Kevin Barker carries a torch for Pharoah Sanders

The Quote from Kevin Barker: “I’m not a jazz musician, and my record collection is MABYE 10% jazz records. A lot of jazz music I can appreciate without really having an emotional connection to, but there are really only a handful of jazz records that have really struck a chord (har har) with me. To name a few: Tangents in Jazz by Jimmy Giuffre, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, Miles Smiles by Miles Davis, and Tauhid by Pharoah Sanders. Pharoah’s records are meditative, ecstatic, open, loving, and very melodic. They’re like a great big giant spiritual hug.”

The Source: Rock Torch exclusive, 2/9/10

More on: Kevin Barker
(Editor’s note: Kevin Barker has spent the last few years collaborating with the likes of Joanna Newsom, Vetiver and Antony and the Johnsons. He has released a lovely solo record called
You and Me that is chock full of his signature fingering guitar playing and lush harmonies.)

More on: Pharoah Sanders

New to Pharoah Sanders? Start here: An amazing band {appears on Tauhid} including the great Henry Grimes on bass, Dave Burrell on piano and Sonny Sharrock on guitar. A particular favorite is Japan, which my wife and I had some friends perform an arrangement of for our wedding procession. This is the record I would play for someone if they believe that they don’t like jazz music. It transcends genres and labels. It’s not even that it straddles genres, like Mahivishnu Orchestra or electric Miles Davis. It transcends them because steps completely outside of them to make its own style of music. More akin to Indian Classical music without sounding anything like it, this is devotional music at its finest, gospel music preaching ecstatic love of the unknown and the unknowable.

Buy the Album Here:

Tauhid