Pharoah Sanders - Love in Us All (1974), 6/10

The obvious dichotomy in sound of Love in Us All gives the album a pleasant and even poetic split of sentiments. The entirety of “Love is Everywhere” radiates collective ecstasy. In fact, the melody sounds like a manifestation of concerted intoxication by means of joy. The ode to Coltrane “To John” echoes peaceful sentiments and refrains mirroring Coltrane’s style before launching into a blast of polyphonic mania. The record is a conceptual triumph for Sanders who investigated these ideas during his time with Impulse! regularly. However successful this conceptual split is in theory, however, the record itself exists as more of a musical and emotional catharsis for Sanders than a gratifying or unique listening experience. The first half with its repetitious hopefulness feels comforting but does not break through the basic plane of contentment. The outbursts of the second half are genuine and passionate but sound more like self-imitation than inspired individuality. There is, however, a consistent cohesion among the musicians that results in a generally outstanding spiritual jazz experience. Sanders’ emotional torrent may be indulgent, but it is equally hypnotic.