Description
Recorded by Pharoah Sanders in the winter of 1970–71, Thembi is a work imbued with the same profound spirituality as Alice Coltrane’s masterpiece Journey In Satchidananda. The particularly noteworthy track “Astral Traveling” was born from a Fender Rhodes electric piano that Sanders happened upon in a California studio. Characterized by its exploratory and transcendent sound, this track embodies the spirit of Thembi as a whole and stands as a landmark recording that brought a fresh new dimension to jazz at the time.
A1. Astral Traveling
A2. Red, Black & Green
A3. Thembi
B1. Love
B2. Morning Prayer
B3. Bailophone Dance
Pharoah Sanders recorded Thembi in the winter of 1970–71, amid sessions with Alice Coltrane that would culminate in her seminal Journey In Satchidananda album. The same profound spirituality that imbued Coltrane's masterpiece with an aura of serene majesty also permeates Thembi. One of the standout tracks, 'Astral Traveling,' originated from a serendipitous encounter with a Fender Rhodes electric piano. Upon arriving at the California studio, while his bandmates set up their instruments, Sanders noticed the piano and, driven by curiosity, began experimenting with its sounds. This track, with its ethereal quality and innovative use of the electric piano, captures the exploratory spirit and transcendent quality that define Thembi, making it a cornerstone of Sanders' discography and the blueprint to the serendipitous magic of musical experimentation. Thembi offers something very unique for the time in jazz music.
