Pharoah Sanders & Idris Muhammad Africa

True to his enormous stature in spiritual jazz, and one of few remaining links to the genre’s roots, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders had long established himself as one of the greats by the time 1987’s Africa rolled around. This LP exudes quiet confidence through its contemporary jazz sound, performed by as solid a quartet as you’re likely to find in Sanders’ discography. The tunes here speak for themselves, and the John Coltrane rework ‘Naima’ is a touching ode to Sanders’ former friend and mentor.