{"product_id":"pharoah-sanders-elevation-verve-vault-reissue","title":"Pharoah Sanders – Elevation (Verve Vault Reissue)","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissued as part of the Verve Vault Series on 180g black vinyl\u003cbr\u003eHoused in gatefold sleeve\u003cbr\u003eMastered from analog tapes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eElevation\u003c\/em\u003e, released in 1974 on Impulse! Records, finds tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders expanding his spiritual jazz vision on an album that balances ecstatic expression with focused ensemble interplay. Produced by Ed Michel and recorded in 1973 across a live performance and studio sessions, \u003cem\u003eElevation\u003c\/em\u003e features a dynamic ensemble including Joe Bonner on piano, John Heard on bass, and Michael Carvin on drums. Leon Thomas contributes vocals on the opening live track, “Greeting to Saud (Brother McCoy),” recorded at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles, while Kenneth Nash adds layered percussion and Michael White appears on violin. The album’s open forms, modal grooves, and spiritual themes underscore Sanders’s ongoing search for transcendence and cultural affirmation through sound. With chant-like melodies, circular motifs, and immersive rhythmic textures, pieces like “The Gathering” and the title track reflect a more meditative and exploratory side of Sanders’s aesthetic. Elevation marks the culmination of his Impulse! discography — a cohesive and spiritually resonant final studio statement that bridges the raw fire of earlier albums with a deeper, more spacious sound. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.ververecords.com\/collections\/verve-vault\/products\/pharoah-sanders-elevation-verve-vault-series-lp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eLabel\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eElevation\u003c\/em\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"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. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/elevation-mw0000172047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eAll Music\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" data-testid=\"embed-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/2YNA5fGD8cE3HqNBCfYzTL?utm_source=generator\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e↓\u003cbr\u003eLabel: Verve Records\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 180g\u003cbr\u003eReissued: 2025 \/ Originally Released: 1974\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003cbr\u003eStyle: Spiritual Jazz, Avant-garde Jazz, Free Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFile under: Spiritual Jazz\u003cbr\u003e⦿\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Verve \/ Impulse!","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46747683127454,"sku":"602478984877","price":60.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/5434\/3838\/files\/Pharoah-Sanders_Elevation_Front-Cover-768x768.jpg?v=1777104587","url":"https:\/\/theanalogvault.com\/products\/pharoah-sanders-elevation-verve-vault-reissue","provider":"The Analog Vault","version":"1.0","type":"link"}