The fourth album as a leader by spiritual jazz saxophone titan Pharoah Sanders, Jewels of Thought was released in 1969. It Consist of two extended tracks, one of which had to be divided into two parts in order to fit onto the LP. Sanders was incredibly active in 1969, recording lo less than four albums and releasing three. The band on Jewels of Thought includes several major stars, among them Idris Muhammad, Roy Haynes, Richards Davis, Cecil McBee, Leon Thomas, and Lonnie Liston Smith. AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek gave the album a rating of four out of five stars.
Tracklist:
SIDE ONE:
- HUM-ALLAH-HUM-ALLAH-HUM ALLAH (Music: Pharoah Sanders and Lonnie L. Smith, Jr.; Lyrics: Amos Leon Thomas)
- SUN IN AQUARIUS (Part 1) (Pharoah Sanders-Lonnie L. Smith, Jr.)
SIDE TWO:
- SUN IN AQUARIUS (Part 2) (Pharoah Sanders-Lonnie L. Smith, Jr.)
Personnel:
PHAROAH SANDERS, tenor saxophone, contrabass clarinet, reed flute, African thumb piano, orchestra chimes, percussion; LEON THOMAS, vocals and percussion; LONNIE SMITH, piano, African flute, African thumb piano, percussion; RICHARD DAVIS and CECIL McBEE, basses and percussion; IDRIS MUHAMMAD, drums and percussion; ROY HAYNES, drums. (Roy Haynes is heard only on Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah; he appears on the right channel, and Idris Muhammad is heard on the left channel. Richard Davis is heard only on Sun in Aquarius; he is on the left, while Cecil McBee is heard on the right. Throughout the album, all the players are heard at various times on traditional African percussion instruments.)
Produced by Ed Michel
Engineer: George Sawtelle
Cover and liner photos by Chuck Stewart
Design by George Whiteman
Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, October 20, 1969.
