Customer Reviews

Thembi

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As an exponent of the "New Thing" jazz of the late '60's and early '70's Pharoah Sanders is one of the true masters of this genre. A one time collaborator of the late great saxophonist, John Coltrane, Pharoah has proven to this day, to be one of the most powerfully creative voices in Jazz. His music emanates from a deeply spiritual premise, but consistantly delivers a profoundly uplifting experience. If you are not familiar with his work, this album is a great intro, to a true soprano and tenor saxophone giant at the height of one his most creative periods. The personnel on this cd, include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Cecil Mcbee on bass, Michael White on violin and Clifford Jarvis on drums. This was without a doubt, Pharoah's greatest group. Their music is not only profoundly thought provoking, but full of rythmic power and sheer virtuosity on all instruments. This group has something to say and they say it with great conviction and beauty. This album, Thembi, is named after Pharoah's wife at the time, and is an exquisite testament to "Hope, Faith and Love".
I highly recommend this cd!

Like a lot of his work at the time, Thembi alternates between serenity and fury. "Astral Traveling" is a Lonnie Liston Smith piece in which Smith's electric piano contributes to the peaceful mood over which Pharoah plays some beautiful sax melodies. Michael White on violin creates sounds that seem like bird calls. The following track ("Red, Black, & Green") is a freewheeling jam in which Sanders and crew make a joyous noise. The title track is an easy-going uptempo tune. "Love" follows -- giving Cecil McBee to provide an extended solo meditation on bowed bass. "Morning Prayer" follows, exploring the theme set out on the title track, this time adding a crew of African percussionists (including Chief Bey). That piece merges into the final piece ("Bailophone Dance"), on which nearly everyone plays percussion as Pharoah provides some of his trademark sax fury. A must for fans of post-Coltrane free jazz.

This record is a true work of love, and a very easy work to fall in love with. There is so much beauty here, moments of tension and relaxation. But above all it must be pointed out that Cecil McBee's bass solo, the track called "love" is simply put, the greatest thing I have ever heard performed on the instrument. The first half is arabic, playing what sound very much like Yemeni Oud scales on a standup bass! Incredible! Then he busts out his bow, and starts modulating these harmonics up and down the neck, similar to George Crumb, sounding like a cello being played through a flanger. This solo alone is worth getting the disk for, but it just so happens that the rest of the music is also of the highest quality.

As a very brief review, I will go no further than the title track here -- Thembi. Its a soaring melting pot of emotions, a lyrical yet gentle tour de force in the instrumental sense. It has the power to restore faith in human nature, and that's not something said lightly.

This is one of the best Cosmic Jazz recordings you will ever hear. Sanders goes from flute-like meditations to pure blasts of chaotic sound energy, sometimes within the same song. A lot of people these days seem to think that jazz is "swing," or that it's the ironjawed retro of Wynton Marsalis, or the weak noodlings of Kenny G. This stuff is REAL jazz, and it still sounds ahead of its time. Definitely a must, especially for anyone who wants to explore new sounds and expand their minds. Creativity like this is a blessing to hear.

"Thembi", the last Pharoah Sanders album to feature musical partner pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, feels like a coda to a long career. Composed of material from two sessions, the pieces tend to have a lighter, breezier feel than the last several albums Sanders issued on Impulse had. The results are a bit mixed.

The first session finds Sanders (on soprano and tenor saxes) and Smith (on piano and electric piano) and longtime Sanders bassist Cecil McBee in hte company of violinist Michael White and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The material is briefer, lighter than the usual Sanders fare has been, an in general highly melodic and in fact the performances are all quite nice. The problem is that all three sound and feel like they've been hacked out of his extended works on the last batch of albums, and with familiar themes, it's difficult not to compare to earlier performances.

The second session pairs Sanders, (on tenor sax and alto flute), Smith and McBee with drummer Roy Haynes and a small army of percussionists (Chief Bey, Majid Shabazz, Anthony Wiles and Nat Bettis). This session actually produces somewhat more exciting results-- McBee, who played bass with Sanders for three years-- is given a solo feature in "Love". His performance is nothing short of jaw dropping, large pizzicato, he also bows towards the end, showing his extended technique. But like the material from the first session, the record reverts back to older themes. "Morning Prayer" is certainly exciting enough, as it gives a rare opportunity to hear Sanders on (alto) flute, but even then, the performance isn't particularly inspired.

In the end, "Thembi" isn't as essential as the earlier work Sanders and Smith did together, and serves by and large as a bookend moreso than anything really earth shattering.

Everyone is trying to pinpoint a given moment, trying to categorize, but this is traveling. Searched far and wide and came across a piece of home and then he took you there. Not acid jazz or new world beat, but music as it was intended to be. Not a replicate of idols(ideals), but a product of his influences. You can hear as much Coltrane as you can Sun Ra and above all you can hear Pharoah. Moaning, Screaching, wailing and a nice (mellow)melody, that you cant wear out. A leader through example and as small as crickets in the dead of night. What do you think? And what will you think when you grow old with the music that you love? Transcends time and place and lets you create the setting of imagination. A kids story read before sleep that alters the dream to see another. Gooood Stuff!

A pretty decent album. It's very coherent to my ear but some negative reviews might have expected the direction of one song to be the style of the whole album ...

Astral Traveling --- very chill tune, nice twisting, delicate horn work, a background
of tribal beats (more intense on "morning prayer")

Red, Black & Green ---- free-form jam -- occasionally these pieces can grate with their atonal
nature or freaked out lack of structure -- but here it is controlled mayhem.
As the instruments interplay, one always has a solid groove going to create a
"bed" for the rest of the players. Nice change of pace, as this is the only
tune of this ilk in the set.


THEMBI - Nice tune, the lightest of the set. Others have raved about this one, but it sometimes
veers dangerously reminiscent of a Kenny G-ish vibe. (maybe it's just me)

Love -- Others have said it --- cool bass solo --- even if you dread bass solos

Morning Prayer --- Awesome, groovy and TRANCE-LIKE. If you were still up in the air about this
album this track will suck you in. An extension of Astral Traveling ....

Bailophone - percussive ending that does justice to its predecessors


I think with any jazz album, it's just what you're into at the time. This is a 3 1/2 star disc.
Certainly worth owning. I must admit ignorance of Pharoah Sanders other stuff, so some of the reviewers who
say he has better albums are probably accurate.

This one has been working some magic on me lately. The opening track, "Astral Traveling," is mellowness personified--if you buy mp3s, it's the one to get, in my opinion. The other tracks are also worth hearing, though. "Red, Black and Green" is an interesting juxtaposition of "free" blowing over ruminative, rubato ensemble playing. Sanders' caterwauling might send the casual listener running for the hills, but I think it fits the context appropriately. "Thembi" is a vamp repeated for the entire song, but it's a good vamp with some interesting blowing over the top. "Love" is a fascinating solo for bassist Cecil McBee, who makes his instrument sing and speak in ways I'd never heard before. "Morning Prayer" is based off of another bass vamp but goes on longer than "Thembi." It sounds nice and continues the "mellow" thread running throughout most of the album. "Bailophone Dance" is an interesting piece that features mostly percussion and some yelping in the background.

There are some interesting moods on this album. Probably not essential, but I think it's worth picking up if you'd like more Pharoah Sanders in your collection.

If you are familiar with Sanders, this CD should suprise you little. Not in a negative way but in the sense that he is across the spectrum of musical colors as usual. It is hard to listen to front to back but depending on your mood any of these selection will serve a purpose. I love his sound so I toloerate the free jazz. Much props to LL Smith for keeping Sanders on the chill mode. From a production stand point I am disappointed at Impulse for not correcting the weak signal on some of the analog channels which do a great job of separating the instruments but not leveling the volume. Overall a must for Sanders fans.