Finally the Jazz Workshop has seen fit to bring in somebody who at least at one time had a lot of talent. Pharaohs Sanders was John Coitrane's heir apparent as greatest tenor man after the master's death in the mid-sixties. Sanders was riding high for a couple of years, and deservedly so--few could do as much as he could with the instrument, especially in the upper registers.

I remember listening several years back to a recording of Coitrane's great "Love Supreme," and right after the ending of that piece's first movement the disc jockey did a fade-in to Sanders's "Upper Egypt." It was one of the few times when you could not tell the difference between Trane's horn and another's. The highest compliment.

But in the last few years such recordings as "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and "Thembi" seem a little repetitive; "Hum Allah" was a little too outrageous for even the most devoted of Sanders's legions.

Lately he has been more of a showman than a player, jumping up and down throughout the concerts squeaking unbearably on the high notes and basically being as unmelodious as possible.

But Sanders is still able to put together a good solo occasionally, and usually travels with some good personnel. He'll be at the Workshop tomorrow night until Sunday.