PHAROAH SANDERS — Black Unity (review)

PHAROAH SANDERS — Black Unity album cover Album · 1972 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Sean Trane
Well by the rate Pharoah was releasing albums, by late 71’s Black Unity’s publication, he had quite an impressive 70’s discography already behind him. But in some ways, the present album is IMHO his apex, despite a slowly changing line-up, where Jarvis and Liston Smith were absent, the latter rather well-replaced with Joe Bonner. Furthermore, McBee shares the bass spot with the celebrated Stanley Clarke and the drum stool sees Hart as well as Norman Connors.

In some ways the sole (title) track spread over both sides of the vinyl can sound extremely excessive when you know Sanders’ antecedents, but it’s actually more accessible than the recent JoT album, especially the flipside. Indeed it opens on a rather fast 100 MPH tempo, driven by Clarke’s bass and seconded by Bonner’s piano, before Sanders’ sax, and Peterson’s trumpet for gentle round of observation before the two engage into a full battle, often bordering on the dissonant, but not going too far over the edge, thus barely allowing you to keep your sanity. The second part of the track (the vinyl flipside if you wish) is a calmer thing, allowing for some meditative moments, with soothing bowed bass lines. Black Unity is probably not Pharoah's most accessible work and I wouldn't recommend it to a newcomer, but IMHO, it's probably his creative apex.

Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

6 Eclectic Fusion
KROKOFANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spring In Stockholm Live At Konserthuset, 1959 Cool Jazz
GERRY MULLIGAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed