American saxophonist Pharoah Sanders became a key figure in spiritual jazz. Known for his collaborations with John Coltrane and albums like Karma and Thembi, he created a unique, meditative sound full of intensity and emotion. His music fused jazz, world music and spirituality into one. A fun fact is that Pharoah Sanders was given his first name by pianist Sun Ra, who said his playing had something “royal” about it.
