PHAROAH SANDERS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Pharoah Sanders was a monumental figure in the field of spiritual jazz, and this album from 1977 was his undisputed masterwork. Receiving renewed recognition in recent years as a collaborator, his passing in 2022 has cemented his legendary status, and so Luaka Bop take on the task of paying tribute with a lavish reissue of this landmark release. As well as the original album, this two-disc edition features previously unreleased live renditions of 'Harvest Time' and a 70-page booklet with interviews, rarely seen photographs and an interview with Sanders himself.

Review: In the field of spiritual jazz, there are few albums as seminal as Pharoah. Originally released in 1977 and serving as a landmark for the genre as well as Pharoah Sanders himself, it remains a towering work of understated beauty, using negative space and patient pauses as potent as the notes played. Sanders sadly passed on to the next realm in 2022 amidst a wave of renewed appreciation for his work, and Luaka Bop have taken on the task of reissuing this otherworldly classic in fine style. As well as the original album, a second record features two previously unreleased live versions of 'Harvest Time', and the package comes with a 24-page booklet featuring a wealth of additional material to round out the experience of one of the all-time greatest jazz albums.

Review: Pharaoh Sanders has many high-points in his illustrious career, but Black Unity is a truly special, long-form body of work stretching out over 37 minutes of mesmerising, sustained groove. Widely hailed by critics as one of Sanders' most revealing works, he's joined on the 1971 session by Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Carlos Garnett on flute and tenor sax, Joe Bonner on piano, Stanley Clarke and Cecil McBee on bass, Norman Connors and Billy Hart on drums and Lawrence Killian on percussion. Between them, the ensemble guide us through ebbs and flows of majestic power, all elements flowing into one another in a true expression of the unity Sanders spelt out in the title.

Review: The now late but always great and legendary American jazz tenor-saxophonist Pharoah Sanders plays some straight-up ballards on this compilation album, Welcome to Love. The main man is joined by William Henderson on piano, Stafford James on bass and Eccleston W. Wainwright on drums and between them they cook up some real highlights. Bonus track 'Moonlight In Vermont' is a classic in itself and this one comes on limited edition, individually numbered copies on yellow vinyl.