180g Vinyl LP Reissue Remastered by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London.

In 1978 Pharoah Sanders went into the studio with pianist, Ed Kelly, who was an important figure in the local San Francisco and Oakland jazz scene. The two of them recorded six tracks which ranged from covers of standards, through soul jazz through to two real gems. The album was originally released as Ed Kelly And Friend due to Pharoah being contracted to Arista Records at the time. Indeed, as you can see, the cover shows Kelly playing next to Pharoah's hat, shoes and Selmer tenor saxophone.

"Rainbow Song," a Kelly composition, opens matters in a manner far removed from Pharoah's work on his Impulse albums. This is firmly in Grover Washington Junior territory with a liberal sprinkling of oh so tasteful strings. The Master's sound is full and mighty as ever. With the radio track out of the way it is business as hoped for and "Newborn" is a Sanders composition that burns with intensity. The power of his solo is as good as anything he has produced and he runs over the full span of the tenor's range and onwards into territory lesser known or explored by 99% of sax players.

Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" is treated with reverence and respect, with Pharoah delivering a sensitive and heartfelt rendition and ending with some extraordinary phonics, which we will meet again on later albums. Kelly's accompaniment complements Sander's playing before he receives his own space for a shimmering yet restrained solo which discloses what this non-pianist assumes to be an agile right hand. Pharoah went on to record at least three studio versions of his great anthem "You've Got To Have Freedom" but the one here is the earliest incarnation...It is also the most restrained treatment of the theme, although Pharoah's solo shows his ability to play with fire and power over the entire range of the horn. There's plenty of space for Kelly's piano too and he provides an elegant setting for Sanders' exploratory work."

Musicians:
Ed Kelly, piano
Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone
Peter Barshay, bass
Eddie Marshall, drums