Farrell 'Pharoah' Sanders reached a soulful spiritual intensity with the meditative ostinato of this screeching reaching free jazz working plan. He had started out playing clarinet when he was a boy in Little Rock, Arkansas; but switched to tenor saxophone in high school. He played with various groups in the Oakland, California area before relocating to New York City where he struggled and became homeless before connecting with John Coltrane with whom he played on the seminal albums 'Ascension' and 'Meditations' before starting his own group. He recorded 'Pharoah's First', 'Tauhid', and 'Izipho Zam' before moving on to Impulse! Records to record 'Karma' at RCA Studios in New York City with Leon Thomas on percussion and vocals; pianist Lonnie Liston Smith; bassist Reggie Workman; and French-horn player Julius Watkins; with flautist James Spaulding; second bassist Richard Davis; and percussionist Nathaniel Bettis adding to the din of "The Creator Has a Master Plan"; and bassist Ron Carter and drummer Freddie Waits played on 'Colors'.
Sanders remembers: "At that time, when I was making those albums, I was trying to do both kinds of things, play in and out. I was working a little bit with John Coltrane and at the same time, I always had my own band at the same time. I was trying to work both bands and try to figure out what I wanted to do. It kept me moving ... Guys like to play their little solo and that is it and then the next guy plays his solo and that is it. In New York, by me living there so long, guys are into more energy. We play much longer and that makes me want to play longer. If you build the intensity up to where I can come in on that energy, that is what I want. Then you would see me playing for a long time. If I have to do it all by myself, then it is not working right. I look at it that the whole band is like one big solo. I like to build. If nobody is building with me, then there is no sense in me trying to play because that is not creative. You never get a lot of creativity out of me because I am not pushed to do it. Nobody is looking at the energy. They are all looking at the piece of music and this guy is soloing and they already have it all figured out. I could play the whole set by myself and I am giving them a chance to play and be heard and they don't take advantage of that and do something with it, then it is not going anywhere. That is why I am not getting enough work because I would like to work all the time. Nobody really calls me. Ever since I have been playing, I never worked every month. I will work this month and then I am off two months. That is the way it has been going. I don't know why, but I guess that is just the way it is."
http://pharoahsanders.wordpress.com/
"The Creator Has a Master Plan" (Sanders, Thomas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6lB7FKxi8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0jH9JxaeBg
"There was a time,
When peace was on the earth,
And joy and happiness did reign
And each man knew his worth.
In my heart how I yearn for that spirit's return
And I cry, as time flies,
Om, Om.
There is a place where love forever shines,
And rainbows are the shadows of a presence so divine,
And the glow of that love lights the heavens above,
And it's free, can't you see, come with me.
The creator has a master plan,
peace and happiness for every man
The creator has a working plan,
peace and happiness for every man
The creator makes but one demand,
happiness through all the land."
"Colors"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBK4SIeFz9Q
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x59ct8_pharoah-sanders-colors_music
Pharoah Sanders - Colors by blackmoon0808
'Karma' full album
"The Creator Has a Master Plan" (Sanders, Thomas) (32:46)
"Colors" (Sanders, Thomas) (5:37)
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