This Sunday, WKCR's very own Cooper Lynn will be delving into the musical world of Pharoah Sanders, a titan among tenors. Having played with the likes of John Coltrane and Sun Ra, the latter of whom is responsible for the nickname 'Pharoah' (a mangling of the original Ferrell). It was after living in Oakland, CA and touring with Sun Ra that Sanders moved to New York City. He then began playing with Coltrane after he (Coltrane) heard his quartet with Billy Higgins, Wilbur Ware, and John Hicks live at the Village Gate. Coltrane said of Sanders during this period of their collaboration in the liner notes of Meditation, an album they both appear on, "What I like about him is the strength of his playing, the conviction with which he plays. He has will and spirit, and those there are the qualities I like most in a man." Sanders began playing and listening to the more 'Free-Jazz' cats in the late 60s, inlcuding Cecil Taylor and Don Cherry, in addition to exploring world music, especially from Africa. Tune in Sunday to hear an extensive exploration of his music with Cooper Lynn.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Pharoah_Sanders.aspx
