharoah Sanders – and an overlooked set that's filled with some pretty nice material! The group features electric piano by Donald Smith and acoustic piano by William Henderson – and the groove is a mixture of spiritual soul jazz with a few more standard numbers that differ from Pharoah's albums on Impulse.

At the best moments, Pharoah is blowing with all his classic magic – crafting the sort of long and raspy lines that always grab us immediately, as the rhythm section comps out modally behind him, setting up a soulfully swinging groove. Highlights include a version of Coltrane's "Equinox", done in a building modal way that stays very faithful to the original, and a long version of "Out Of This World", one that runs for 14 minutes, building into a straight jazz groove that layers sound upon sound upon sound. Leon Thomas sings a bit on the record.

PERSONNEL:

• Pharoah Sanders - (tenor sax)
• Donald Smith - (electric piano)
• William S. Henderson III - (acoustic piano)
• Tarik Shah - (bass)
• Greg Banoy - (drums)
• Leon Thomas - (vocals on A1, B1 & B3)

Recorded in New York, July 13, 1987

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong
• A2. Equinox
• A3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams

• SIDE B
• B1. If It Wasn't For A Woman
• B2. Clear Out Of This World
• B3. Next Time You See Me