Rejoice

by Scott YanowOriginally a two-LP set on Theresa, this single CD (which contains all of the music) features Pharoah Sanders in excellent form in 1981. Sanders sounds much more mellow than he had a decade earlier, often improvising in a style similar to late-'50s John Coltrane, particularly on "When Lights Are Low," "Moments Notice" and "Central Park West." The personnel changes on many of the selections and includes such top players as pianists Joe Bonner and John Hicks, bassist Art Davis, drummers Elvin Jones and Billy Higgins, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, trombonist Steve Turre, trumpeter Danny Moore, a harpist and (on "Origin" and "Central Park West") five vocalists. The music always holds on to one's interest, making this one of Sanders's better later recordings.