home

The Vinyl Press

  • Features
  • Records
  • Cleaning – Care
  • Editorials
  • Compendia
  • Ephemera
  • Phono
  • About
You are here: Home / Records / Pharoah Sanders Live at the East

Pharoah Sanders Live at the East

May 20, 2020 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

Pharoah Sanders Live at the East

Pharoah Sanders Live at the East was released after Sanders had already come into his own with the album Karma, released on Impulse in 1969. Sanders was well recognized within the modern jazz community, having been mentored by the likes of  Coltrane and Sun Ra. Sanders appears on one of my favorite Alice Coltrane records, Ptah, the El Daoud, released in 1970. In 1972, Sanders released this live album, which can be found at reasonable prices despite the increasing market value of the older Impulse pressings. The line up on this album is stellar, from Cecil McBee and Stanley Clarke on bass, to Carlos Garnett and Harold Vic on flute and tenor, respectively, to Billy Hart on drums.

The East was a cultural center which opened in the Bed-Sty neighborhood in 1969 and played an important role in that historically black neighborhood during a period of turmoil. From what I gather, this album, consisting of three tracks, was not actually recorded at the East but in a studio with audience members from the East in attendance.  It does give you that “you are there” quality, though, and the quality of the recording is high.

Sanders had already developed his signature sound- multiphonic, overblown, but never veering out of control, straddling a fine line between the intense and the serene.

The first track, “Healing Song” starts with an edgy horn blast but quickly becomes melodic as various instruments susurrate and then intone individually; you can hear a cool hook that wraps behind this interlude. This reminds me of the lesson that multi-instrumentalist Brahja said he learned from the great Paul Bley: “…when you make something pretty too long, it ceases to be pretty. He would tell me, put something ugly there—beauty is revealed in contrast.” That repeat refrain, while beautiful, forms a foundation for a great horn solo. There’s still a lot going on in the background, voices, double bass and Sanders eventually breaks out into his characteristic distorted sound, but it’s tempered here. The piano picks it up and Marvin Petersen’s work on the trumpet fits perfectly. A sort of frantic shrieking is set up by Sanders to offset the more conventional musical refrain; when he completes the piece, Sanders just nails it. Very satisfying.

For someone who is relatively new to modern jazz, treat this as a jam session and go with it; for listeners more accustomed to a little cacophony, this is mild stuff.

The jacket lists a short track, Lumkili Part 1, as completing side one. My copy is not pressed that way- “Healing Song” takes up the entirety of side one and side two begins with “Memories of J.W. Coltrane,” a muted contemplation of instrumentation, chants and percussion that eventually makes way for some incredible bass work. Remember, Stanley Clarke and Cecil McBee both appear but it is not clear if they are on stage at the same time. This track will take you out there – rather than listening for melody, I’m listening to the tone of the instruments- the high plucked notes on the bass, for example and letting the overall performance set the mood.

Lumkili appears in its entirety rather than in parts as the second track of side two. We return to a more melodic style, with the sax leading. Sanders’ intonation is beautiful as he lingers and dwells on certain “sweet spots” but still respects the timing of the rest of the band. Those high filigrees on the bass sound like McBee’s work as the piano fills in the space with trills and flourishes and a lovely lower register that is matched by the bass. When the horn returns, it feels like home-peaceful and serene.

This is not the most popular Pharoah Sanders album, nor is it necessarily his best. Why even bother? Because there are moments of brilliant playing here, and a killer band. This is a cheap entry into first generation spiritual jazz on a label that was one of the wellsprings for the movement.

 

Bill Hart

Austin, TX

May, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Records

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

In Brief:

Milt Ward Virgo Reissue Coming from Frederiksberg

Although I don't have all the details yet, I have learned that Frederiksberg Records, a small, eclectic label from New York, is in the process of reissuing the hard to find (and even harder to pay for) jazz obscurity, Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum. You can find out more by keeping tabs on Frederiksberg's Bandcamp page, https://frederiksbergrecords.bandcamp.com   I'm told there is a bootleg out there so be careful. Frederiksberg is doing this project with the participation of the family of Milt Ward, which is to be applauded. Hopefully, this will give more access to a great jazz record at a reasonable price. The Roots album reissue from Frederiksberg (which is sold out on vinyl on the Frederiksberg Records bandcamp site) still appears to be available through some online retailers as a pre-order, so that's another one to jump on now if you can find it-- the original is extremely pricey and … [Read More...]

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond With a name derived from a character in the same literary work as the band name so famously identified with the Walter Becker-Donald Fagen duo, Clem Snide has an extensive discography, typically cataloged as “alt country.” This latest release is the work of one of its founding members, Eef Barzelay, who was responsible for much of the songwriting and singing. According to his bio, Barzelay suffered some serious bumps in the road during the last decade, including a failing marriage and financial ruin. At the same time, he learned that Scott Avett was a fan and they found inspiration in each other, leading to this album- a collaboration of artistry where Avett and Barzelay share some writing credits and Avett produces. The result is a fresh, upbeat set of tunes that are appealing in their simplicity and refreshing in their sincerity. The band is first tier … [Read More...]

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence Muriel Grossmann continues her quest for musical ascension on Reverence, which was released on vinyl in early December, 2019 on the RR Gems label as a 2 LP set. The compositions are Grossmann’s, and the band is much the same as the group of seasoned musicians with whom she has worked for some time (and detailed in the review of her Golden Rule), but for one notable exception: the addition of a keyboard player who brings that rich, woody Hammond B-3 sound to a series of compositions devoted to Africa. In some ways, Ms. Grossmann’s exploration of the roots of jazz deliberately eschews any superficial attempt to make African music. Instead, she draws inspiration from its influences, which are wide ranging and deep—you can hear rhythm and blues sounds mixed with more traditional African instrumentation and polyrhythms and come away with something that is both … [Read More...]

Stylus Life- StylusTimer

Stylus Life- StylusTimer Stylus life is a recurring question in audio discussions. Some serious attention was devoted to the subject here, in Mike Bodell’s “The Finish Line for Your Phono Stylus.” That article examined the issue from a number of perspectives, including early studies, claims by cartridge manufacturers and real-life experiences by users. It also generated a long, interesting thread on the Steve Hoffman forum that is worthwhile to read. The Hoffman thread also generated an experiment by Ray Parkhurst who documented the wear of a new stylus under certain controlled conditions, which included a microscopic examination of the stylus at various time intervals over long hours of repeated play. See https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-finish-line-for-your-phono-cartridge-stylus-wear-by-mike-bodell.842572/#post-21292730.   Whether you lean toward more optimistic … [Read More...]

Incoming! (More Interesting Records)

Incoming! (More Interesting Records)  An "interesting record" to me offers something unexpected, whether it is a fresh take on a recognized genre, or something that opens a new way of experiencing instruments in combination. It does not have to be "strange" or challenging to listen to; in fact, I'm a sucker for a good melodic hook and enjoy technical prowess as much as anybody, but there has got to be something "more"-- an intangible that differentiates the record from the millions of others to which we all have access.   As mentioned in a recent editorial, a lot of records come in and not all get written up. It’s not an editorial decision or any reflection of the music or sonics; I only have so much time, and I tend not to write short blurbs, but longer (some may say ‘too long’) reviews. My “incoming” piles continue to grow as I publish. This series of short capsules is meant to … [Read More...]

Terms of Use ·  Copyright © 2020 The Vinyl Press.com ·  Privacy Policy
A service of Flying Reptile Media Group ·  Contact


Register | Login to Comment | Comments FAQ

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in