Africa

CD reissue. On this 1987 album Pharoah Sanders is accompanied by the great Idris Muhammad on drums, John Hicks on piano and Curtis Lundy on bass. Five of the eight compositions are by Sanders, one track by pianist John Hicks, Coltrane's "Naima" is a tribute to Trane and "Speak Low" is a beautiful standard from Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash. A real smoky slower number "Heart To Heart" shows Sanders can be subdued and romantic and John Hicks plays some beautiful jazz piano. The whole album exudes energy and joy. On "Duo", the last tune Hicks and Lundy are absent, leaving sax and drums to improvise like Coltrane did with Rashied Ali on the magnificent album 'Interstellar Space'. Definitely one of Pharoah's finest recordings.