Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra – Promises – New LP

Gatefold, die-cut sleeve, 180 gram vinyl.     "This cross-generational collaboration is more natural than it might seem; some of Shepherd's previous electric piano work has evinced an appreciation for the tranquility and restraint in Lonnie Liston Smith's use of the Fender Rhodes, heard first on Sanders' Thembi. To Shepherd's credit, his framework for Sanders is in the moment. There's no evident intent to evoke any point in the saxophonist's past, or even in maintaining continuity with the Floating Points catalog. Moreover, this is a fulfilling listen for those who hoped to hear more from Sanders the sideman on the 2019 and 2020 LPs led by Joey DeFrancesco and Bill Laswell. Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony OrchestraIn the main, Sanders' playing is soft and lyrical, not so much searching as observing, like he's strolling down a densely wooded path with Shepherd's recurrent arpeggio flickering like sunlight through gaps in trees. There's a gradual eb