Music / Tauhid

"I don't really see the horn anymore. I'm trying to see myself. And similarly, as to the sounds I get, it's not that I'm trying to scream on my horn, I'm just trying to put all my feelings into the horn. And when you do that, the notes go away...why do I want clusters of notes? So that I can get more feeling, more of me, into every note I play. You see, everything you do has to mean something, has to be more than just notes. That's behind everything I do, trying to get more ways of getting feeling out."

- Pharoah Sanders in the liner notes of Tauhid

Tauhid is an album by African-American saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, released in 1967 on Impulse! Records.

Initially introduced as a protégé of John Coltrane. Sanders would play and record with Coltrane for over three years before releasing his debut record, Pharaoh's First, in 1964 while still apart of Coltrane's mid-60s band, notably playing on Coltrane's seminal, yet polarizing free jazz outing, Ascension. Coltrane would die in 1967, however, Pharoah would continue to emulate his spiritual concepts to influence his horn playing.

Tauhid would see Sanders making his own statement as saxophonist and bandleader in his own right. As the record would showcase his use of cosmic and spiritual concepts, African and Asian motifs, repetitive melodies and harsh, overblown sax shredding influenced by predecessors such as Ornette Coleman and the aforementioned Coltrane. It would also see the debut of noted free jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock and his own horn-inspired guitar playing.

The record would be seen as highly influential within the free jazz and avant-garde jazz circles. With the record being considered a continuation of Coltrane's "spiritual jazz" concepts and a forthright example of Pharoah's own spiritually inclined saxophone playing. It would also be seen as an influence on Proto Punk music, with bands such as The Stooges and MC5, counting the album as an influence on their work.

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Tracklist

Side A

1. "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt" (17:00)

Side B

1. "Japan" (3:29)
2. "Aum / Venus / Capricorn Rising" (14:52)

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Personnel

• Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, piccolo, vocals
• Sonny Sharrock – guitar
• Dave Burrell – piano
• Henry Grimes – stand-up bass
• Nat Bettis – percussion
• Roger Blank – drums

Upper and Lower Tropes

• All Drummers Are Animals: Roger Blank and Nat Betti's would have you believe the percussionists on this record learned how to play from dogs running into buckets on a street corner.
• Avant-Garde Music
• Careful with That Axe: Pharoah's shrieking, overblown saxophone playing makes him a saxophonist variation of this.
• Epic Rocking: There are only three tracks on this record and two of them are over thirteen minutes.
• Face on the Cover: The album cover is a picture of Pharoah's face with his saxophone held up to his shoulder.
• Instrumentals: To be expected from a jazz record.
• Jazz: The record is noted for being a influenctail free jazz record. As well as a formative spiritual jazz record.
• Location Song: "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt" and "Japan". The titles being quite befitting considering both would contain musical motifs from both countries cultural sects.
• One-Word Title: "Japan"
• Step Up to the Microphone: "Japan" see Pharoah Sanders contributing wordless vocalese mid-way through the track.

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