Thursday, January 2, 2020
Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: The Creator Has A Master Plan
Post-Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Saxophonist Keith Gamble: The Creator Has A Master Plan: My first experience listening to Pharoah Sanders was as a teenager in the middle 1970`s. I purchased "Live At The East", and ...
The Creator Has A Master Plan
My first experience listening to Pharoah Sanders was as a teenager in the middle 1970`s. I purchased "Live At The East", and for some reason I associated Live AT The East with Pharoah Sanders` "The Creator Has A Master Plan". I cannot remember much about this album, but I do recall the album cover having a photo of Pharoah Sanders performing live in what I assume was a club. This was not my favorite album, but it did bring me closer to jazz.
Pharoah Sanders (Ferrell Sanders) was born on October 13, 1940, in Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduating from high school Ferrell Sanders moved to Oakland, CA. While in Oakland he befriended John Coltrane as he played gigs on the West coast. In 1961, Ferrell Sanders moved to New York City. While taking-on odd jobs to make a living Ferrell Sanders worked as a chef in a coffee shop called the Playhouse, and there he met Sun Ra.
Ferrell Sanders played with Sun Ra and his Arkestra for a brief period, and it was Ferrell Sanders` brief association with Sun Ra that influenced his name change from Ferrell Sanders to "Pharoah Sanders". After Pharoah Sanders` time with Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders reestablished his contact with John Coltrane. Pharoah Sanders would remain with John Coltrane until his death.
In November of 1966, Pharoah Sanders recorded his first album with the Impulse label called Tauhid, at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood, NJ. John Coltrane greatly influenced Pharoah Sanders` playing, while Sun Ra would go on to influence Pharoah Sanders` celebrity. Pharoah Sanders` incendiary shredding of his sound is a direct result of his time spent touring with John Coltrane. It is with John Coltrane that Pharoah Sanders began overblowing, shrieking, and using extended techniques on saxophone. Pharoah Sanders` sound is a combination from his time spent with John Coltrane in Japan, and his interest in reading about ancient Egypt. This mixture influenced and gave the jazz world Tauhid. "Tauhid balanced the incendiary sax shredding of Sanders` years with Coltrane with a newfound lyricism and patience, letting each song unfold at a natural pace" (How Pharoah Sanders Brought Jazz To Its Spiritual Peak With His Impulse! Albums, May 5, 2016, by Andy Beta).
Pharoah Sanders received much criticism on Tauhid (and other recordings) for his use of overblowing techniques. Vocalist Leon Thomas recorded Tauhid with Pharoah Sanders, and would go on to record the LP "Karma". "The Creator Has A Master Plan" is on the Karma recording. The Creator Has A Master Plan is a recording that goes for 33 - minutes between soul music and free jazz. The Creator Has A Master Plan is said to be vary sacred, as well as mystical and beautiful. In terms of free jazz, The Creator Has A Master Plan was a hit. Other albums to follow during those Impulse years from 1966 through the 1970`s are Jewels Of Thought, and Summun Bukmun Umyum. Pharoah Sanders and his nonet would go on to tour.
Pharoah Sanders` music draws from world religions centering on the message of peace. Other albums to be recorded during the Impulse years are "Black Unity" and "Elevation". In all, Pharoah Sanders recorded and released 11 albums during seven years, leaving Impulse in 1973, but continuing on his musical journey.
Pharoah Sanders (Ferrell Sanders) was born on October 13, 1940, in Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduating from high school Ferrell Sanders moved to Oakland, CA. While in Oakland he befriended John Coltrane as he played gigs on the West coast. In 1961, Ferrell Sanders moved to New York City. While taking-on odd jobs to make a living Ferrell Sanders worked as a chef in a coffee shop called the Playhouse, and there he met Sun Ra.
Ferrell Sanders played with Sun Ra and his Arkestra for a brief period, and it was Ferrell Sanders` brief association with Sun Ra that influenced his name change from Ferrell Sanders to "Pharoah Sanders". After Pharoah Sanders` time with Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders reestablished his contact with John Coltrane. Pharoah Sanders would remain with John Coltrane until his death.
In November of 1966, Pharoah Sanders recorded his first album with the Impulse label called Tauhid, at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood, NJ. John Coltrane greatly influenced Pharoah Sanders` playing, while Sun Ra would go on to influence Pharoah Sanders` celebrity. Pharoah Sanders` incendiary shredding of his sound is a direct result of his time spent touring with John Coltrane. It is with John Coltrane that Pharoah Sanders began overblowing, shrieking, and using extended techniques on saxophone. Pharoah Sanders` sound is a combination from his time spent with John Coltrane in Japan, and his interest in reading about ancient Egypt. This mixture influenced and gave the jazz world Tauhid. "Tauhid balanced the incendiary sax shredding of Sanders` years with Coltrane with a newfound lyricism and patience, letting each song unfold at a natural pace" (How Pharoah Sanders Brought Jazz To Its Spiritual Peak With His Impulse! Albums, May 5, 2016, by Andy Beta).
Pharoah Sanders received much criticism on Tauhid (and other recordings) for his use of overblowing techniques. Vocalist Leon Thomas recorded Tauhid with Pharoah Sanders, and would go on to record the LP "Karma". "The Creator Has A Master Plan" is on the Karma recording. The Creator Has A Master Plan is a recording that goes for 33 - minutes between soul music and free jazz. The Creator Has A Master Plan is said to be vary sacred, as well as mystical and beautiful. In terms of free jazz, The Creator Has A Master Plan was a hit. Other albums to follow during those Impulse years from 1966 through the 1970`s are Jewels Of Thought, and Summun Bukmun Umyum. Pharoah Sanders and his nonet would go on to tour.
Pharoah Sanders` music draws from world religions centering on the message of peace. Other albums to be recorded during the Impulse years are "Black Unity" and "Elevation". In all, Pharoah Sanders recorded and released 11 albums during seven years, leaving Impulse in 1973, but continuing on his musical journey.
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