Sun Ra Music

This collection is pretty much a hodgepodge collection of scraps from Sun Ra's later NYC period, but what a wonderfully spooky set of mindbending moments. Some of this stuff was copped from other albums, ie. When Angels Speak of Love, while other stuff are short pieces that never got tacked onto anything before. Like a Saturn version of the White Album, these selections each stand strikingly alone, as opposed to forming any sort of coherent whole, but the whole thing works as a united blow against the ordinary or familiar. In its on raggedy way, it stands right up there with the other 60's gems from the man of mystery.

This collection is pretty much a hodgepodge collection of scraps from Sun Ra's later NYC period, but what a wonderfully spooky set of mindbending moments. Some of this stuff was copped from other albums, ie. When Angels Speak of Love, while other stuff are short pieces that never got tacked onto anything before. Like a Saturn version of the White Album, these selections each stand strikingly alone, as opposed to forming any sort of coherent whole, but the whole thing works as a united blow against the ordinary or familiar. In its on raggedy way, it stands right up there with the other 60's gems from the man of mystery.

not as far out as other sun ra albums but it has its fair share of improvisation as always. if i were to introduce someone to mister ra this would be the record to do it with.

Sun Ra's purple night is not only a great album, it is one of Sun Ra's Best, right up there with Heliocentric worlds, Space is the Place, anad A Night in East Berlin. It is composed and it isn't. A track like track 3, Love in Outer Space is done as a straight song, but those harmonic touches only Sun Ra could add make it enchanting. A track like track 2, on the other hand, is only based off a single bass line: A2, D2,C2,F2, played over and over as eighths (to give you an idea), and what the "arkestra" does with it, how it increases tension or not, and their self-interaction, it makes it a perfect and classic free jazz track. Everything you could ever want in an avant-garde jazz album, Purple Night is as good as it gets.

Tracks Include : Journey Toward Stars / Friendly Galaxy / Love In Outer Space / Stars Fell On Alabama / Of Invisible Them / Neverness / Purple Night Blues

With as many Arkestra recordings as are currently available, this may not be the best first choice...but for those interested, this is a very worthwhile disc. Be forewarned: about half of this recording was previously available on "A Night in East Berlin."

Having written that, I think this is a strong live recording. The title cut is an exceptionally beautiful 1970's composition, rather in the mold of some of the Discipline series (particularly Discipline 99)and available on no other recordings. It is a nice feature for Vincent Chancey on french horn.

Otherwise, there's some familiar works here: the recitation on "I Pharoah" over a performance of "Friendly Galaxy pt 2," versions of "Images" and "Space is the Place" (the latter faded in and out, unfortunately), and an arrangement of the old song "I'll Never Be the Same." Sound quality is not exceptional but generally good. It's worth a listen for interested persons.