Beyond A Dream
Pharoah Sanders & Norman Connors
Beyond A Dream is a live album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and drummer Norman Connors, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 22, 1978 and released in 1981 on Arista Novus. Captured with an expanded band—including Buzzy Jones (sax/flute), Duke Jones (trumpet), Bobby Lyle and Billy McCoy on keys, guitarist Greg Hill, bassist Alex Blake, and percussionists Lawrence Killian and Petro Bass—the roughly 44‑minute set stretches across five tunes: “Babylon,” the title track “Beyond A Dream,” “Montreux Overture,” “The End of the Beginning,” and “Casino Latino.” Stylistically it moves through spiritual jazz, modal soul‑jazz, and jazz‑funk, pairing Sanders’ searching tenor tone with Connors’ crisp, groove‑conscious drumming against a lush electric backdrop.
The performance highlights different facets of the group’s sound: opener “Babylon” and the 10‑minute “Beyond A Dream” build slowly from atmospheric keyboard chords and percussion into fiery solos and dense ensemble peaks, while “Montreux Overture” and “The End of the Beginning” are more compact statements that still carry Sanders’ signature blend of lyricism and edge. Closer “Casino Latino” injects Latin and funk flavors, with electric bass and percussion driving a danceable, festival‑friendly feel. Later vinyl reissues (including coloured‑vinyl pressings) have helped reframe Beyond A Dream as a particularly accessible entry point into Sanders’ and Connors’ late‑’70s work—still spiritual and exploratory, but anchored in strong grooves and memorable themes that make the live recording feel both expansive and welcoming.
Beyond A Dream
Pharoah Sanders & Norman Connors
Beyond A Dream is a live album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and drummer Norman Connors, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 22, 1978 and released in 1981 on Arista Novus. Captured with an expanded band—including Buzzy Jones (sax/flute), Duke Jones (trumpet), Bobby Lyle and Billy McCoy on keys, guitarist Greg Hill, bassist Alex Blake, and percussionists Lawrence Killian and Petro Bass—the roughly 44‑minute set stretches across five tunes: “Babylon,” the title track “Beyond A Dream,” “Montreux Overture,” “The End of the Beginning,” and “Casino Latino.” Stylistically it moves through spiritual jazz, modal soul‑jazz, and jazz‑funk, pairing Sanders’ searching tenor tone with Connors’ crisp, groove‑conscious drumming against a lush electric backdrop.
The performance highlights different facets of the group’s sound: opener “Babylon” and the 10‑minute “Beyond A Dream” build slowly from atmospheric keyboard chords and percussion into fiery solos and dense ensemble peaks, while “Montreux Overture” and “The End of the Beginning” are more compact statements that still carry Sanders’ signature blend of lyricism and edge. Closer “Casino Latino” injects Latin and funk flavors, with electric bass and percussion driving a danceable, festival‑friendly feel. Later vinyl reissues (including coloured‑vinyl pressings) have helped reframe Beyond A Dream as a particularly accessible entry point into Sanders’ and Connors’ late‑’70s work—still spiritual and exploratory, but anchored in strong grooves and memorable themes that make the live recording feel both expansive and welcoming.