Pharoah Sanders

Sanders, revered as one of the avant-garde's greatest tenor saxophonists, was a member of John Coltrane's final quartet. His expressive playing laid a path ...

A patient and meditative album, it sometimes feels like a structure built for the sole purpose of allowing Sanders' voice and saxophone to levitate. In 2021, he released the album Promises in collaboration with the electronic musician Sam Shepherd, who records as Floating Points, and the London Symphony Orchestra that was widely and immediately hailed as one of the year's best. Even given his pioneering work, Sanders downplayed his technical achievements in favor of the emotional resonance he was seeking. Sanders' fortunes in New York slowly but surely turned around as he established a solo career, and by 1965 he was a member of what would be Coltrane's final quartet. "Sanders has consistently had bands that could not only create a lyrical near-mystical Afro-Eastern world," wrote one champion, the poet-critic Amiri Baraka, "but [also] sweat hot fire music in continuing display of the so-called 'energy music' of the '60s." Pharoah Sanders, the revered and influential tenor saxophonist who explored and extended the boundaries of his instrument, notably alongside John Coltrane in the 1960s, died on Saturday morning in Los Angeles.

He first gained wide recognition for his work with John Coltrane and went on to a fertile, prolific career, releasing dozens of albums as a leader.

He gained wide recognition as a member of John Coltrane’s groups from 1965 to 1967 and went on to a fertile, prolific career, with dozens of albums and decades of performances. Sanders drew from his tenor saxophone was a force of nature: burly, throbbing and encompassing, steeped in deep blues and drawing on extended technique to create shrieking harmonics and imposing multiphonics. He was 81.

Pharaoh Sanders in 1990 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Sanders died Saturday at age 81. (Frans Schellekens/Redferns). By Dorany ...

The creator has a master plan — meaning that even during this period, all of this is within the master plan. At his side was his longtime friend and saxophonist Azar Lawrence, who added: “The message that Pharoah has continued to give us is one of continued hope. In a 2020 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sanders was soft-spoken and would reply to questions with single-sentence answers. When asked about his famous work “The Creator Has a Master Plan” and whether the state of the world made him doubt any grand design, his answer was short: “The creator has a master plan. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized, Sanders had it in abundance.” Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.”

Pharoah Sanders, an innovative jazz saxophonist who pushed the genre's boundaries with John Coltrane, Sun Ra and as a bandleader, has died at 81.

to pop powerhouse Arista, from the avant-garde company India Navigation to David Byrne’s Luaka Bop, which in itself speaks to the respect his talent and innovation inspired, no matter how far his recordings ranged. After relocating to New York, he worked with Sun Ra before joining Coltrane’s band in 1965, debuting on the “Ascension” album. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning.

Legendary jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders has died at the age of 81. He released over thirty albums during his life, more recently the 2021 comeback album ...

[John Coltrane](https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/jazz-icon-benny-golson-on-a-great-day-in-harlem.html)’s band. Sanders, a leader in the spiritual jazz movement, released over thirty albums during his life, more recently the 2021 comeback album [Promises](https://www.vulture.com/article/best-albums-2021.html) with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra. However, he eventually returned to music almost [two decades later](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/arts/music/floating-points-pharoah-sanders-promises-review.html) with Promises to critical acclaim, ending up on ten “Best of” lists for 2021. When he got to high school, his band teacher introduced him to playing jazz and the saxophone. I am so lucky to have known this man, and we are blessed to have his art stay with us forever,” Floating Points [tweeted](https://twitter.com/floatingpoints/status/1573668682198183936/) on the news. [Luaka Bop](https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci47MJ9LRXd/).

Sanders, revered as one of the avant-garde's greatest tenor saxophonists, was a member of John Coltrane's final quartet. His expressive playing laid a path ...

A patient and meditative album, it sometimes feels like a structure built for the sole purpose of allowing Sanders' voice and saxophone to levitate. In 2021, he released the album Promises in collaboration with the electronic musician Sam Shepherd, who records as Floating Points, and the London Symphony Orchestra that was widely and immediately hailed as one of the year's best. Even given his pioneering work, Sanders downplayed his technical achievements in favor of the emotional resonance he was seeking. Sanders' fortunes in New York slowly but surely turned around as he established a solo career, and by 1965 he was a member of what would be Coltrane's final quartet. "Sanders has consistently had bands that could not only create a lyrical near-mystical Afro-Eastern world," wrote one champion, the poet-critic Amiri Baraka, "but [also] sweat hot fire music in continuing display of the so-called 'energy music' of the '60s." Pharoah Sanders, the revered and influential tenor saxophonist who explored and extended the boundaries of his instrument, notably alongside John Coltrane in the 1960s, died on Saturday morning in Los Angeles.