Pharoah Sanders

Pharoah Sanders
Sanders holding a microphone with a saxophone slung over his body
Sanders in 2006
Background information
Birth nameFerrell Lee Sanders
Born(1940-10-13)October 13, 1940
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 24, 2022(2022-09-24) (aged 81)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, spiritual jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz, world fusion, ethno jazz, post-bop
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, bandleader
Instrument
Years active1964–2022
LabelsDouglas, Theresa, Impulse!, Strata East, Luaka Bop

Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", Sanders played a prominent role in the development of free jazz and spiritual jazz through his work as a member of John Coltrane's groups in the mid-1960s, and later through his solo work. He released more than thirty albums as a leader and collaborated extensively with vocalist Leon Thomas and pianist Alice Coltrane, among many others. Fellow saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world".[1]

Sanders' take on spiritual jazz was rooted in his inspiration from religious concepts such as karma and tawhid, and his rich, meditative performance aesthetic.[2] This style was seen as a continuation of Coltrane's work on albums such as A Love Supreme.[3] As a result, Sanders was considered to have been a disciple of Coltrane or, as Albert Ayler said, "Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost".[4]

  1. ^ King, Daniel (June 24, 2011). "Tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders burst through the gates in John Coltrane's group. Pharoah's children are Ferrell Jr, Fazal, Muzill Lumkile, Farah, Hadiya, Tomoki, and Naima. At 79, he's going strong". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. ^ Farberman, Brad (November 29, 2017). "Review: Pharoah Sanders LPs Resurrect Early Spiritual-Jazz Classics". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  3. ^ Dineen, Donal. "Donal Dineen's Sunken Treasure: 'Karma' by Pharoah Sanders (1969)". The Irish Times. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  4. ^ "Albert Ayler: Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost album review". Allaboutjazz.com. October 31, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2020.