Pharoah Sandersが1970-71年冬に録音した『Thembi』は、Alice Coltraneの名作『Journey In Satchidananda』と同じ深いスピリチュアリティを持つ作品。特に注目のトラック『Astral Traveling』は、カリフォルニアのスタジオで偶然見つけたFender Rhodesエレクトリックピアノから生まれた。探求的で超越的なサウンドが特徴のこの曲は、『Thembi』全体を象徴する一曲であり、当時のジャズに新たな風を吹き込んだ重要作だ。

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.