Jazz legend Pharoah Sanders passed away this morning at age 81. The news was confirmed on Twitter by his label Luaka Bop, who wrote, "We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away. He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace."
Sanders played in John Coltrane's band in the mid to late 1960s, and also played with Alice Coltrane in the late '60s and early '70s, and he released several of his own classic albums, including 1969's Karma, 1970's Jewels of Thought, 1972's Black Unity, and many others. Last year, he teamed up with electronic musician Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra for the highly acclaimed Promises, which was Sanders' first major album in over a decade.