Pharoah (album)

Pharoah is an album by the saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded in 1976 and released on the India Navigation label.[1] The album was reissued in 2023, along with two live performances of "Harvest Time".

Pharoah
Studio album by
Pharoah Sanders
Released1977
RecordedAugust and September 1976
GenreJazz
Length40:20
LabelIndia Navigation
ProducerIndia Navigation Company
Pharoah Sanders chronology
Elevation
(1974)		 Pharoah
(1977)		 Love Will Find a Way
(1977)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Pitchfork8.9/10[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide[5]

In a review for AllMusic, John Bush acknowledged that "the playing is excellent", but stated that Sanders was "beginning to drift into watery new age muzak." He concluded: "Clearly, Pharoah Sanders was losing his way a full ten years after the death of John Coltrane."[2]

A writer for The Jazz Spot called the album "one of the most underrated records of the artist's career", and noted that the three tracks "denote an enormous originality and honesty". He commented: "Its diversity is complemented with a regular and uniform quality throughout the recording."[6]

A 2023 review of the reissue by Pitchfork was given the site's "Best New Reissue" distinction, with Mark Richardson writing that it "captures a feeling of unearthly magic" as "the modest recording is perfect for the music, framing a peculiar mood and atmosphere that's lusty and joyous one moment and haunting and meditative the next".[4]

Track listing

All compositions by Pharoah Sanders.

  1. "Harvest Time" – 20:15
  2. "Love Will Find a Way" – 14:31
  3. "Memories of Edith Johnson" – 5:40

Personnel

Charts
2023 chart performance for Pharoah
Chart (2023) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 54
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[8] 41
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[9] 38

References
  1. Pharoah Sanders discography accessed January 12, 2015
  2. Bush, John. "Pharoah – Pharoah Sanders | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 245.
  4. Richardson, Mark (September 16, 2023). "Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  5. Swenson, John, ed. (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. p. 593.
  6. "Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah". The Jazz Spot. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  8. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  9. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
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