Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.
CD Reviews
Like beauty and power never experienced
macfawlty | potomac, MD USA | 08/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You have lived a good life, seen beauty in many forms, and occasionally you feel you have been significantly altered by momentary experiences. Real beauty is deeper than skin and when it hits you, it can be very powerful. You are afraid to grasp to hard for fear of loss. Sometimes my greatest fear as a jazz collector is becoming too familiar with my collection of nearly 3000 albums, mostly LP's with the complementary continuance of the CD format. It's not a big collection, but representative and evolutionary. With this one album, I was afraid to listen too much for fear of it becoming too familiar, but realized that it was probably not possible. This record is what collecting jazz is all about, the momentary experience of true beauty. I have a ton of Trane, had a number of LP's by and with Alice Coltrane, and almost all of Pharoah as well, but this recording, after 20 years of collecting, was like buried treasure. Together with Journey in Satchadanda, which I feel equally passionate about, these are the best Alice has to offer. Listen over and over without fear, but total surrender."
A personal favorite.
greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 11/25/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just another person who felt the need to add their voice to the acclaim that the other reviewers have already given this beautiful work. Like most of the other reviewers, I am a looooonnng time jazz listener and collector. Any music collector will tell you that there are certain albums that hit you dead on in all your chakras the first time you hear them. That depth of response sometimes stays with you forever. You never stop loving the experience of hearing that music as it helps you to get thru, to understand, to enjoy new periods in your life. This is one of those albums for me. From the opening notes of Ron Carter's bass walk that starts the album to the final notes, this is music of remarkable beauty, group interplay, and sophistication. There are too many highlights to enumerate, most of the other reviewers have already hit upon them, but I do want to add my voice in favor of the alto flutes played by Henderson and Sanders on Blue Nile. These are not their best solos on the CD. However, the beauty of that range of flute against Ms. Coltrane's harp is unique in my listening experience. Every one of the songs on this album offers pleasures like that, all unique and all worth the price of admission. Read all the other reviewers. Can this many oddballs be wrong? I think not."
Timeless classic
Christopher Farley | Minneapolis, MN USA | 10/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I rank Ptah the El Daoud up there with Kind Of Blue and A Love Supreme as perfect modal jazz recordings. This is quite amazing for a record made in 1970, when almost every major figure in the jazz world was going fusion. Instead of following this trend, Alice Coltrane stuck to her guns and made this astonishing record with horn players Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, bassist Ron Carter, and the underrated drummer Ben Riley. The two horn players play tenors on two tracks, and alto flutes on a third. (They sit out on a fourth.) The twin-horn attack is rather like a right-brain/left-brain exercize. Henderson's approach is cerebral, while Pharoah Sanders is emotional. Pharoah's playing is surprisingly lyrical and restrained (two words I would never expect to associate with him!).Alice Coltrane's piano playing is something like a gospel-tinged McCoy Tyner; she lacks some of Tyner's chops, but makes up for it with her overall conception. And unlike Tyner, she is a virtuoso harpist. The one harp/flute track ("Blue Nile") is a standout; it is ethereal, and ferocious all at the same time.Highly, highly recommended!"
Alice is underappreciated!
Frank Bock | 11/30/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I think Ptah The El Daoud was my first exposure to Alice Coltrane, as I would pick up Stellar Regions (fantastic late Coltrane) just a few weeks later. I liked this one right from the start though! She's got a wicked good lineup to help her out too. Herself on piano and harp, Pharoah and Joe Henderson on tenor and alto flutes, and Ron Carter and Ben Riley (taking a break from his long gig with Monk? ) Four songs. Ptah The El Daoud is very march-ish. I read somewhere that it was almost Mingusish. Maybe. Ron Carter's bass is thumping but juicy-good. And Ben Riley supplies that great marchish beat. Alice's piano playing to me has always been more about colors. I really love the way she plays and I think she's just so much differnt than any other jazz piano players. It's a shame she's so underatted. She's so unique. I can't off the top of my head think of anyone alse like her. And she fit perfect with her husband in '66 and '67. And to round it off, Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders really make a great (if not extremely interesting) pair. It's amazing to hear the two solo back to back. Henderson is almost as if not more intense then Pharoah! Turiya and Ramakrishna is a strange name for such a bluesy tune! The name itself if fine, but you'd almost expect to hear tanpouras and sitar's not this dark, blues number (with just trio of piano-bass-drums and some bells for good measure) that you hear on this second track. The Third number is my favorite. Blue Nile feautures Alice's beautiful, sweeping harp playing that she's so well known for (too bad she never got the chance to play harp with her husband!) But, it's Pharoah and Joe Henderson playing alto flutes that really steal the show. Ignore amazon.com's biased and stupid review of this album. Their flute solos are both interesting and enjoyable. Get into this song, it's a good one. The last song, Mantra is ok. Kind of different. Kind of formless in the beginning like something you might hear on one of Pharoah Sanders's albums, but then the clouds blow away and you've got a relatively avante-garde song, complete with some heavy blowing by both Joe Henderson and Pharoah (who lets off some mean purrs).Ptah is a great cd. Could someone tell me how to pronounce it though? And the sound is fantastic. Impulse did a good job here. Good album. Get it!"
Real Artistry
Scott McFarland | Manassas, VA United States | 10/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The musicians hereon are accomplished, and they have space in this music to ring out. The compositions are naturalistic and well-done. Other reviewers here have done a wonderful job at reviewing this album; I want to add one more sound of approval to the chorus. This LP/CD has a lovely sound and it is a lovely work of art."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1