Love Will Find a Way

Pharoah Sanders | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B000A7BB9C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,289 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Once you’ve heard the sound of Pharoah Sanders’ tenor saxophone, you never forget it; impossibly rich and full of overtones, it wrings every bit of emotion out of each note. Pharoah has gained a devoted following since his days with John Coltrane, and his work for Impulse during the early ’70s in particular has been lovingly reissued; however, his albums for Arista in the late '70s have been out of print for years. One big reason for that is that they are the most controversial of his career; that same devoted fan base could not believe its ears when this free jazz icon went the jazz-funk "quiet storm" route! But the blend—some would say collision—of the two aesthetics produced, on Love Will Find a Way, a unique album that has gained quite the cult following over the years; that it features two other legends in their own right, drummer/producer/singer Norman Connors and vocalist Phyllis Hyman, certainly doesn’t hurt! We’re reissuing this lost classic with original art and new liner notes with quotes from Pharoah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sanders takes on the Quiet Storm., October 25, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Love Will Find a Way (Audio CD)

In one of the great "what the heck happened" moments, free jazz legend Pharoah Sanders took a bizarre detour in the late '70s to smokey r&b-- "The Quiet Storm". It had been quite a while since he recorded at the time this was released, and no doubt that usual accusations of commercial sellout were distributed. As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in between.

Sanders' playing, like Albert Ayler's nearly a decade before, is actually far more remarkably suited for this sort of playing that anyone would guess-- his gentle, delicate soprano blends nicely with soft synths and his tenor playing can be expressive and warm or fierce to fit the mood of a given piece. Along the way, his former drummer who now was emerging as a vocalist, Norman Connors and Phyllis Hyman contribute vocals to several tracks.

The result is pretty mixed-- sometimes the magic of Pharoah Sanders' playing surfaces ("Pharomba"), but by and large, the pieces are pretty much sweet r&b and it seems at times that once it starts cooking, the vocals grow increasingly at odds with the leader's work ("Love is Here"). And certainly at least one song drifts way deep into pop and r&b ("Answer Me My Love", "Got to Give It Up") and doesn't fit Sanders at all. Still, he proves surprisingly sensitive ("Love Will Find a Way") and passionate ("Everything I Have is Good") at times, and sinks well into the groove the music calls for. And certainly "Pharomba" sits comfortably alongside anything Sanders has done.

It's not a bad record, and certainly Sanders' playing is every bit as passionate and fiery as on the early material, but in the end, it is a detour, both for the artist and the listener. I find it fairly pleasant listen, but keep in mind I love Ayler's "New Grass", and it doesn't particularly bother me when musicians try new things. If you're curious, try it out, but be warned-- it's likely not what you expect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There are worse things in life, August 24, 2006

By 

reuben jackson "reujack" (washington, dc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Will Find a Way (Audio CD)

... than this admittedly softer, more radio-friendly incarnation of Pharoah. But like fellow saxophonist Gato Barbieri, the Little Rock native's sound ( and compositional approach) remains intact-occasionally sappy trappings notwithstanding... Like middle age, this date has grown on me.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pharoah Sanders relinquishes his centrism to allow Phyllis Hyman to SOAR!!, February 8, 2010

By 

Billy Best (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love Will Find a Way (Audio CD)

Pharoah Sanders relinquishes his centrism on this WONDERFUL PROJECT and allowed Phyllis Hyman to SOAR and SHINE FLAWLESSLY!! I saw them perform these songs "LIVE" at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. in the late 1970's. Phyllis kicked off her shoes and the REST IS HISTORY!! LOVE IS HERE; AS YOU ARE; Some of Phyllis' Best Work!