As Kevin Whitehead's liner notes to this release reflect,
Sanders "pays explicit tribute to his late mentor
John Coltrane -- as this set's
Coltrane-oriented sound makes unashamedly clear." Actually,
Coltrane penned only one of the eight tunes, while
Sanders wrote six, but the spirit of the master looms heavily throughout.
Sanders displays an uncanny resemblance to
Trane's unique way of over-blowing and his special ability to get inside a ballad. Pianist
John Hicks is in perfect form and contributes mightily to the success of the session. Most will probably prefer the original
Coltrane to
Sanders' imitations, but
Africa is nonetheless a joyous and worthy tribute to one of the giants of jazz. This album marked somewhat of a backtrack for the saxophonist, as he had frequently become identified with much more traditional playing. ~ Steven Loewy