Pharoah Sanders, Boundary-Pushing Jazz Saxophonist, Dies at 81

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The courtship between art and commerce is a tricky one, but when a brand invests in music in a way that legitimately benefits not only its customers and the artist but people from the artist’s community, it’s good business all around. And at a time when the concert experience can be downright insulting to the customer — most of whom have invested horrifying amounts of money and time with no guarantee of it paying off — it’s even better business to make them feel like they’re flying first-class.   “Jack Harlow’s Louisville,” a hometown-themed concert sponsored by American Express and exclusively for card holders, was basically like a large version of one of those corporate events most humans only read about, crossed with a really rich friend’s kid’s sweet sixteen party. It was held at Brooklyn Steel, an 1,800-capacity, five-year-old venue with a spacious upstairs balcony (which was used as VIP for this event) that includes a sunken terrace that’s basically the equivalent of box seats (and was ultra-VIP).

When we created this list six years ago, we were determined to recognize the new faces of storytellers, executives and entrepreneurs who were reinventing New York. A lot has changed since then, but the city’s can-do spirit is as potent as ever.

A Northern California fire department is investigating a video posted on social media showing a woman wearing a bikini exiting a fire truck outside a strip club. The San Jose Fire Department launched the investigation after a video posted on the San Jose Foos Instagram account on Thursday night showed a fire truck with lights flashing stop outside the Pink Poodle Strip Club before a bikini clad woman hopped out and walked toward the club, KTVU-TV reported.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” concludes its inaugural season, Amazon Prime Video debuted a fiery new trailer for the season finale that promises “all will be revealed.”  The trailer — which first screened at New York Comic-Con on Friday, as part of Prime Video’s panel for “The Rings of Power” — was light on new footage from the finale, save for a telling glimpse at what appears to be Celebrimbor’s forge, where the titular Rings of Power will eventually be created. Otherwise, the trailer recaps many of the biggest developments through the first season, while promising that while Mordor is rising, at lease some heroes “will fall” — and Sauron’s true identity will finally be revealed.

Jennifer Salke entered the Second Age in London. The head of Amazon Studios spent the 72 hours leading up to the launch of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” in a whirlwind, traveling from the series’ global premiere event in London’s Leicester Square to her Manhattan apartment to watch the early returns arrive via reports from Amazon’s formidable consumer research department. The “Rings” team was exhausted, having had no chance to recover from the grueling worldwide promotional campaign for the Amazon Prime Video series that is an enormous bet for the tech giant, being the most expensive television series ever produced. For most of launch day, Sept. 1, Salke and key members of her executive team, many members of the large ensemble cast and executive producers J.D. Payne, Patrick McKay and Lindsey Weber gathered together for hours in virtual “war rooms,” bone tired but energized, to wait for the world’s reaction.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Jack Harlow Partners With American Express to Present ‘Louisville by Jack Harlow’ Jack Harlow has partnered with American Express to present “Louisville by Jack Harlow,” a special concert taking place at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, October 12. According to the announcement, the show, which is part of the company’s Member Week and is exclusively for card members, “will transport fans deep into Harlow’s world, paying homage to the rapper’s hometown of Louisville, KY and give fans an up-close-and-personal taste of Harlow’s favorite small businesses, artists, and restaurants.”
 The show will be livestreamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and Card Members will have exclusive access to a custom merchandise collection from Louisville illustrator, Bri Bowers, known for her depictions of Louisville’s neighborhoods & landmarks. Her “Jack Harlow x American Express” collection will be sold IRL and online; all other merch items will be sold online.

Editors note: The death of Mahsa Amini earlier this month after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab according to official dictates has sparked outrage and protests within the Islamic Republic and around the world, with Global Day of Action for Iran set for Saturday with rallies around the globe (more information below). Currently seen as one of the stars of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Iran-born actress and Amnesty International UK ambassador Nazanin Boniadi reflects on Amini’s tragic death and the potentially pivotal time for her homeland.

Ian Evatt has vowed Declan John understands the rotation at left wing-back this season at Bolton Wanderers as the pressure is shared around possibly the most physically difficult position on the pitch.

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack revealed he has yet to enter negotiations over a new contract as his current deal continues to run down with no word on extending his stay in Govan.

Variety‘s Power of Women dinner on Wednesday, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton spoke, and the former secretary of state took the Iranian government to task. “I could not stand up here tonight without also recognizing the brave women in Iran who are standing up for their rights, their freedom against a horrific regime who stays in power in large measure because they oppress women,” Clinton said. “And I could not stand here without thinking about the women in Afghanistan who are being deprived of education, or the women on the front lines in Ukraine who are trying to defend their country against the barbarity of Putin’s invasion.” “So we have a lot of work to do,” she continued. “It’s work in our own country to keep our progress going and not let the clock be turned back, and it’s also caring about the rest of the world.”

Anna Marie de la Fuente Lima-based Apus Animation Studio has pacted with Spanish and Brazilian shingles to co-produce its projects, among them TV series “Chek & Chan” with Valencia-based Hampa Animation Studio and Apus’ first animation feature, “Nimuendajú: El Hombre que Encontró su Camino,” with Brazil’s Anaya Films. Apus presents “La Orquestita,” co-produced with Barcelona-based Mago Prods., at the inaugural Co-Production and Financing Forum hosted by the Iberseries & Platino Industria TV event in Madrid (Sept.27-30). Directed by Uruguayan Juan Carve, founder of chucho.tv, the kids animated series teaches kids about the mystery behind music, how it’s composed, why it move us. The 26-part, 11-minute episode series has already been sold to Argentina’s Pakapaka, TV3 Catalonia, Señal Colombia and pubcaster TVE, said Bonilla.

Tom Cruise‘s complex relationship with the Church of Scientology is getting exposed!

The Doobie Brothers, has died aged 72.Hartman’s death was confirmed last Thursday (September 22) according to a post by the band.“Today we are thinking of John Hartman, or Little John to us. John was a wild spirit, great drummer, and showman during his time in the Doobies.

Pharoah Sanders, a singular and supremely influential voice in jazz composition and saxophone, passed away on Saturday at age 81. The news was broken on Saturday by Luaka Bop, the label that released the final album of his lifetime, Promises, a collaboration with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Pharoah Sanders has died at the age of 81.The news was revealed in a statement yesterday (September 24) from the musician’s 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.”Across a career spanning six decades, Sanders – who was born Farrell Sanders but nicknamed Pharoah by Sun Ra – collaborated with a host of cutting-edge artists, including joining John Coltrane‘s band and being a part of the ensemble until Coltrane’s death in 1967.More recently, Sanders was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2021 for ‘Promises’, his collaborative album with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra.Leading tributes to Sanders, Floating Points – aka Sam Shepherd – said: “My beautiful friend passed away this morning.

Pharoah Sanders, the revered tenor saxophone player who was part of John Coltrane’s band in the 1960s and helped popularize the spiritual jazz movement, died Saturday in Los Angeles, his label announced. He was 81.

“We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” read a statement from Sanders’ label Luaka Bop. “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.”Born Farrell Sanders in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1940, Sanders got his start with the saxophone by renting an old one from his high school.

John Hartman, drummer for the Doobie Brothers during the band’s hit-making 1970s heyday, has died, the band announced. He was 72.