PHAROAH SANDERS - THEMBI - RARE PROMO - IMPULSE - 1ST PRESS - STEREO FREE JAZZ

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PHAROAH SANDERS

THEMBI

PROMO COPY

IMPULSE AS9206

STEREO

1ST PRESSING 1ST ISSUE

HEAVY DEEP GROOVE VINYL

AS 9206 -A / AS 9206 -B

1972

It is strange that two of the most striking albums made by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders during the first flush of late 1960s/early 1970s astral jazz have been so often overlooked in reissue series. Tauhid and Thembi have been available only intermittently during the last 20 years. 

The album was recorded during two sessions with some changes in personnel. Sanders, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith and bassist Cecil McBee were present at both sessions; violinist Michael White was in Los Angeles, though was featured little; traps drummer Roy Haynes and four percussionists replace Los Angeles' drummer Clifford Jarvis and percussionist James Jordan in New York. 

The album opens with Smith's "Astral Traveling," a lush, sweeping group workout foursquare in the astral paradigm; in 1973, Smith, too, used it as an opening track, on his solo debut Astral Traveling. The tune is given an exquisite performance on both albums, with Sanders' presence giving his Thembi version the edge. 

But on Thembi, "Astral Traveling" proves to be the calm before the perfect storm. "Red, Black & Green," which follows, is as ferocious as is suggested by its title, a reference to the colors made emblematic by black liberation movements in the US and Africa. At 8:56 minutes, it is the second longest track on the album, and Sanders' overdubbed saxophones are foregrounded practically throughout, played in a style closer to the tumultuous one adopted by Sanders when he was a member of saxophonist John Coltrane's groups in 1966-67. Here, Sanders' sole concession is to play within a marginally more lyrical harmonic framework. 

"Thembi" returns to the melodic, ostinato-driven palette of "Astral Traveling," before the album once more switches out of the astral comfort zone. 

"Love," is an unaccompanied, 5:12 minute bass solo. If you are already reaching for the "skip track" button, don't do it. McBee turns in a corker, starting conventionally enough, albeit with frequent use of percussive, "Africanized" string-on-wood effects, before focusing on cleanly articulated high-harmonics (well recorded by producer Ed Michel and engineer Bill Szymczyk).  "Love" is the sort of track that gives bass solos a good name. 

The closing "Morning Prayer" and "Bailophone Dance" return to more familiar, collective astral territory. "Morning Prayer," at 9:11 minutes the longest track, revisits the fierce tenor heard on "Red, Black & Green," but in an amiable, ostinato-driven groove. "Bailophone Dance," built around a traditional West African cross-rhythm, makes good use of hand drummers Chief Bey, Majid Shabass, Anthony Wiles and Nat Bettis. 

Delicious, essential listening. 

Tracks: Astral Traveling; Red Black & Green; Thembi; Love; Morning Prayer; Bailophone Dance. 

Personnel: Pharoah Sanders: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bells, percussion, alto flute, bailophone, cow horn, fifes; Michael White: violin (1-3); Lonnie Liston Smith: piano, electric piano, percussion, shouts, bailophone (1-3, 5, 6); Cecil McBee: bass, bird effects; Clifford Jarvis: drums (1-3); Roy Haynes: drums (5, 6); James Jordan: ring cymbals (1-3); Chief Bey: African drums and percussion (5, 6); Majid Shabazz: African drums and percussion (5, 6); Anthony Wiles: African drums and percussion (5, 6); Nat Bettis: African drums and percussion (5, 6). 

ALL ABOUT JAZZ

WHY IS A PROMO COLLECTIBLE? – PROMOS ARE USUALLY 1ST PRESSINGS AND PRODUCED FROM BETTER VINYL THAN THE DOMESTIC ISSUE – THIS IS BECAUSE THE RECORD COMPANY WANTED THE RECORD TO SOUND AT IT’S BEST AND ALSO BECAUSE MANY PROMOS ARE RADIO PLAY COPIES AND NATURALLY THEY HAVE TO LAST LONGER AND SOUND FULL WITH THE BEST DYNAMICS.

THE KING OF PROMOS ARE WHITE LABELS – THESE ARE ALWAYS 1ST PRESSINGS AND ALWAYS MADE FROM STRONGER VINYL – THESE WERE GIVEN TO THE PRESS AND RADIO EXECUTIVES AND HAD TO BE HEARD AT THEIR BEST – SOMETIMES THEY WERE A DIFFERENT MIX!

THE HOLY GRAIL OF PROMOS ARE PURE WHITE LABELS WITH NO INFORMATION ON THE LABEL AT ALL SAVE PERHAPS FOR A WRITTEN NAME OR SOME TYPING – THESE WERE TEST PRESSINGS AND USED FOR MARKETING WITHIN THE RECORD COMPANY AND RARELY EVER LET OUT! IN FACT OFTEN THIS EXAMPLE CAN BE A DIFFERENT MIX AND NOT THE SAME AS THE DOMESTIC RELEASE AT ALL!

SOME RECORD LABELS, ATLANTIC FOR EXAMPLE, RELEASED A WHITE LABEL MONO MIX FOR RADIO PLAY – THESE ARE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE AND OFTEN TOTALLY DIFFERENT SOUNDING THAN THE FINISHED DOMESTIC RELEASE.

VINYL IN VG+ CONDITION - SHOWS SOME LIGHT HAIR LINES AND LIGHT SCRATCHES

BUT NO DEEP FELT SCRATCHES!  THAT PRODUCES A VERY STRONG SOUND WITH NO HARMFUL SURFACE NOISE - PLAYS EXCELLENT!

PLAY TESTED , FULL DYNAMICS , ON DEEP GROOVE ORIGINAL 1ST PRESSING VINYL

VERY SHINY WELL LOOKED AFTER ORIGINAL RECORD

AS USUAL, FULLY GUARANTEED!!

THIS IS A VERY NICE AND VERY RARE ORIGINAL COPY, THAT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF PLAY BUT RESULTS IN A TRUE FULLY DYNAMIC ANALOGUE SOUND THAT IS WAY BETTER THAN DIGITAL

THE GATE FOLD JACKET IS EXCELLENT MINUS- SHOWS NO SPLITS, NO WRITING, NO NAME LABEL- SHOWS LIGHT NORMAL WEAR WITH MINIMAL RING WEAR AND CORNER BUMPING

HAS PROMOTION COPY COMPANY STICKER ON BACK

HAS NO PUNCHES OR CUT OUT SPLITS

PLEASE SEE PHOTOS

THE SPINE IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE WITH NO BUMPING

COMES WITH IMPULSE INNER AND WILL BE DELIVERED IN A WHITE NEW INNER

SPINDLE HOLES EXCELLENT+ WITH NO WRITING NO DAMAGE

PLEASE SEE PHOTOS

THIS IS A TRUE FIRST RARE PRESSING! AND NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded. 

Records are graded under bright lights or discrete sunlight - In the case of visibly possible harmful scratches, the record will be tested and sound quality noted.Many vintage (1955-70) records will play fine with visible damage due to superior vinyl and better pressings.

 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND FULLY GUARANTEED

PLEASE SEE PHOTOS

THIS RECORD IS FULLY GUARANTEED, PLEASE EMAIL ME TO DISCUSS A PROBLEM BEFORE LEAVING NEGATIVE OR NEUTRAL FEEDBACK

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

THIS IS 100% GUARANTEED!!

1969 O

FRIENDS: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE GRADING CONDITIONS – ALSO, UNLESS A LP RECORD IS SEALED (US COPIES), THERE IS BOUND TO BE SOME DISCREPANCY HEARABLE. ALSO DEPENDING ON HOW GOOD YOUR STYLUS AND CARTRIDGE IS, YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH MY GRADINGS BUT, PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECORD IS GUARANTEED, IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE CONDITION PLEASE RETURN FOR A FULL REFUND – PLEASE DISCUSS WITH ANY PROBLEMS

PLEASE NOTE:

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How I Grade Condition Of Discs

Mint

This means I have owned it from new or purchased from a distributors warehouse, basically it means absolutely new shape, never been played or out of its dust cover. In the case of LP's, a North American album will have to be factory sealed (anyone can reseal an album!) Take Note: European and Japaneses albums were never shrink wrapped!

Note: Being mint does not guarantee it's free of pops and clicks, many pressings especially from the US were made with very poor vinyl and in a hurry which means often there are imperfections in the pressing. As a former importer, we were often given back brand new albums due to clicks heard in the playback.

Mint Minus - No such thing, it's either mint or not.

Excellent - A disc is super clean, with no visible marks

 Excellent Plus, means it's probably mint but can't be proven by me.

Excellent minus, is a disc that is excellent except it may have some markings that do not show up in the playing

VG - A disc that is STILL in good shape, WILL have some scuffs or scratches, not in excellent shape but well worth owning. VG + and ++,a disc that is that much better than VG.

VG minus, just a smidgen below VG

Good - A disc that can be played, has obvious ware but is worth owning, a DJ copy of a rare early Motown for instance or a rare Doo-Wop or Northern Soul which could still be worth a fortune, Good Minus & Good Plus is a step above or below Good. In most cases I will not offer a disc in this condition unless it's rare and hard to find.

LABELS

Labels do not alter the grading of vinyl; many records are Excellent, looked after by the previous owner but still have their initials or markings on the label. A DJ copy will often have markings to show which side to be plugged, or the length of the intro. Many labels and covers in the US have been punched, that was done by the record company to show the disc was deleted and shipped out to mass retailers to sell cheap and could not be returned for a credit, this does not impede the value, many records eg Swan and VJ Beatles were done like that, also many promo lp’s were punched or slit to show they were provided as promotion and not charged to the client and no royalties paid to the artist