"Although introduced as a protégé of John Coltrane
and touted by many as his heir apparent, reedman Pharoah Sanders quickly
proved his own man. His shared interest in the "cosmic" music
of Coltrane's final period belies the fact that Sanders frequently plays
with an unhurried sense of peace and satisfaction rarely found in his
mentor's music. His use of space, African and Asian motifs and instruments,
and simple, repetitive melodies also pointed the way for jazz, rock, and
new age musicians in the '70s and '80s, while his sometimes raucous use
of harsh, shrieking runs influenced many of jazz's most adventurous saxophonists.
The centerpiece of Karma is the marathon half-hour octet recording "The
Creator Has a Master Plan." Although the track features a warm vocal
by Leon Thomas, its true feature artist for almost the entire length is
Sanders, who carries the melody, feel, and improvisation firmly on his
shoulders. All of Sanders's key elements--Afro-centric spiritualism, sweeping
use of mood from long, relaxed intervals to frenetic cacophony, and a
deep sense of melody and rhythm--are in evidence. The album's religious
feeling is cemented by the album's closer, "Colors," which serves
as a deeply felt invocation."
(Fred Goodman, Amazon)
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