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a richly textured and rewarding treat. try it!
The album was only available through Impulse in limited release, and was very difficult to find. Interestingly, it's long been considered to be quite possibly the finest example of the early Sun Ra Arkestra.
Sun Ra was a iconoclast who seamlessly combined music of the early Swing era with more adventurous free-form approaches; his sound was as unique as his legendary personality. As a young musician growing up in the late 20's and early 30's, he was strongly influenced by the arranging styles of Fletcher Henderson and Don Redman. Throughout the 40's and early 50's, Sun Ra began to experiment with sound sources in the context of the traditional large jazz orchestra. By the late 50's, he ha! d drawn a number of devoted musicians together to form the nucleus of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Some of these musicians, such as saxophonists Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Pat Patrick, remained with Ra for over 30 years until his death in 1993 at the age of 80.
The recording shows the more traditional early swing band influences of the Sun Ra Arkestra as much as any recording dating from this time. The work of tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and baritone saxophonist Pat Patrick is outstanding, particularly on the luxuriant Enlightenment and Blues at Midnight. However, music such as Ancient Aiethiopia illustrates that the Arkestra was not only a superior large jazz ensemble, but a unit which was pushing the very cutting edge of jazz.
Whether you're a serious collector, historian, or just someone who wants to hear this unique voice in jazz at his best, this Sun Ra recording should be an essential part of your collection.
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