Arts and Culture

IN MEMORIAM: Jazz Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, 81

“We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” family representatives tweeted Saturday morning. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.”

Published

2 years ago

October 7, 2022

Oakland Post

Pharoah Sanders. Facebook photo.

By Post Staff

Jazz saxophonist Farrell ‘Pharoah’ Sanders, a pioneer of ‘spiritual’ jazz who lived in Oakland for a time before gaining renown in New York with John Coltrane’s band in the 1960s, passed away in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2022. He was 81.

Tributes like this from on YouTube by nbaccess were seen on social media.

“Pharoah was like John Coltrane. So soft and tempered in the daily life and human interactions but incredibly powerful and soulful when he blown this horn…he was a truly Spiritual Man, just as John. Ornette Coleman famously said that Pharoah is probably ‘the best tenor saxophonist in the world.’ I don’t think we will hear such kind of artists for a long, long time…RIP Pharoah. Your music is your true essence and will never die!”

“My beautiful friend passed away this morning. I am so lucky to have known this man, and we are all blessed to have his art stay with us forever. Thank you, Pharoah,” said San Shepard, whose stage name is Floating Points.

“A visionary amongst visionaries. Pharaoh forever.” Thurston Moore Tweeted.

Born in Little Rock, Ark., on Oct. 13, 1940, Sanders showed early aptitude for music, playing several instruments including drums and clarinet before he settled on the tenor sax in high school.

“I was always trying to figure out what I wanted to do as a career. What I really wanted to do was play the saxophone — that was one of the instruments that I really loved,” Sanders told The New Yorker. “I would rent the school saxophone. You could rent it every day if you wanted to. It wasn’t a great horn. It was sort of beat-up and out of condition.”

Nevertheless, Sanders played in Little Rock’s Black clubs and sometimes from behind curtains at white venues in the segregated city. At 19, he moved to Oakland and attended Oakland City College while collaborating with local jazz greats including Dewey Redman and Sonny Simmons.

“I never owned a saxophone until I finished high school and went to Oakland, California. I had a clarinet, and so I traded that for a new silver tenor saxophone, and that got me started playing the tenor.”

John Handy encouraged his talent, advising him to move to New York, which he did in 1961.

There Sanders was often homeless, pawning his horn and sleeping on the subways before he recorded his first album in 1964. He eventually got the attention of John Coltrane and joined his band in 1965.

According to Sanders’ web site, “(Coltrane and Sanders) music represents a near total desertion of traditional jazz concepts, like swing and functional harmony, in favor of a teeming, irregularly structured, organic mixture of sound for sound’s sake.”

“Sanders has consistently had bands that could not only create a lyrical near-mystical Afro-Eastern world,” wrote one champion, the late poet-critic Amiri Baraka, “but [also] sweat hot fire music in continuing display of the so-called ‘energy music’ of the ‘60s.”

Exploring spiritual jazz — which Coltrane had begun to do before his death in 1967 — Sanders would go on to play with, Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra. It was Sun Ra who supposedly suggested Sanders change his given name from ‘Farrell’ to ‘Pharoah.’

In 1969, Sanders recorded the album “Karma,” featuring “The Creator Has a Master Plan.”

It was his most renowned work, but Sanders was comfortable moving in and out of genres. He earned a Grammy for his 1987 album with the pianist McCoy Tyner called “Blues for Coltrane.”

A decade earlier, he recorded with singer Phyllis Hyman in what could be called the pop 1977 album “Love Will Find a Way.”

Sanders would go on to lead and collaborate with jazz musicians here and abroad, record and tour through the 1990s.

A composition by British electronic music producer Floating Points prompted Sanders to seek out a collaboration in the 2010s. The album, “Promises,” was recorded with the London Symphony orchestra in 2019 and released in 2021 to positive reviews.

It was his first album in ten years and his last.

Services for Sanders have not yet been announced.

Sources for this story include The Guardian, YouTube, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, People magazine, National Public Radio, Facebook and Pharoah Sanders’ website.

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Art

Mayor Breed, Actor Morris Chestnut Attend S.F.’s Indie Night Film Festival

On June 1, the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Indie Night Film Festival arrived at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. San Francisco native Dave Brown, Founder and CEO of the Indie Night Film Festival, has a vision for the film industry that is squarely focused on promoting the many talented producers, actors, and designers contributing to this billion-dollar industry. The festival has been running for 12 years and it’s only up from here, he says.

Published

2 days ago

June 13, 2024

Oakland Post

(Left to Right) Dave Brown, CEO, Indie Night Festival, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and actor Morris Chestnut. Photo by Y’Anad Burrell

By Y’Anad Burrell

On June 1, the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Indie Night Film Festival arrived at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco.

San Francisco native Dave Brown, Founder and CEO of the Indie Night Film Festival, has a vision for the film industry that is squarely focused on promoting the many talented producers, actors, and designers contributing to this billion-dollar industry. The festival has been running for 12 years and it’s only up from here, he says.

A weekly celebration of cinematic artistry designed to elevate emerging talent while providing a platform for networking and collaboration, entrepreneur Dave Brown created Indie Night to bridge gaps within the filmmaking community by fostering connections between like-minded individuals worldwide. The Indie Film Festival currently has over 450 film submissions worldwide, and its cinematic vault only continues to grow.

The festival showcased over 10 short films and trailers, and featured Faces of the “City: Fighting for the Soul of America,” produced by veteran actor Tisha Campbell. This film is about the vibrancy and legacy of San Francisco. The festival also previewed “When It Reigns,” a trailer by Oakland’s burgeoning filmmaker Jamaica René.

Indie films have not just challenged traditional cinematic norms; they’ve shattered them. These films offer unique storytelling perspectives and push creative boundaries in truly inspiring ways. With their smaller budgets and independent spirit, they often tackle unconventional subjects and portray diverse characters, providing a refreshing alternative to mainstream cinema. As a result, indie films have resonated with audiences seeking an escape from formulaic blockbusters and are increasingly celebrated for their authenticity and originality.

Organizers say the mission of Indie Night is to elevate the craft of independent artists and creators. It also provides a venue for them to showcase their work, network, and exchange information with new and established creatives. It creates a community that values and supports independent art.

For more about the Indie Night Film Festival, visit www.indienightfilmfestival.com.

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Arts and Culture

Point Richmond Music Unveils Summer Concert Series Lineup

If the first performer set for Point Richmond’s Summer Music Festival is any indication, the concert series has some fantastic tunes in store for local concertgoers. The one and only Fantastic Negrito will kick off the concert series Friday, June 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.-ish with his unique blend of blues, R&B, soul and roots music.

Published

1 week ago

June 7, 2024

Oakland Post

Point Richmond Music Festival. Photo by Daud Abdullah.

By Kathy Chouteau

The Richmond Standard

If the first performer set for Point Richmond’s Summer Music Festival is any indication, the concert series has some fantastic tunes in store for local concertgoers.

The one and only Fantastic Negrito will kick off the concert series Friday, June 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.-ish with his unique blend of blues, R&B, soul and roots music.

The artist, who was born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, had a serious early-career car crash that damaged his guitar playing hand. But he rose above it to reemerge as the rebranded “Fantastic Negrito” in 2014, earning multiple accolades — including multiple Grammys — upon his musical rebirth, according to his bio.

Negrito’s current album is “White Jesus Black Problems,” called by his website “an exhilarating ode to the power of family and the enduring resilience of our shared humanity.”

Point Richmond’s Summer Music Festival has two more concerts lined up as well, starting with the “swampy tonk” sounds of Miracle Mule on Friday, July 26 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Also performing that night will be Lorin Rowan + the Deep Blue Jam, featuring Americana, rock, roots, and reggae tunes from 6:45 to 8 p.m.-ish.

The concert series’ final performances occur Friday, Aug. 23, when Van Goat rocks out from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by the Latin, Venezuelan and Caribbean vibes of Bululú from 6:45 to 8 p.m.-ish.

In addition to dancing in the street to the music, Point Richmond’s many restaurants will be open during the concerts, along with face painting for the kids and art by The Arts of Point Richmond.

The concert series is organized by Point Richmond Music. Find the concert venue at the corner of Park Place and Washington Avenue in Point Richmond.

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Art

El Cerrito Calls for Artists to Transform Its Utility Boxes

The City of El Cerrito’s Arts & Culture Commission is seeking individual artists, teams of artists or community groups to apply for its “2024 Utility Box Public Art Program.” The project is a beautification initiative designed to add to the vibrancy of the San Pablo Avenue corridor by having community artists transform unsightly utility boxes into attractive works of art, according to the City.

Published

1 week ago

June 7, 2024

Oakland Post

An artist stands by their work that transformed the utility box from drab to fab. Photo courtesy of the City of El Cerrito.

By Kathy Chouteau

The Richmond Standard

Do you have an idea for beautifying urban public spaces with your art? If so, this initiative might be perfect for you.

This program’s theme is “Artwork that Celebrates El Cerrito’s Natural Beauty and Environment,” and any artist/team/community group residing in Contra Costa County can apply. The boxes, including one main utility box and a smaller traffic signal box adjacent to each other, are located at Ashbury and Fairmount Avenues, next to Harding Elementary School in El Cerrito.

A $2,500 stipend is offered for each utility box completed and the application is due Friday, June 14, at 4 p.m. Work on the boxes begins Aug. 5, with work to be completed by Sept. 6.

To date, eight utility boxes have been painted by local artists as part of the initiative throughout 2021 to 2023. Artists including Adaleyd DeLeon, Kristen Kong, Shanna Strauss, Martial Yapo, Jesse White and Ricardo Cerezo have been selected by the city to beautify utility boxes with their art since the program’s inception.

Questions? Contact Will Provost at 510-215-4318 or wprovost@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us. Applications can be submitted online https://el-cerrito.org/1522/Utility-Box-Public-Art-Program