Sanders Pharoah, born Farrell Sanders, *13 October 1940, Little Rock (Arkansas), †24 September 2022, Los Angeles, American jazz saxophonist (tenor, soprano). After graduating from high school in Little Rock, he moved to Oakland in 1959, where he studied music at Oakland College for a time, while also playing with rhythm and blues and jazz artists. In 1961, he settled in New York City. There, he collaborated with S. Ra, B. Higgins, A. Ayler, and D. Cherry, with whom he later recorded the albums Symphony for Improvisors (1966) and Where is Brooklyn (1967). From 1965 to 1967, he was a member of J. Coltrane’s band (among others Ascension, 1965; Live at the Village Vanguard Again!, 1966; Meditations, 1966; Cosmic Music, 1968). In 1964, he recorded his debut album Pharoah’s First (1965), followed by another original album, Tauhid, in 1967. In 1968, he was one of the leading soloists of C. Bley’s big band (The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, 1968; Preview, 1968). After Coltrane’s death (1967), he collaborated with his wife Alice’s band (among others A Monastic Trio, 1968), and in 1969–70 he led a group together with L. Thomas (Karma, 1969), the co-author of Sanders’ most famous piece, The Creator Has a Master Plan. During the 1970s he worked in various fields, although interest in his music remained limited. In the early 1980s, he played with a new band (including I. Muhammad and J. Hicks, who was later replaced by W. Henderson); the following albums were released at that time: Journey to the One, 1980; Rejoice, 1981; Heart is a Melody, 1982; Pharoah Sanders Live, 1982; followed in subsequent years by Africa, 1988; Moon Child, 1989; Welcome to Love, 1990. In the 1990s, he toured and recorded as the leader of his own bands, also collaborating with S. Sharrock (Ask the Ages, 1991), R. Weston (The Spirits of our Ancestors, 1991; Khepera, 1998), and S. Turre (1995). In the second half of the 1990s, he recorded albums including Message from Home (1996) and Save our Children (1998); during this period, he also played with W. Roney (Village, 1997) and J. “Bood” Ulmer’s band (Cross Fire, 1996). In 2003, Sanders released the live album The Creator Has a Master Plan and the album With a Heartbeat; his latest significant success was the album Promises (2021), recorded together with DJ S. Shepherd (known as Floating Points) and the London Symphony Orchestra. He performed in Poland several times: in 1998 in Poznań, in 1999 in Warsaw, in 2014 in Wrocław, and in 2018 in Krakow and Katowice.
Sanders was one of the most significant figures of the jazz avant-garde of the 1960s. His style, shaped by the influence of J. Gilmore, J. Coltrane, and A. Ayler, was characterized by the freedom of improvisation, energy, vitality, rough sound full of overblowing and sound effects, and the use of the entire scale (especially the upper register) of the instrument, which are characteristic of free jazz. A turning point in his career was his collaboration with Coltrane, which proved inspirational for both musicians. Following the decline of free jazz, Sanders spent considerable time seeking a new formula that would allow him to merge sophisticated techniques with music accessible to a broader audience. His style gradually mellowed, incorporating elements of tradition (post-bop, modal jazz), and his repertoire began to include standards (Over the Rainbow) and lyrical ballads. Nevertheless, he retained his characteristic raw tone and certain elements of free jazz. Many of his recordings were inspired by Eastern religions and the musical tradition of Africa.
