Pharoah Sanders - 1996 - Message From Home

Pharoah Sanders

1996

Message From Home

01. Our Roots (Began In Africa) 10:21
02. Nozipho 9:43
03. Tomoki 6:26
04. Ocean Song 8:49
05. Kumba 7:50
06. Country Mile 6:03

Acoustic Bass – Charnett Moffett
Backing Vocals – Fanta Mangasuba, Fatumata Sako, Mariama Suso, Salie Suso
Bass – Steve Neil
Drums, Tabla, Vocals – Hamid Drake
Electric Piano, Piano, Vocals – William Henderson
Guitar – Dominic Kanza
Keyboards – Jeff Bova
Keyboards, Vocals – Bernie Worrell
Kora, Vocals – Foday Musa Suso
Percussion, Congas, Bells, Gong, Vocals – Aiyb Dieng
Saxophone, Flute, Bells, Vocals, Singing Bowls – Pharoah Sanders
Violin – Michael White

Producer – Bill Laswell

Out of the number of collaborations between Pharoah Sanders and Bill Laswell, this 1996 release is the most satisfying. The roots of the rhythms, instruments and vocals are strongly based on African traditions, with Sanders as the wise storyteller who refuses to allow history to be rewritten through the pens and keyboards of the manipulators in the political game, the conquerors in the resource wars and the slave traders who left trails soaked in tears.

Though the bolstered sound is through a variety of musicians and vocalists, the nucleus surrounding Sanders (tenor and soprano sax, flutes, bells, bowls, vocals) is Bernie Worrell (keyboards, vocals), Michael White (violin), William Henderson (acoustic/electric piano, vocals), Foday Musa Suso (vocals, kora, doussn'gouni) and Dominic Kanza (guitar). The programming is by Jeff Bova, who also performs on keyboards.

The central track is Ocean Song (8:49), which emits such sadness due to the soft waves and cool winds being used to destroy societies for unbridled greed; Sanders is calling back to the spirits and allowing them the space to journey through the false chronicles to calmly explain the reality. The song fades into the optimistic Kumba (7:50) and joyous closer Country Mile (6:03). A Sun Ra-flavored opener - Our Roots (Began in Africa) - has a powerful hip-hop groove over the solid 10:21, which propels the opening half of the musical sojourn - Nozipho (9:43) and Tomoki (6:26) - as Laswell is at his studio best; his "Wall of the World Sound" does not overpower the mix.

In the mid 1990s, Sanders hooked up with producer and electric bassist Bill Laswell and his Material posse, live and in the studio. The best of the studio projects were the albums Message from Home, an often-overlooked masterpiece, and Save Our Children (Verve US, 1998). Recorded with an 11-piece band including Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso, Senegalese percussionist Aiyb Dieng and Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, Message from Home focuses on African rhythms laced with hip hop. Sanders makes several returns to the ferocity of 1964’s Pharoah. Save Our Children, featuring percussionists Trilok Gurtu and Zakir Hussain, also burns brightly.

The message from Sanders is clear...when the eyes are open and ears are prepared to handle the truth.