Pharoah Sanders
Photo: Dmitry Scherbie New York, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tenor saxophonists · 1940–2022

Pharoah Sanders

American jazz saxophonist (1940–2022)

Born
13 October 1940
Little Rock
Died
24 September 2022
Los Angeles
Country
United States
Active
1964–2022
Record labels
Capitol Records, ESP-Disk, Arista Records
Discography
43 albums

Biography

Pharoah Sanders was a jazz musician who played tenor saxophone. Pharoah Sanders was born on 13 October 1940 in Little Rock and died on 24 September 2022 in Los Angeles. The music is usually filed under jazz and free jazz. Record labels: Capitol Records, ESP-Disk and Arista Records. The discography here lists 43 albums, from “Pharoah’s First” (1965) to “Love is Here” (2025). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters.

Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", Sanders played a prominent role in the development of free jazz and spiritual jazz through his work as a member of John Coltrane's groups in the mid-1960s, and later through his solo work. He released more than thirty albums as a leader and collaborated extensively with vocalist Leon Thomas and pianist Alice Coltrane, among many others. Fellow saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world". Sanders' take on spiritual jazz was rooted in his inspiration from religious concepts such as karma and tawhid, and his rich, meditative performance aesthetic. This style was seen as a continuation of Coltrane's work on albums such as A Love Supreme.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Pharoah’s First 1965 · ESP‐Disk’
Tauhid 1967 · impulse! Jewels of Thought 1969 · impulse! Karma 1969 · impulse!
Deaf, Dumb, Blind: Summun, Bukmun, Umyun 1970 · impulse!
Thembi 1971 · impulse!
Black Unity 1972 · impulse!
Live at the East 1972 · Live · impulse! Wisdom Through Music 1972 · impulse! Elevation 1973 · impulse! Izipho Zam (My Gifts) 1973 · Strata-East Village of the Pharoahs 1973 · impulse!
Love in Us All 1974 · impulse!
Pharoah 1976 · India Navigation Love Will Find a Way 1978 · Arista Journey to the One 1980 · Theresa Records Beyond a Dream 1981 · Live · Arista Novus Rejoice 1981 · Theresa Records Heart Is a Melody 1982 · Live · Theresa Records Pharoah Sanders Live… 1982 · Live · Theresa Records Shukuru 1985 · Theresa Records A Prayer Before Dawn 1987 · Theresa Records Africa 1987 · Timeless Records Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong 1987 · Doctor Jazz Records Moon Child 1990 · Timeless Records Welcome to Love 1991 · Timeless Records
The Trance of Seven Colors 1994
Message From Home 1996 · Verve
Live at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 1999 · Live
Save Our Children 1999 · Verve Spirits 2000 · Live · Meta Records With a Heartbeat 2003 · Evolver
Ooh Live! 2008 · Live
Pharoah & The Underground 2014 · Live
Primative Jupiter 2014 · Live
Juan Les Pin Jazz Festival '68 2018 · Live
Live in Paris (1975) 2020 · Live · Transversales Disques
Antibes 68 / New York 71 - The Radio Broadcasts 2022 · Live · Fat Alberts Bag
The Creator Has a Master Plan (live) 2022 · Live · Concert Archives
Harvest Time Live 1977 2023 · Live · Luaka Bop
Live at Fabrik Hamburg 1980 2023 · Live · Jazzline Duo Concert in Frankfurt 1986 Vol.2 2024 · Live · Solid Records Love is Here 2025 · Live · Transcendence Music Group

Also plays on

Albums where Pharoah Sanders is credited as a sideman

1965 Ascension — John Coltrane tenor saxophone
1966 Meditations — John Coltrane percussion, tenor saxophone
1966 Chappaqua Suite — Ornette Coleman tenor saxophone
1966 Symphony for Improvisers — Don Cherry piccolo, tenor saxophone
1967 Kulu Sé Mama — John Coltrane tenor saxophone
1967 Om — John Coltrane tenor saxophone
1967 Expression — John Coltrane piccolo
1968 Selflessness, Featuring My Favorite Things — John Coltrane tenor saxophone
1968 Cosmic Music — John Coltrane & Alice Coltrane woodwind, tenor saxophone, flute, spoken vocals
1968 A Monastic Trio — Alice Coltrane bass clarinet
1969 Where Is Brooklyn? — Don Cherry woodwind
1969 Another Earth — Gary Bartz tenor saxophone
1970 Ptah, the El Daoud — Alice Coltrane tenor saxophone, alto flute
1971 Journey in Satchidananda — Alice Coltrane featuring Pharoah Sanders percussion, soprano saxophone
1972 Infinity — John Coltrane flute, tenor saxophone
1976 High Won - High Two — Dave Burrell tambourine
1980 Kabsha — Idris Muhammad tenor saxophone
1982 Love & Peace — Elvin Jones & McCoy Tyner Quintet tenor saxophone
1987 This Is for You John — Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette tenor saxophone
1992 African Sunrise — Randy Weston tenor saxophone
1992 The Spirits of Our Ancestors — Randy Weston tenor saxophone, wind instruments
1997 Village — Wallace Roney tenor saxophone
1998 Khepera — Randy Weston tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
2006 Beyond the Wall — Kenny Garrett tenor saxophone
2019 In the Key of the Universe — Joey DeFrancesco tenor saxophone
2024 The Carnegie Hall Concert — Alice Coltrane fife, flute, percussion, tenor saxophone

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Pharoah Sanders play?

Pharoah Sanders is known for playing tenor saxophone.

When and where was Pharoah Sanders born?

Pharoah Sanders was born 13 October 1940 in Little Rock.

What are Pharoah Sanders's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Tauhid (1967), Jewels of Thought (1969), Karma (1969), Thembi (1971) and Live at the East (1972).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.