The Creator makes but one demand: vote for your favorite Pharoah Sanders album

The big takeaway from that interview is just how much Pharoah Sanders hates being interviewed.

strongly disagree with this. not sure what your experience was like, but i feel as if he had a lot of really insightful things to say here

e.g. i found this really interesting:

Would the label give you any direction, or were they hands-off?

They tried to let you know how many songs to play. I just kind of ignored it. Sometimes, I would just play one tune for the whole side. I just kept on playing, like it was a suite. Looking from one thing to another. If you’re in the song, keep on playing.

Did you rehearse?

No, we never rehearsed.

Did you ever do more than one take?

Maybe on a few things we did, something where I didn’t really like the way I first got started up and started out playing. But whenever I heard it back, I kind of liked it, so I said, “Well, I should have kept it.” Anyways, it’s too late now.

It kind of taught me something else. It made me think, Why do I have to do it this way? Let’s keep on playing until it all comes together. That’s what we did. That’s what I always do. You know, try to keep on creating.

also this is a pretty amazing quote

John always loved to play ballads. He played some ballads when I was working with him, when he kind of opened up more freely. On some jobs I did with him, he played a ballad every now and then. Then he got back in his spaceship and took off again.

Live in Paris (1975) is really good

do go on !

Yeah, I went in with low expectations 'cause it's "just" a quartet rather than the two basses and however many percussionists of Live at the East, but it's really, really good. The pianist/organist is great.

do you know anything about the band ? i’m not sure i’m familiar with any of the other players.

it just came out last week, I'm surprised it hasn't been released before

the sound is much better than I expected, even on Spotify ... it's subtitled "The Lost ORTF Recordings" which I guess refers to this miking method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORTF_stereo_technique

I found it very soothing earlier today, I think it's time to play it again

ORTF is the French equivalent to the BBC - it stands for Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française.

I find it almost nihilistic, by the way, that it's on Spotify but the label won't sell the digital files - you have to buy the LP or you get nothing:

https://transversales.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-paris-1975

(As a non-turntable-owner, I got it by other means, obviously.)

kinda jazz critic are you anyway, no turntable !

what was the mini book that came iwth teh 2013 edition of teh Elevation cd like?
I just picked up a cheap copy of the previous release I think and wonder if it is still something I would find essential to get for the book thing. Haven't been able to find a phot of it online that shows contents.

Wow, good timing, I'm 1:43 into "Live at the East".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SvS_Yi6_IQ

Pharoah is 80 today so here's a levitatinng track from Montreux in 1978. Not sure if its quite as good as he was earlier in the decade but it's getting there.

BIt of him from 1968 too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8rX54ZhweU

think I'd love to find stuff from 70-72 but these 2 will do for now maybe.

Amazing videos, cheers Stevo

Shame looks like that video from Montreux in 1978 has gone

Was looking for it to share in tribute to him since he just died

Tauhid deserves more attention, I'm pretty sure that's the one I've listened to the most overall.

Everything from Elevation through Naima ranges from disappointing to dire.

What the hell, Elevation is awesome.

JUst watched this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joieeBqeNoM
I think I saw a 10 minute section a while back but this has an hour and 20 minutes and cuts out a couple of times so it's difficult to see how much could still be missing. From the footage itself anyway,
Very good stuff.

Do wish that Montreux 78 thing would reappear cos that was amazing. THis is Antibes.