Vintage sounds from the ‘60s Impuse! years are conjured up on this 1994 recording lead by drummer Franklin Kiermyer and featuring tenor sax legend Pharoah Sanders along with John Esposit/p and Drew Gress/b completing the team.
The spirit of John Coltrane hovers over this session, with assertive modal themes like the hard hitting “ If I Die Before I Wake” and full fisted “Esra’elawi” featuring a mix of propulsive drums, wide ranging piano harmonies and Sanders’ clarion call on the tenor. Sanders is meditative on “Three Jewels” while shouting and squawking in a passionate cry with the leader on “I Pray My Soul To Take.” Kiermyer taps into his inner Elvin Jones for “Solomon’s Daughter” and leads the band through a tender “Ibn Al-Hakim.” The New Wave of Jazz is revisited, all that’s missing is the gate-fold album jacket.