Although no precise date is given, these five cuts are thought to have been documented circa 1967-1968 by Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra in New York City, where the band was in residence at the time. There is a mixture of older works as well as newer selections on 1971's "Pictures of Infinity". That said, even the established compositions - most notably the full-throttled reading of "Saturn" that commences the collection - are given fresh sonic visages. Tenor saxophonist John Gilmore is particularly potent with his flawless fluidity running melodic yet hard bopping lines over top of the solid rhythm section. He gives a hearty personality to his interjections as they dart in and out of the spiraling mile-a-minute arrangement. Bassist Ronnie Boykins is commanding, especially as his solo emerges out of drummer Nimrod Hunt's rapid-fire timekeeping. "Song of the Sparer" is an exquisite and rarely documented tune that begins with some intricate phrases from Ra before evolving into a languid and practically dirgelike improvisational piece. "Spontaneous Simplicity" is highlighted by some warm and inviting interplay between a flutist - presumably either Danny Davis or Pat Patrick - and Ra, whose strident piano accompaniment is remarkably suited to the earthy nature of the woodwind's ethereal, alternately liberating and plaintive sound. Immediately contrasting the more rural expressions is the aggressive extended free jazz attack heard on "Somewhere There." The bombastic percussion and practically sadistic sax-and-drum onslaught thrash about in an almost definitive example of the sheer power possessed by the Arkestra. The "Outer Spaceways Incorporated" chant concluding this long-player is similar to other versions and remains an affirmative statement juxtaposing an inescapably dissonant introduction with the playful nature of the singalong quality of the verses.
Tracklist:
| A1 | Somewhere There | 15:10 | |
| A2 | Outer Spaceways Incorporated | 7:02 | |
| B1 | Saturn | 6:08 | |
| B2 | Song Of The Sparer | 4:22 | |
| B3 | Spontaneous Simplicity | 7:56 |
Sun Ra - Pictures Of Infinity (1971)
(256 kbps, cover art included)
4 Kommentare:
You folks have come up with a lot of Sun Ra things that NOBODY else has! Thank you!
Glad you like that stuff! Greetings!
How I love this album. It not a bad place to start either. When I was a young man and newly on my own, I kept a standing card on my coffee table in the living room with a quote taken for this album (originally from the cover of Su nRa’s first album of Transition) for guests to read:
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PEOPLES OF EARTH: You must realize that you have the right to love beauty. You must prepare the live life to its fullest extent. Of course, it takes imagination, but you don’t have to be an educated person to have that. Imagination can teach you the true meaning of pleasure. Listening can be one of the greatest pleasures. You must learn to listen, because by listening you will learn to see with the mind’s eye. You see, music paints pictures that can only the mind’s eye can see. Open your ears so you can see with the eye of the mind.
Sun Ra
These days, I keep this quote on one of the album shelves in the basement from The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 2:
There
There is a land
That is almost unimaginable
To the human mind.
On a clear day,
We stand there and see farther than the
ordinary eye can see.
Far above the roof of the world,
We can encompass vistas of the worlds.
There is a land
where the sun shines eternally…
Eternally eternal.
Out in outer space
A living blazing fire,
So vital and alive…
There is no need to describe its splendor.
Sun Ra, 1966
Nowadays, neither of these quotes/poems are easy to find with internet search engines. I imagine they can be found in his book of writings called The Immeasurable Equation.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.
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