Pharoah Sanders Quartet: 40 Years of Celebrating 'Trane

In celebration of its 40th year, the John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC) presents the great master saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and his quartet, featuring Sanders with William Henderson on piano, Nat Reeves on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums.

Pharoah Sanders is a NEA Jazz Master, the USA's highest award for the genre. He is a legendary musician who has shown a remarkable facility performing in a variety of styles — from free to mainstream. Displaying what has been called “hard-edged lyricism,” Sanders' possesses one of the most distinctive sounds on the tenor saxophone, harmonically rich with heavy overtones. Ornette Coleman once described him as “probably the best tenor player in the world.” Sanders performed in 2003 in JCMC's 26th annual concert entitled "The Sacred Music of John Coltrane." Eric Jackson, hailed as the "dean of Boston jazz radio," serves as host for this year's final event of the 40th anniversary week.

The John Coltrane Memorial Concert (JCMC) is the world’s oldest annual performance tribute to the musical and spiritual legacy of the great master. JCMC believes, as did ‘Trane, that music can be a force to make the world a better place:

“I want to be a force for real good. In other words, I know there are bad forces out here that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force that is truly for good.” (John Coltrane, 1966)

For this banner 40th anniversary year, which happens to coincide with the 50th anniversary year of Coltrane’s death (d. July 17, 1967), JCMC has scheduled a week-long series of events, combined with a month-long photo exhibit, providing insight into the many ways to really hear and view 'Trane, who harbored such a strong belief that the power of his music could affect positive social change. It is a week to jump on board the ‘Trane phenomenon.

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