Released 1987 Label Theresa TR 127 Artist Pharoah Sanders Genre Jazz | Length 55:43 A Prayer Before Dawn
(1987) Moon Child
(1990) Release date September 1987 | |
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Recorded September 1987 at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco, CA Similar Pharoah Sanders albums, Jazz albums | ||
A Prayer Before Dawn is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1987 and released on the Theresa label that year.
Contents
Reception
In his review for AllMusic, Al Campbell observed "A Prayer Before Dawn is one of Pharoah Sanders' gentle, reflective dates. ...It is the opposite of Sanders' characteristic fire-breathing tenor of his Impulse days, but there is nobility in taking this tranquil direction; Sanders refuses to repeat himself. He demands you listen with open ears, dropping preconceived notions.". Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Jack Fuller said There is a sweetness about some of the cuts on this 1987 recording by tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders that becomes almost cloying at times. ...like Archie Shepp and so many other fine jazz exponents from earlier times, he has returned to the basics".
Track listing
All compositions by Pharoah Sanders except as indicated
- "The Light at the Edge of the World" (Piero Piccioni) - 5:08
- "Dedication to James W. Clark" - 5:15
- "Softly for Shyla" (William Henderson) - 5:21
- "The Greatest Love of All" (Linda Creed, Michael Masser) - 8:23
- "Midnight at Yoshi's" - 5:57
- "Living Space" (John Coltrane) - 4:32
- "After the Rain" (Coltrane) - 6:34
- "In Your Own Sweet Way" (Dave Brubeck) - 7:08 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - 7:25 Bonus track on CD reissue
Personnel
Songs
1The Light at the Edge of the World5:11
2Dedication to James W Clark5:18
3Softly for Shyla5:22