Jewels of Thought

Pharoah Sanders | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Grp Records
• ASIN: B0000065KG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,062 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning followup to "Karma"., October 12, 2005

By 

Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jewels of Thought (Audio CD)

1969 was a banner year for Pharoah Sanders-- having already recorded two albums (although "Izipho Zam" would wait several years to see release) and having generated quite a buzz with "Karma" and the stunning "The Creator Has a Masterplan", Sanders was finally establishing himself as separate from John Coltrane-- indeed, with a mentor such as that, establishing your own identity must be extraordinarily difficult.

This was the framework into which Sanders entered the studio for the third time this year, together with vocalist Leon Thomas and pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, who were so crucial to the sound of the last two records, Sanders laid down the two performances that would make up "Jewels of Thought".

The first, "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah", previously recorded as "Prince of Peace", finds Sanders, Thomas and Smith joined by Cecil McBee on bass and drummers Roy Haynes and Idris Muhammed. The piece, based around a three-beat-one-rest percussion pattern and a dancing, swinging piano line opens with Sanders stating his theme beautifully before deferring to Thomas, who after a brief spoken introduction, sings beautifully in his resonant baritone the song (with a relatively traditional structure) before taking solo space on one of his yodels. Smith solos beautifully and delicately (although the dialog between Haynes and Muhammed steals the show) before Sanders returns for a fierce solo that manages to be both explosive and coherent.

"Sun in Aquarius" is something rather different-- Sanders, Smith and Thomas are again joined by McBee and Muhammad, but with a second bassist (Richard Davis) rather than a second drummer and everyone picking up percussion at one time or another. The piece begins with a drone before evaporating into an explosion of inside-the-piano playing and uncontrollable screeching from Sanders until it finally settles into a two-chord melody similar to 'Hum-Allah'. Sanders blows beautifully, stating theme and soloing around it, Thomas supports in yodel, and the whole thing is just downright fantastic.

It may not receive the recognition that "Karma" does, but "Jewels of Thought" is pretty much its equal. Highly recommended.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An African Midnight, May 6, 2000

By 

Thomas Dworschak - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jewels of Thought (Audio CD)

"Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah" is one of my favourite songs. The tenor sax playing is very intense, and Leon Thomas' yodeling is a surprise to everyone who thought this couldn't be found outside of Switzerland. Some other African instruments (percussions and thumb piano) add colours, and "Sun of Aquarius" (especially the beginning) made me think of a place somewhere near Ouagadougou at night. The connection of piano and saxophone outbursts, African instruments and a little bit naive tunes make this album so interesting and intense.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sister album to Karma, October 4, 1999

By 

C. Moon (Valley Village, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jewels of Thought (Audio CD)

I have finally got around to picking up all the Sanders Impulse reissues and this one was a real surprise. I enjoy almost all of his late 60's/early 70's output, but once one hears Karma, Thembi and Tauhid are not quite as enjoyable (though each have their moments). Karma instead gives you waves of gentle cacophony to float on that never becomes threatening nor feels rushed. Much to my surprise, this is just where Jewels of thought takes off from. The first track is essentially Karma part two, while the second track is also like Karma but with more excursions into those darker regions of purely abstract sound. The disc as a whole is extremely rewarding, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who felt the same dissatisfaction with Tauhid and Thembi (namely that they were not as amazing as Karma). What I feel Sanders is doing is making a new music that in some ways feels something like a raga in its extended form and returning motifs, yet melodically it belongs to Jazz, and it is far more innate than any raga. These two pieces are dense in exotic instrumentation, giving the music an international feel, while in truth it is purely Sander's music.