On Tuesday, October 13, legendary jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders will perform at a special concert livestreamed from Zebulon in Los Angeles to celebrate his 80th birthday. Called “Another Trip Around the Sun,” the concert will see Sanders joined by Azar Lawrence on sax, John Beasley on keyboards, Tony Austin on drums and Sekou Bunch on bass. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in all time zones worldwide.
“We are honored to welcome the heroic Pharoah Sanders,” Zebulon’s management said in a statement. “We miss the music community, the friendship and random encounters, and look forward to sharing the spirit of our venue.”
All proceeds will go toward Pharoah Sanders, his musicians and Zebulon. For ticket and viewing information go to Zebulon.la & Dice.FM
Born into a musical family, Sanders made his name performing with John Coltrane’s late ensembles and is often associated with the riotous free-jazz that those groups produced. However, in the decades since he has explored quieter and more conventionally melodic styles. He released the first of more than 30 albums as a leader in 1964 and over the next few years released several albums on Impulse, including “Tauhid,” “Karma” and “Black Unity,” which were often inspired by religious or spiritual concepts. In the mid-1970s he found commercial success with “Love Will Find a Way” — for Clive Davis’ Arista Records — but soon headed back for the margins, where he has largely remained ever since, performing in a variety of styles and genres but with unmistakable style and grace.
“I’m not a jazz artist,” Sanders famously said. “Don’t get me wrong now — it’s all music to me.”