After playing with his idol John Coltrane as well as Trane's widow Alice, this restlessly innovative saxophonist went into his most prolific period as a leader. He plays tenor, alto and flute (and even contributes some vocals) on these LPs from '72 and '74: Village of the Pharoahs Pts. 1-3; Myth; Memories of Lee Morgan; High Life; The Golden Lamp , and more!

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

Once you’ve heard the sound of Pharoah Sanders’ tenor saxophone, you never forget it; impossibly rich and full of overtones, it wrings every bit of emotion out of each note. Pharoah has gained a devoted following since his days with John Coltrane, and his work for Impulse during the early ’70s in particular has been lovingly reissued; however, his albums for Arista in the late '70s have been out of print for years. One big reason for that is that they are the most controversial of his career; that same devoted fan base could not believe its ears when this free jazz icon went the jazz-funk "quiet storm" route! But the blend—some would say collision—of the two aesthetics produced, on Love Will Find a Way, a unique album that has gained quite the cult following over the years; that it features two other legends in their own right, drummer/producer/singer Norman Connors and vocalist Phyllis Hyman, certainly doesn’t hurt! We’re reissuing this lost classic with original art and new liner notes with quotes from Pharoah.