RIP (October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022)
Pharoah Sanders In the Beginning 1963 - 1964 - four CD set documents the first recordings of the iconic tenor saxophonist, Pharoah Sanders,
prior to his well-known association with John Coltrane. Beginning with
two previously unreleased sessions with Ornette Coleman alumni Don
Cherry and Paul Bley, followed by Pharoah's debut date as a leader for
ESP-Disk and concluding with the first issue ever of the complete the
December 30 and 31, 1964 Sun Ra at Judson Hall concerts, Sanders only
known recordings with the Arkestra the set also includes rare recorded
interviews with Sanders, Cherry, Bley and Ra by ESP-Disk's music
producer Michael D. Anderson. With Coltrane, Sanders would become known
for extremely atonal blowing using extended techniques, but on his
September 20, 1964 ESP session (as on most of his work as a leader) he
does not go to those extremes.
That's not to say that Pharoah's First is easy listening or not forward-looking for its time; the record consists of long tracks over 26 and 23 minutes. While the other musicians mostly work in an advanced bebop style with occasional nods to modality (mostly pianist Jane Getz's accompaniment behind the leader), Sanders is clearly the most progressive player, overblowing and using other coloristic effects, unleashing flurries of notes outside the chord progressions, and basically sounding as intense as the other four players combined. It's an important historical document of a major player. Sun Ra - Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold In 1964, Sun Ra asked the young tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders to join him, while Arkestra mainstay John Gilmore was busy working with Paul Bley, Andrew Hill, and Art Blakey. Before the recording's original release in 1976, Sun Ra stated: "It should be very interesting to the world to show what the pre-Coltrane Pharoah Sanders was like." Also appearing on "Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold" is the little-heard flautist, Black Harold (Harold Murray), who takes the lead on the track "The Voice of Pan," continuing into "Dawn over Israel." Bassist Alan Silva (ESP 1091) also does some fine bass work on the release. "Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold" is notable not only for its unique lineup, but also for the first known recording of the composition "The Shadow World," here titled "The World Shadow," which was featured on later Arkestra albums.
Disc One - The Don Cherry Quintet (1-3-63) & The Paul Bley Quartet (5-25-64)
01. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Coming To NY
02. Cocktail Piece (first var.) take 1
03. Cocktail Piece (first var.) take 2
04. Studio Engineer Announcement
05. Cherry's Dilemma
06. Studio Engineer Announcement
07. Rememberance (first var.)
08. Medley: Thelonious Monk Compositions
09. Don Cherry Interview - Ornette's Influence Pt.1
10. Don Cherry Interview - Ornette's Influence Pt.2
11. Paul Bley Interview - 1960s Avant Garde
12. Generous 1 take 1 (Setting Levels)
13. Generous 1 take 2
14. Walking Woman take 1
15. Walking Woman take 2
16. Ictus
17. Note: After Session Conversation
Disc Two - The Pharoah Sanders Quintet (9-27-64)
01. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Musician he Performed With Pt.1
02. Bernard Stollman Interview - Meeting Pharoah Sanders
03. Seven by Seven
04. Bethera
05. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Musician he Performed With Pt.2
Disc Three - Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra -Live At Judson Hall, New York (12-30-64)
01. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Meeting Sun Ra
02. Dawn Over Israel
03. The Shadow World
04. The Second Stop Is Jupiter
05. Discipline #9
06. We Travel The Spaceways
Disc Four - Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra -Live At Judson Hall, New York (12-31-64)
01. Sun Ra Interview - Being Neglected as an Artist
02. Gods on Safari
03. The Shadow World
04. Rocket #9
05. The Voice of Pan Pt. 1
06. Dawn Over Israel
07. Space Mates
08. The Voice of Pan Pt. 2
09. The Talking Drum
10. Conversation With Saturn
11. The Next Stop Mars
12. The Second Stop is Jupiter
13. Pathway to the Outer Known
14. Sun Ra Interview - Meeting John Coltrane
15. Pharoah Sanders Interview - John Coltrane
16. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Playing at Slug's/Max Gordon
17. Pharoah Sanders Interview - Closing Comments
Disc #1,2 & 3 : Stereo Tracks
Disc #4 : Mono Tracks
