''The Creator Has a Master Plan'' is a live album by saxophonist

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

. 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 Ira Coleman (born April 29, 1956) is a French-American jazz bassist. Educated at the Berklee College of Music, he appears on four albums by Paris-based pianist Laurent de WildeCarr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby and Priestley, Brian''Rough Guide ...

, and drummer

Joe Farnsworth Joseph Allen Farnsworth (born February 21, 1968, in Holyoke, Massachusetts) is an American jazz drummer. Farnsworth was one of five sons born to trumpeter and bandleader Roger Farnsworth; one of the brothers played saxophone in Ray Charles's ban ...

. The title track first appeared on the 1969 album ''

Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

''.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Judith Schlesinger called the album "a rare treat," and wrote: "If he's not quite as pyrotechnic as before, his sound and soul are undiminished, and he's still coming up with unusual timbres." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' stated: "the title-piece is very well played, a lot fresher and more contemporary than the original sounds now. The new group also sharpens up the action considerably and there's a bite as well as romantic consideration to Pharoah's playing as a result."

Track listing

# "I Want to Talk About You" (

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously a ...

) – 7:13 # "Moon Rays" (

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

) – 7:19 # "Tokyo Blues" (Pharoah Sanders) – 13:07 # "

The Greatest Love of All "The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on t ...

" (

Michael Masser Michael William Masser (March 24, 1941 – July 9, 2015) was an American songwriter, composer and producer of popular music. Early life Born to a Jewish family in Chicago to Ester Huff and William Masser, he attended the University of Illinois ...

) – 6:26 # " The Creator Has a Master Plan" (Pharoah Sanders) – 8:59 # "Welcome" (

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

) – 11:14 # "Tina" (Pharoah Sanders) – 6:17 # "

It's Easy to Remember "It's Easy to Remember (And So Hard to Forget)" is a 1935 popular song written by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. History Published in 1935, the song was written for the 1935 film ''Mississippi'' starring Bing Crosby and W.C. Fiel ...

" (

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; " The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; " Bewitched, Bo ...

) – 4:59

Personnel

– tenor saxophone * William Henderson – piano *

– bass *

– drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creator Has a Master Plan 2003 live albums Pharoah Sanders live albums Venus Records albums