RIP to a trailblazer.
my dad used to have ALL of his albums on vinyl. it used to sound like straight noise to my ears…not some smooth, butter shyt like dexter gordon. and that’s no disrespect to dexter.
but pharaoh’s shyt was DIFFERENT. and my young ears weren’t nuanced like they are now to appreciate his style and the directions he was taking in the music.
he had very spiritual themes in this music. and his sax was a conduit to seek a deeper level of consciousness and understanding. that shyt bled through the music. he wasn’t someone I could listen to as background music. it commanded me to sit down to respect it and “listen”. it was always an immersive experience…almost meditative.
my man was astral traveling through the music.
rest in peace
