Sanders was… Read Full Bio ↴Pharoah Sanders (1940-2022) was a U.S. jazz saxophonist.
Sanders was born on 13th October 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas, under the name Farrell Sanders. He began his professional career playing tenor saxophone in Oakland, California.
Sanders moved to New York City in 1962. He received his nickname "Pharoah" from Sun Ra, with whom Sanders performed. He came to prominence playing with John Coltrane's band starting in 1965, as Coltrane began experimenting with the music which would soon become known as avant-garde jazz.
Although he developed a slightly different style from Coltrane, Sanders was strongly influenced by their collaboration together. Sanders was also greatly influenced by Coltrane's earlier works (in which Sanders did not collaborate), particularly A Love Supreme. Spiritual elements such as the chanting in A Love Supreme would later show up in many of Sanders' own works. Sanders would also go on to produce much free jazz, being influenced by his free jazz collaborations with Coltrane, particularly Coltrane's most notable free-jazz work, Ascension (1965), as well as their dual-tenor recording Meditations (1965).
In 1968 he participated in Mike Mantler & Carla Bley's JCOA: Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association album Communications featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri. This solo has been referred to by John Zorn and others as the most intense and inspiring free tenor solo ever put to tape.
In the 1970s, Sanders pursued his own recordings and continued to work with the likes of Alice Coltrane on her Journey in Satchidananda album.
In 1994 he travelled to Morocco to record with master Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania, resulting in the Bill Laswell-produced The Trance of Seven Colours. Sanders continued to work with Laswell, Jah Wobble, and others on the albums Message from Home (1996) and Save Our Children (1998).
Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound".
Body and Soul
Pharoah Sanders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
The lyrics to Pharoah Sanders's song "Body and Soul" express love and longing for another person. The singer's heart is "sad and lonely" because they are pining for the person they love. They are all in for this person, body and soul. Even though they are feeling neglected and mistreated, they cannot help but love and yearn for this person. The singer is begging for another chance to prove their love and devotion. They are willing to surrender themselves entirely to this person.
The song captures the raw emotion and passion that often come with love. The lyrics speak to the universal experience of loving someone so deeply that it hurts. The words "body and soul" emphasize the singer's intense desire to be with this person on every level. The song is a reminder that love can be both beautiful and painful.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I am feeling sorrowful and solitary without you
For you I sigh, for you dear only
You are the only one that I long for and desire
Why haven't you seen it
I wonder why you have not recognized my love for you
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you with every part of myself
I spend my days in longing
I spend my days yearning for your affection and attention
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I am confused as to why you are not reciprocating my feelings
I tell you I mean it
I am emphasizing that my love for you is sincere
I'm all for you body and soul
Once again, I am emphasizing that I am fully committed to you with every aspect of who I am
I can't believe it
I find it hard to comprehend
It's hard to conceive it
It is difficult to imagine
That you'd turn away romance
I never thought that you would reject my offer of love
Are you pretending
I question if you are deceiving me about your feelings
It looks like the ending
It appears as if this relationship is coming to an end
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
I am hoping for another opportunity to show you how much I truly care
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing chaos and turmoil in my life
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You are aware that I am willing to give myself completely to you
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
Once again, I am emphasizing my willingness to give myself entirely to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Michael Barry, Phil Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DanDjembe
love how the bass is mixed up so you can hear such beautiful swing
Caleb Orvik
That's my teacher Nat Reeves on bass :)
thelonious1234
Massive. The piano is gorgeous, right from the intro. Anthony Wonsey, right on. I hear echoes of the way Dexter's group was playing this in the 70's.
Victor Ryker
@Porter Evan instablaster :)
Porter Evan
I dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know a method to get back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb forgot the password. I would love any tips you can give me!
LivingRoomJazz_with_William
It's always interesting to listen to Pharoah do standards and contrast it with the original compositions that he did during his Impulse! years. You can still hear the fire, but he stays within the constraints of this audience. He could probably get away with playing a selection such as the Creator Has A Master Plan - but why chance it?
larrybeetree
Pharoah taps in to higher powers easier than most musicians.
Anthony Winkler
I was lucky to catch Pharoah Sanders at Slugs many times in the 1960's, something I will never forget.
DrBob ReedLife
Pharoah is the only one who sounds like Pharoah. It comes from somewhere deep inside, and it gets deep inside everyone privileged to hear it. I didn’t know about this concert and much appreciate the posting.
Leon Vince
pharoah puts so much air through his horn, it still sounds when he takes it out his mouth :) epic playing