Journey to the One
Studio album by
Pharoah Sanders
Released1980
RecordedDecember 1979
StudioSan Francisco, CA
GenreJazz
Length72:00
LabelTheresa TR 108/109
ProducerPharoah Sanders
Pharoah Sanders chronology
Love Will Find a Way
(1977) 		Journey to the One
(1980) 		Beyond a Dream
(1981)

Journey to the One is a double album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded in 1979 and released on the Theresa label.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Jazzwise[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide[4]
Uncut7/10[6]

In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow commented: "As usual, Sanders shifts between spiritual peace and violent outbursts in his tenor solos".[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the music "strong, vibrant jazz," and wrote: "What's quickly apparent is that the gentler, more linear and melodic Sanders is not fundamentally different from the high-octane screamer, just differently modulated."[3]

Writing for Jazzwise, Kevin Le Gendre stated: "Backed by a formidable band, Sanders moves seamlessly from tenderness to aggression all the while creating a compelling narrative over the two discs."[5]

Chris May of All About Jazz included Journey to the One in his list of "Alternative Top Ten Albums," calling it "the album that introduced Sanders to a new generation of dancefloor-loving jazz neophytes."[7]

A writer for Billboard praised the album's "superb playing," and noted: "there is something here that transcends labels."[8]

Track listing

All compositions by Pharoah Sanders except where noted

  1. "Greetings to Idris" – 7:28
  2. "Doktor Pitt" – 12:13
  3. "Kazuko" – 8:07
  4. "After the Rain" (John Coltrane) – 5:36
  5. "Soledad" – 4:56
  6. "You've Got to Have Freedom" – 6:48
  7. "Yemenja" (John Hicks) – 5:35
  8. "It's Easy to Remember" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 6:32
  9. "Think About the One" – 4:15
  10. "Bedria" – 10:30

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Pharoah Sanders discography accessed January 12, 2015
  2. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. Journey to the One – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 1151.
  4. ^ Swenson, John, ed. (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. p. 593.
  5. ^ a b Le Gendre, Kevin. "Pharoah Sanders: Journey To The One". Jazzwise. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "How to Buy Pharoah Sanders". Uncut. November 2023. p. 69.
  7. ^ May, Chris (December 10, 2020). "Pharoah Sanders: An Alternative Top Ten Albums To Feed Your Head". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "Billboard's Recommended LPs". Billboard. November 15, 1980. p. 93.
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