 Pharaoh Sanders A 1985 album which reunited Pharaoh with Leon Thomas (whose voice it is always a pleasure to hear, no matter what the context), Shukuru delivers as expected: a strong set of tunes which demonstrate Pharaoh's mastery of rhythm and mood. The title track opens the album in slow-brew mode, with a tribal beat below the atmospheric sax exploration. Track two jumps into standard mode with "Body and Soul," on which the presence of the Kurzweil 250 synthesizer begins to make itself felt. "Mas In Brooklyn" uses a Caribbean rhythm and faux steel-drum part on the synth to create a jubilant portrait of something or other. (Critic cliché suppression mode has clicked on.) "Sun Song" finds the album back in the good old days with Leon Thomas's voice in fine form. The tune could easily have fit on one of the Impulse! or Flying Dutchman albums of the early '70s. "Too Young To Go Steady" is another standard, and "Jitu" provides some unexpected groove bop (underscored by that dubious synth). The last track is "For Big George," featuring Thomas's beautiful vocals again. Like most late-period Pharaoh Sanders albums, this one hedges a bit between the out-there chaos of Thembi or Black Unity and the straightforward balladeering that record labels seemed to want in the '80s. The presence of the synth initially put me off, but after several listens I must admit it does not intrude, and in fact it sounds pretty appropriate on most of the tracks. And just as no member of Menudo can be an adult, no Pharaoh Sanders album can be uncool. Shukuru may not explode any notion you may have about Sanders's range of expression, but it is one more solidly great album to add to his pyramid. (Sorry.) Mostly, though, it makes me sad to think that Leon Thomas will never again sing in this world. Somewhere in heaven, his angelic yodel is bugging the shit out of David Ruffin.
Review by Dandy Newman |