PHAROAH SANDERS — Village of the Pharoahs (review)

PHAROAH SANDERS — Village of the Pharoahs album cover Album · 1973 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Often decried by Sanders purists, I find that the present Village is one of Pharoah’s more interesting work, especially that he tends to forget about the dissonant forays into free-jazz improves and concentrates on the up-tempo grooves. Maybe some tend to see this album as an end of an era, as this is one of his last works before a two years+ absence of new material and his change of label.

Opening on the wild 17-mins three-part suite title track, it is coming with some low-in-the-mix vocals/chants from Sedastrius Brown (who gets his name on the front and some wild African rhythms mixed with Indian influences and percussions. Of the usual Pharoah suspects on the A-side, you’ll only find pianist Bonner, but we’re still very much in the Coltrane sonic galaxy. A short Myth piece closes the suite in a minor fashion.

The flipside is sees regulars like bassist McBee and drummer Connor reappear (on top of Bonner’s contributions) and features second bassist Staley Clark (no “e”), but this writer can’t get his enthusiasm to rise to the level of the title track suite. This is particularly true for the 9-mins Mansion Worlds, a confused affair, where dynamics seem to have been dulled by the erosion of time, despite a bass duet ending the hostilities. Returning to an alice C sound, Memories is a rather tedious affair, missing its mark, and Bonner’s flute doesn’t hit the spot. As to the boogie-woogie closing piece, it is forgettable, despite presenting an unusual facet of Sanders.

Mostly worthy of interest (IMHO) for the sidelong title track, the Village album indeed seems that we’re nearing the end of an era (which will happen with that two year gap and a change of label), but there is really nothing to tell us that it would happen when listening to the present. Maybe not Pharoah’s best, but it’s still wworth throwing your ears on the vinyl grooves of this slice of wax.

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

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 4 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 4 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 6 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 19 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 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