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Well-known jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders passed away on September 24 at the age of 81, according to his label Luaka Bop, who revealed the news on Twitter.
Pharoah’s cause of death remains unknown and further details about where he passed away and his funeral are expected to be revealed soon.
Journey of Pharoah Sanders as a jazz saxophonist
Born on October 13, 1940, Pharoah Sanders was a member of John Coltrane’s groups during the 60s and released around 30 albums. He collaborated with artists like Leon Thomas and Alice Coltrane, and was described as the best tenor player in the world by Ornette Coleman, also a saxophonist.
Sanders’ mother was a cook in a school cafeteria and his father was employed in the City of Little Rock. Pharoah started playing the tenor saxophone when he was studying at Scipio Jones High School. He was introduced to jazz by saxophone player Jimmy Cannon. The musician finished high school in 1959 and joined Oakland Junior College and used to play in black and white clubs.
Sanders started his professional career as a saxophonist in Oakland, California, and went to New York City in 1961. He joined John Coltrane’s band in 1965 and recorded with Coltrane on albums like Ascension and Meditations. He then produced more free jazz and participated in the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra’s self-titled album in 1968.
Pharoah Sanders’ first album, Pharoah’s First did not receive a positive response and he signed with Impulse! in 1966. He continued to produce more recordings and worked with Alice Coltrane on her album, Journey in Satchidananda.
Most of his successful works were released under Impulse Records, and he began exploring various musical modes like R&B, modal jazz, and hard bop. He left Impulse! in 1973 and kept on joining different labels.
He was featured on the album Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool and collaborated with drummer and composer Franklin Kiermyer on his album, Solomon’s Daughter. He even collaborated with Laswell, Jah Wobble, and other well-known artists on their albums. Sanders then played at various festivals like the 2004 Bluesfest Byron Bay, the 2007 Melbourne Jazz Festival, and the 2008 Big Chill Festival.
He received an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2016 and was honored at a tribute concert in Washington, DC the same year. He recorded a collaboration with music producer and DJ, Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra in 2020. He released an album titled Promises in March 2021 and it received a positive response.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Pharoah Sanders has gained recognition in all these years as a talented saxophonist. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise.
Pharoah’s survivors include his family members, but detailed information on his personal life and family remains unknown.
