Search - Sun Ra :: Supersonic Jazz

Another great Evidence release

Chet Fakir | 07/24/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mid-50s Sun Ra with his feet in both traditional swing and bebop as well as futuristic space music. Awesome musicianship from all concerned. John Gilmore deserves much more recognition. His solos on this album are incredible!"

Swinging Sun Ra from the fourth moon of Saturn

Chet Fakir | DC | 04/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Super-Sonic Jazz is not nearly as avantgarde as Suns albums became starting in the early sixties, rather this album documents Sun's earlier more traditional work. Those of you who didn't know that the master of big band free jazz could swing and play the blues you should check this stuff out. I love Sun Ra's more demanding and avantgarde material from the sixties, seventies and eighties, but this album is very cool. You can tell Sun's fancy is just begining to take flight in that he's starting to add different rhythms and instrumentation and more exotic harmony to his repetoire. The arrangements and compositions are just starting to get "out." For instance the album opener India is a bit of exotica played on electric piano. Many of the tunes use tympani and odd melody lines such as the stunning El Is The Sound Of Joy. Other tunes sound like Charles Mingus of the period but with an odd harmonic sensibility. Ra's piano recalls Thelonius Monk in his use of space and occasionally a tiny bit of Sun's Cecil Taylor-like style pokes through. But in general he swings and solos in a more traditional though harmonically advanced way. The playing by his side men is top notch. Featured are John Gilmore, Pat Patrick and Julian Priester. Super Sonic Jazz is just a really enjoyable listen of the beginnings of one of jazz's most out-there and intriguing composers. Its melodic, exotic and swinging. As a bonus it's well recorded."