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".
The Nearness of You
Pharoah Sanders Lyrics
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That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
All my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
The lyrics of Pharoah Sanders's song The Nearness of You convey a sense of pure and unadulterated love that does not hinge on superficial elements but rather on the proximity and intimacy shared between two individuals. The vocalist explains that it is not external elements such as the pale moon or sweet conversation that causes the thrill and delight in their relationship, but rather the closeness of their connection. The singer goes on to explain that the dreams they have of being with their partner all come true when they are in each other's arms, highlighting the profound sense of fulfillment that comes from being near the person they love.
The song's chorus is particularly powerful in conveying the sentiment of the overall message. The singer reveals that they do not need any special setting or mood to feel enchanted as long as they are granted the right to hold their partner close and feel the nearness of them in the night. This line is especially poignant as it underscores a core element of true love, which is the ability to feel comfort and security in the presence of one's partner.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not the pale moon that excites me
I'm not enchanted by the sight of the moon's pale light
That thrills and delights me, oh no
The moon doesn't excite me in a thrilling or delightful way
It's just the nearness of you
It's your proximity that excites me
It isn't your sweet conversation
Your pleasant conversation isn't the cause of my feelings
That brings this sensation, oh no
The feeling I have isn't brought on by anything specific you're saying
It's just the nearness of you
It's your physical closeness that is causing this feeling
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
When we're physically close and I can hold you in my arms
All my wildest dreams come true
All my hopes and deepest desires come to fruition
I need no soft lights to enchant me
I don't require any special ambiance to feel enchanted
If you'll only grant me the right
If you give me permission
To hold you ever so tight
To hold you tightly in my embrace
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
To feel your physical presence close to me at night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind