Sahara is the twelfth 1972 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his first to be released on the Milestone label. It was recorded in January 1972 and features performances by Tyner with saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Calvin Hill, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. The music shows African and Eastern influences and features all the musicians playing multiple instruments, with Tyner himself utilizing koto, flute, and percussion in addition to his usual piano.[6]
| Sahara | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1972[1] | |||
| Recorded | January 1972 | |||
| Studio | Decca Recording Studio, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 47:55 | |||
| Label | Milestone MSP 9039 | |||
| Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
| McCoy Tyner chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [4] |
| Down Beat | [5] |
Reception
editThe AllMusic review by Brian Olewnick states "Tyner would go on to create several fine albums in the mid-'70s, but never again would he scale quite these heights. Sahara is an astonishingly good record and belongs in every jazz fan's collection".[2]
In addition to its critical praise, the album is also considered Tyner's commercial breakthrough; it sold over 100,000 copies and was nominated for two Grammys.[7]
Track listing
editAll compositions by McCoy Tyner
- "Ebony Queen" — 9:00
- "A Prayer for My Family" — 4:48
- "Valley of Life" — 5:19
- "Rebirth" — 5:20
- "Sahara" — 23:27
Personnel
edit- McCoy Tyner - piano, koto (3), percussion (5), flute (5)
- Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone (4), soprano saxophone (1, 5), flute (3, 5)
- Calvin Hill - bass, reeds (3, 5), percussion (3, 5)
- Alphonse Mouzon - drums, trumpet (5), reeds (5), percussion (3, 5)
References
edit- ^ Billboard July 29, 1972
- ^ a b Olewnick, Brian. "Sahara". Allmusic. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 194. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1426. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Down Beat: October 12, 1972 vol. 39, no. 16
- ^ "Sahara - Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Santosuosso, Ernie (March 15, 1984). "1984 Boston Globe Jazz Festival; McCoy Tyner". The Boston Globe. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2012.