PHAROAH SANDERS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Over the years, Sam Shepheard's work as Floating Points has become increasingly ambitious, moving further away from his dancefloor roots and closer to spiritual jazz, new age and neo-classical. Even so, it was still a surprise when Shepheard announced Promises, a 46-minute piece in 10 "movements" featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It's an undeniably remarkable piece all told; a constantly evolving fusion of neo-classical ambience, spiritual jazz and starry, synthesizer-laden soundscapes notable not only for Sanders' sublime sax-playing and Shepheard's memorable melodic themes, but also the intricate, detailed nature of the musical arrangements. It's a stunningly beautiful and life-affirming piece all told, and one that deserves your full attention.

Review: Pharoah Sanders' Izipho Zam (My Gifts) was first recorded in 1969 but wasn't released until 1973; a monumental yet, despite the name, little-received jazz work, we can still hear the legendary jazz-musical theocrat push the boat ever further out psychically and sonically here. Produced by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver's Strata-East label, the album was recorded at Town Sound Studios, two years after Sanders' mentor John Coltrane's death. Coltrane's passing marked a significant turning point for Sanders, who saw in the saxophonist the unopened buds of a spiritual path for music, expressible in jazz. The Zulu phrase used in the title is regularly heard in Mozambique, Eswatini and Zimbabwe, reflecting the cultural emphasising of gifting in East Africa.