Pharoah Sanders (1940–2022), jazz saxophonist
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2 min readPharoah Sanders was a saxophonist known for his free jazz and spiritual jazz.
- Died: September 24, 2022 (Who else died on September 24?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 81.
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Musical career
Sanders began playing professionally in the 1960s, first gaining widespread notice as a member of John Coltrane’s (1926–1967) band. He began recording his own solo records while working with Coltrane. Sanders and Coltrane were among the innovators of both free jazz and spiritual jazz. Among Sanders’ unusual techniques was yelling and singing into the bell of his saxophone. Primarily playing tenor and soprano saxophone, Sanders recorded dozens of solo albums and contributed to dozens more with his fellow jazz artists. He collaborated with musicians including Alice Coltrane (1937–2007), Sun Ra (1914–1993), and McCoy Tyner (1938–2020). Sanders performed and recorded throughout his life; most recently, he released “Promises” in 2021 to critical acclaim.
Notable quote
“A lot of time I don’t know what I want to play. So I just start playing, and try to make it right, and make it join to some other kind of feeling in the music. Like, I play one note, maybe that one note might mean love. And then another note might mean something else. Keep on going like that until it develops into—maybe something beautiful.” —from a 2020 interview for the New Yorker
Tributes to Pharoah Sanders
Full obituary: The New York Times
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