Pharoah Sanders plays this Mon–Tues (June 19–20) at the Triple Door.
Pharoah Sanders plays this Mon–Tues (June 19–20) at the Triple Door.
Pharoah Sanders plays tonight at the Triple Door.

Years Active: 56.

Provenance: Little Rock, Arkansas.

Essential Albums: Tauhid, Izipho Zam (My Gifts), Karma, Jewels of Thought, Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun), Thembi, Black Unity, Wisdom Through Music, Elevation, The Trance of Seven Colors (with Maleem Mahmoud Ghania).

Essential Songs: “Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt,” “Japan,” “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” “Elevation,” “Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah,” “Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord,” “Astral Travelling,” “Thembi,” “Red, Black & Green,” “Summun Bukmun Umyun,” “Love Is Everywhere,” “Harvest Time,” “You’ve Got to Have Freedom.”

Influenced by: John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Sun Ra.

Dave Segal is a journalist and DJ living in Seattle. He has been writing about music since 1983. His stuff has appeared in Gale Research’s literary criticism series of reference books, Creem (when...