Pharoah SANDERS - Izipho Zam 1973

Pharoah SANDERS - Izipho Zam 1973
(Recorded earlier in 1969)

Jazz

"Izipho Zam (My Gifts)" is one of those albums that everyone but me seems to love. Recorded shortly before his Impulse! masterpiece "Karma", this album features more or less the same band, with contributions from a large number of musicians-- prominent among them vocalist Leon Thomas, alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune, Howerd Johnson (on tuba this time), guitarist Sonny Sharrock, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, and a seemingly endless cast of basssists and percussionists, many of whom were associated with Sanders at this point.

Opener "Prince of Peace" is really the only piece I truly love on this one. Re-recorded a year later (in a superior arrangement and retitled "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah") "Jewels of Thought", it is a melodic vocal feature for Thomas, where he sings his sort of meditative lyrics calling for piece before performing his unique yodelling improv. Sanders appears confined to percussion (of which there's a ton) on this piece, with no real contributuion on his part. Still, it's a lovely piece and certainly noteworthy.

But after that the album feels to come unglued to me. "Balance" fades in during what sounds to be the middle of the introductory statement to "The Creator Has a Masterplan", moves into a bluesy Monkish riff (it's interesting that only recently had I noted the compositional influence Monk seemed to have on Sanders' early work) and then into a frantic free improv section where Sanders wails away freely on top of the other horns with Johnson in counter on tuba. The problem is, I don't really feel much from the improv, some of the playing is exciting, but it just does nothing for me.

And speaking of doing little, the title track, a nearly half-hour long sprawling suite, slowly develops with Thomas yodelling and singing (wordlessly) until the piece settles into a groove irritatingly stated by Sharrock on clean-tone guitar (it seems fine until you realize the same riff gets aired and varied for the length of the piece), with Sanders occasionally showing up to air out some more of his "Creator Has a Masterplan" themes.
By Michael Stack.
**
Cecil McBee, Sirone- Bass 
Billy Hart, Majid Shabazz- Drums 
Sonny Sharrock- Guitar 
Nat Bettis, Tony Wylie- Percussion
Chief Bey- Percussion [African Drums]
Lonnie Liston Smith- Piano
Sonny Fortune- Alto Sax
Pharoah Sanders- Saxophone, Percussion
Howard Johnson- Tuba 
Leon Thomas- Vocals, Percussion
**
A1. Prince Of Peace 8:44
A2. Balance 12:15
B1. Izipho Zam 28:50
**
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Pharoah SANDERS - Summun, Bukmun, Umyun (Deaf, Dumb, Blind) 1970

Pharoah SANDERS - Summun, Bukmun, Umyun (Deaf, Dumb, Blind) 1970
AS-9199

Jazz

One of the harder to find ones by Pharoah and a record that features only 2 long songs: the title cut and "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord", each of which covers a side apiece.

A passionate recording from the greatest disciple of John Coltrane. The two side-long performances of “Summun, Bukmun, Umyon” and “Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord” stetch and flow forward in spirited abandon. Pharoah’s passion is sustained and heightened by supportive rhythm section comprised of pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Clifford Jarvis, and two percussionists. Sticking strictly to the soprano sax, Pharoah shows little of the cacaphonous ferocity for which he is so well known. Instead, he builds majestically on an intensely hypnotic rhythm that throbs with a strong African vibe. The vastly underrated Woody Shaw adds his shimmering trumpet to this potent mixture. Deaf Dumb Blind brimms with creative energy and drive, and thus makes it the best place to begin for those unacquainted with this living legend of the saxophone.
**
Pharoah Sanders- Soprano Saxophone, Cow Horn, Tritone Whistle, Cowbells, Wood Flute, Thumb Piano, Percussion
Woody Shaw- Trumpet, Yodeling, Percussion
Gary Bartz- Alto Saxophone, Bells, Cowbell, Shakers, Percussion
Lonnie Liston Smith- Piano, Cowbell, Thumb Piano, Percussion
Cecil McBee- Bass
Clifford Jarvis- Drums
Natheniel Bettis- Bylophone, Yodeling, African Percussion
Anthony Wiles- Conga Drum, African Percussion
**
A. Summun Bukmun Umyun 21:17
B. Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord 18:25
**
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Pharoah SANDERS & Norman CONNORS - Beyond A Dream 1981

Pharoah SANDERS & Norman CONNORS - Beyond A Dream 1981
Recorded live at Montreux Jazz Festival July 1978.

Jazz

This is a live recording by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and drummer Norman Connors who appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1978, the band consists of Bobby Lyle, Buzzy Jones, Duke Jones, Jacques Burvick, Greg Hill, Alex Blake, Billy McCoy, Lawrence Killian and Petro Bass. The LP was released on AristaNovus.
**
Bass [Electric] - Alex Blake
Congas - Lawrence Killian
Drums, Percussion - Norman Connors
Guitar - Greg Hill (3)
Percussion - Petro Bass
Piano - Bobby Lyle
Piano, Keyboards - Billy McCoy
Producer - Michael Cuscuna , Norman Connors
Saxophone [Tenor] - Pharoah Sanders
Saxophone, Flute - Buzzy Jones
Trumpet - Duke Jones
**
A1. Babylon 8:45
A2. Beyond A Dream 10:28
A3. Montreux Overture 4:36

B1. The End Of The Beginning 4:56
B2. Casino Latino 15:25
**
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