description Karma – Pharoah Sanders Overview
Pharaoh Sanders’ Karma (1970) is a seminal jazz album notable for its immersive soundscapes and pioneering use of tenor saxophone. The work blends free jazz improvisation with Eastern spiritual influences creating a profoundly meditative experience. It's appreciated by listeners interested in the evolution of jazz, particularly those exploring spiritual jazz and avant-garde musical expression.
help Karma – Pharoah Sanders FAQ
Is Karma the album with The Creator Has a Master Plan?
Yes. Pharoah Sanders' Karma is best known for the long opening piece The Creator Has a Master Plan, which takes up most of the album. Leon Thomas contributes the famous vocal chants and yodel-like singing.
Was Karma released on Impulse Records?
Yes. Karma was released on Impulse Records in 1969, during the label's major spiritual-jazz period. Sanders had previously played with John Coltrane, another central Impulse artist.
How free-jazz is Karma compared with John Coltrane's late albums?
Karma has long, ecstatic improvisations and overblown tenor saxophone passages that connect it to late Coltrane recordings such as Ascension and Meditations. It also has a more chant-like, devotional groove that makes it accessible to many spiritual-jazz listeners.
Who sings on Pharoah Sanders' Karma?
Leon Thomas is the key vocalist on Karma. His voice is central to The Creator Has a Master Plan, especially in the recurring spiritual refrain and extended vocal improvisations.
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