Pharoah Sanders

Karma (Acoustic Sounds Series)

Genre: JAZZ / FUSION

LP (Black Vinyl)

Boomkat Product Review:

Probably the best-known free jazz album outside of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", Pharoah Sanders' 1969 spiritual masterpiece was a milestone in his career, defining his artistry outside of Coltrane's shadow. Completely remastered, it's never sounded better.

Initially best known for supporting Coltrane on 1965's Albert Ayler-influenced Ascension set and Meditations, the spiritual successor to A Love Supreme, Sanders defined the uniqueness of his voice on 'Karma'. His personal approach to the horn had already inspired Coltrane in his later years, but 1965's 'Pharoah's First' was a mixed bag, weighed down by an awkward supporting cast. 'Tauhid' was better, but 'Karma' is where Sanders found a way to coherently balance his charged political outlook and his elevated musical ideology. There are only two tracks, the winding 33-minute epic 'The Creator Has A Master Plan', and 'Colors', a short five-minute coda, but it's all Sanders needs to lug us into a musical universe that's defined by his unorthodox approach to the genre. Integrating African percussion and Leon Thomas's distinctive vocals, supposedly learned from Central African foragers, Sanders relied not so much on blue notes but a spectrum of color outside of equal temperament's restrictive palette.

Yet unlike much of the output that emerged from the vanguard elite (Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra), 'Karma' is surprisingly digestible for the uninitiated, and almost poppy at times. Sanders' extended technique lies at the heart of the recording, and his mastery of breath and overblowing is still impressive even after hearing it mimicked endlessly, his ability to fuse complex microtonality with tear-inducingly soulful composition is most startling. 'Karma' remains one of the most popular jazz albums of its kind because it not only stands as a remarkable blueprint, but it helps color a cultural era marked by the civil rights movement. As Black Americans demanded freedom, Black creatives broadcast that call across the world with music that broke the shackles of Western institutions, gazing towards Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond. Labelling 'Karma' spiritual hardly does it justice: it's spirit itself.

LP (Black Vinyl) (2)