Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Elevation, Pharoah Sanders' final album for Impulse!, is a mixed bag. Four of the five cuts were recorded live at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles in September of 1973, and the lone studio track, "Greeting to Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)," was recorded in the same month at Wally Heider's studio. The live date is fairly cohesive, with beautiful modal piano work from Joe Bonner, Pharoah playing tenor and soprano as well as a myriad of percussion instruments and vocalizing in places, and a percussion and rhythm section that included Michael Carvin on drums, bassist Calvin Hill, and hand drummers John Blue and Lawrence Killian. The standout on the set is the opener. At 18 minutes, it's the longest thing here and gives the band a chance to stretch into African and Latin terrains. Sanders' long, loping, suspended lines create a kind of melodic head that is underscored by Bonner's hypnotically repetitive piano work, playing the same chord progression over and over again as he begins his solos (one on each horn). Somewhere near the five-minute mark, Pharoah enters into a primal wail and the whole thing becomes unhinged, moving into a deep blowing session of free improv. Honks, squeals, wails, and Bonner pounding the hell out of the piano erase any trace of what came before, and this goes on for four minutes before the theme restates itself and once more the magic begins. It's utterly compelling and engaging. "Saud" finds a host of percussionists (including Sanders) along with Hill on tamboura, Bonner, and violinist Michael White. It's a subtle and droning work, full of a constant hum. The other long track, "The Gathering," clocks in at almost 14 minutes, but instead of being a somber nocturnal work it's a lively South African-inspired work that nods to Dollar Brand for inspiration. A gorgeous, nearly carnival piece, it rolls and chugs and runs along on the steam created by Bonner's beautiful chord work. The chorus of vocals chanting in the foreground and background adds to the party feel, but once again it choogles right off the track into some rather angry and then spooky free improv, with a fine solo by Hill. This may not rate as highly as some of Sanders' other recordings for the label like Thembi or Karma, but there is plenty here for fans, and it is well worth the investigation and the purchase.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Michael Carvin, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Hopps, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Pharoah Sanders, Bells, Percussion, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, Shaker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Killian, Bells, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - ED MICHEL, Producer - Baker Bigsby, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Bonner, Horn, Piano, Wooden Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Calvin Hill, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Blue, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Farrell Sanders, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Carvin, Drums, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - MICHAEL WHITE, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Hopps, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Pharoah Sanders, MainArtist - Lawrence Killian, Bells, Percussion, Vocals, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Kenneth Nash, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - ED MICHEL, Producer - Joe Bonner, Horn, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, Harmonium, Wooden Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Calvin Hill, Vocals, Upright Bass, Tambura, AssociatedPerformer - John Blue, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sedatrius Brown, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Farrell Sanders, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Carvin, Drums, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Pharoah Sanders, Percussion, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Killian, Bells, Vocals, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - ED MICHEL, Producer - Baker Bigsby, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Bonner, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Calvin Hill, Bass Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - John Blue, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ebenezer Obe, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Carvin, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Pharoah Sanders, Percussion, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Killian, Bells, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - ED MICHEL, Producer - Baker Bigsby, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Bonner, Horn, Percussion, Piano, Vocals, Wooden Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Calvin Hill, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Blue, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Farrell Sanders, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Michael Carvin, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Hopps, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Pharoah Sanders, Soprano Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Killian, Bells, AssociatedPerformer - ED MICHEL, Producer - Baker Bigsby, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Bonner, Harmonium, AssociatedPerformer - Calvin Hill, Tambura, AssociatedPerformer - John Blue, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Farrell Sanders, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Elevation, Pharoah Sanders' final album for Impulse!, is a mixed bag. Four of the five cuts were recorded live at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles in September of 1973, and the lone studio track, "Greeting to Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)," was recorded in the same month at Wally Heider's studio. The live date is fairly cohesive, with beautiful modal piano work from Joe Bonner, Pharoah playing tenor and soprano as well as a myriad of percussion instruments and vocalizing in places, and a percussion and rhythm section that included Michael Carvin on drums, bassist Calvin Hill, and hand drummers John Blue and Lawrence Killian. The standout on the set is the opener. At 18 minutes, it's the longest thing here and gives the band a chance to stretch into African and Latin terrains. Sanders' long, loping, suspended lines create a kind of melodic head that is underscored by Bonner's hypnotically repetitive piano work, playing the same chord progression over and over again as he begins his solos (one on each horn). Somewhere near the five-minute mark, Pharoah enters into a primal wail and the whole thing becomes unhinged, moving into a deep blowing session of free improv. Honks, squeals, wails, and Bonner pounding the hell out of the piano erase any trace of what came before, and this goes on for four minutes before the theme restates itself and once more the magic begins. It's utterly compelling and engaging. "Saud" finds a host of percussionists (including Sanders) along with Hill on tamboura, Bonner, and violinist Michael White. It's a subtle and droning work, full of a constant hum. The other long track, "The Gathering," clocks in at almost 14 minutes, but instead of being a somber nocturnal work it's a lively South African-inspired work that nods to Dollar Brand for inspiration. A gorgeous, nearly carnival piece, it rolls and chugs and runs along on the steam created by Bonner's beautiful chord work. The chorus of vocals chanting in the foreground and background adds to the party feel, but once again it choogles right off the track into some rather angry and then spooky free improv, with a fine solo by Hill. This may not rate as highly as some of Sanders' other recordings for the label like Thembi or Karma, but there is plenty here for fans, and it is well worth the investigation and the purchase.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 5 track(s)
- Total length: 00:47:18
- Main artists: Pharoah Sanders
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Impulse!
- Genre: Jazz
© 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1973 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.