With Sahara, Tyner found a precise "middle ground," more structured than late Coltrane but exploding with a ferocity that made it one of the decade's greatest jazz recordings. None of the other members of his quartet -- Sonny Fortune, Calvin Hill, and Alphonse Mouzon -- ever sounded so liberated as they do here. Tyner develops so much pure energy that one worries about the physical stability of any piano under such an assault.
The quintet follow up their debut effort with another batch of authentic interpretations, their own exceptional instrumentation and some strong original compositions. "On the Road Again" -became the combo's first, and arguably, most significant hit. Their love of authentic R&B informs "World in a Jug," the dark "Turpentine Blues," and singer Bob Hite's update of Tommy McClennan's "Whiskey Headed Woman." The Creole anthem "Marie Laveau" is arguably most notable for the driving interaction between guitarists Alan Wilson and Henry Vestine.