Ra demonstrates sunny side of experimental jazz

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 9, 2004 | 8:34 a.m.

For most of his life, Herman Sonny Blount called himself Sun Ra, dressed in colorful robes and headdress and claimed to have been born on Saturn.

Perhaps that explains why, despite his many musical innovations, the pianist and bandleader is rarely mentioned in the same sentence with such recognized jazz giants as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.

But those willing to look past Sun Ra's many idiosyncrasies and delve into his actual work will discover a groundbreaking artist whose contributions in the realm of free jazz and experimentalism are without equal.

Diving into such a monstrous catalog can be rather daunting, however, with more than 100 Sun Ra recordings readily available, stretching from the 1950s until the end of his life in 1993. (Keep in mind, that doesn't include dozens of out-of-print albums and singles Sun Ra once sold from the back of his van at concerts.)

The pick here is "Angels and Demons at Play" / "The Nubians of Plutonia," one of several excellent two-fers reissued by Evidence Records during the 1990s.

Originally recorded between 1963 and 1967, the two albums provide an introduction to several of Sun Ra's many musical styles, and to the brilliant instrumentalists in his group, the Arkestra (credited here as the Myth Science Arkestra).

Tracks such as "Urnack" and "Star Time" hearken back to the ensemble's early days as a big-band outfit, swinging along in relatively conventional fashion.

Many cuts, including "Tiny Pyramids," "Angels and Demons at Play" and "Aiethopia" feature a distinctly other-worldly quality, blending African, Indian, Middle Eastern and Latin sounds with more traditional jazz elements.

Still others, such as "Medicine for a Nightmare" and "Demon's Lullaby," showcase Sun Ra and his mates as a hard-bopping combo, not unlike Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers of the 1950s and '60s.

Lastly, "The Golden Lady," the standout eight-minute track on "Nubians," hints at the avant-garde direction that would come to define Sun Ra's work during the 1970s and '80s.

Despite its musical diversity, the disc flows as a whole, a tribute not only to Sun Ra's vision but also to his talents as a pianist (electric or otherwise) and the instrumental skills of Arkestra mainstays John Gilmore (tenor sax), Marshall Allen (flute) and Pat Patrick (baritone sax), to name a few.

Those men sacrificed considerable notoriety, not to mention significant monetary gain, by staying with Sun Ra for their entire careers. Listening to "Angels and Demons at Play" / "The Nubians of Plutonia," it's easy to understand why they made that choice.

Artist: Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra.

Title: "Angels and Demons at Play" / "The Nubians of Plutonia."

Year of release: Recorded 1956-1960; both albums released by Saturn Records between 1963 and 1967, then re-released by Impulse Records in 1974; reissued on one CD in 1993 by Evidence Records.

Tracklisting: ("Angels and Demons at Play") "Tiny Pyramids," "Between Two Worlds," "Music From the World Tomorrow," "Angels and Demons at Play," "Urnack," "Medicine for a Nightmare," "A Call for All Demons," "Demon's Lullaby." ("The Nubians of Plutonia") "Plutonian Nights," "The Golden Lady," "Star Time," "Nubia," "Africa," "Watusa," "Aiethopia."