| A Prayer Before Dawn | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | September 1987 | |||
| Studio | Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, CA | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 55:43 | |||
| Label | Theresa TR 127 | |||
| Pharoah Sanders chronology | ||||
| ||||
A Prayer Before Dawn is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1987 and released on the Theresa label that year. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide | [4] |
In his review for AllMusic, Al Campbell commented: "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." [2]
Writing in the Chicago Tribune , Jack Fuller wrote: "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". [5]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz wrote: "The cover of A Prayer Before Dawn shows the middle-aged Sanders with white fringe beard and anomalously black hair framing a benevolently owlish expression far removed from the contorted scowl of former years. With accommodation has come productivity, a steady string of unscary and mostly very palatable records. The sound is drier and less physical... but very effective on its own terms. Coltrane cover: 'After the Rain' again - torrential, fresh, brand-new". [3]
All compositions by Pharoah Sanders except as indicated
Milestones is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis. It was recorded with his "first great quintet" augmented as a sextet and released in 1958 by Columbia Records.
A Monastic Trio is the first solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded in 1968 at the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, New York, and was released later that year by Impulse! Records. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is joined by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Rashied Ali, all of whom were members of John Coltrane's last quintet. Drummer Ben Riley also appears on one track. The album was reissued on CD in 1998 with three additional tracks, one of which is a piano solo recorded in 1967.
Karma is a jazz recording by the American tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, released in May 1969 on the Impulse! label, with catalog number AS 9181. A pioneering work of the spiritual jazz style, it has become Sanders' most popular and critically acclaimed album.
Thembi is the seventh album by free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, released in 1971.
Kulu Sé Mama is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane. Recorded during 1965, it was released in January 1967 as Impulse! A-9106, and was the last album released during Coltrane's lifetime.
Cosmic Music is a jazz album by John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane released after John Coltrane's death. John Coltrane only plays on two tracks, "Manifestation" and "Reverend King".
Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane is a 1987 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner released on the Impulse! label. It features performances by Tyner, tenor saxophonists David Murray and Pharoah Sanders, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Roy Haynes. The album received a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance in 1988.
Cannonball Adderley's Fiddler on the Roof is an album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Capitol label featuring performances of material from the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Charles Lloyd, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.
Journey to the One is a double album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1979 and released on the Theresa label.
Rejoice is a double album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1981 and released on the Theresa label.
Pharoah Sanders Live... is a live album by American saxophonist and composer Pharoah Sanders released on the Theresa label.
Heart is a Melody is a live album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1982 and released on the Theresa label.
Shukuru is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1981 and released on the Theresa label in 1985.
Africa is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1987 and released on the Dutch Timeless label.
Welcome to Love is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1990 and first released on the Dutch Timeless label. The album features jazz standards, many of which were also recorded by John Coltrane.
The Modern Art of Jazz by Zoot Sims is an album by American jazz saxophonist Zoot Sims recorded in 1956 and released on the Dawn label.
Over the Rainbow is an album by New York Unit, consisting of tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, pianist John Hicks, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Tatsuya Nakamura which was recorded in 1992 and initially released in Japan. It was also released with the title Naima on Evidence in 1995.
Pharoah's First is the debut album by American free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded in New York City at the loft of audio engineer Jerry Newman on September 10, 1964, and first released in 1965 on the ESP-Disk label. The album was originally issued with the title Pharaoh and was later re-released with the titles Pharoah,Pharaoh Sanders Quintet, Pharoah Sanders Quintet, and Pharaoh's First, and was also included in its entirety in the 2012 4-CD compilation In The Beginning 1963-1964.
Crescent with Love is an album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It was recorded in October 1992 at Sear Sound Studio in New York City, and was released by Venus Records in 1993. On the album, Sanders is joined by pianist William Henderson, bassist Charles Fambrough, and drummer Sherman Ferguson.
The Creator Has a Master Plan is a live album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It was recorded on April 23, 2003 at Wonder Station in Tokyo, Japan, and was released later that year by Venus Records. On the album, Sanders is joined by pianist William Henderson, bassist Ira Coleman, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The title track first appeared on the 1969 album Karma.
