Sun Ra / Blue Delight (1988)

If Mr. Ra is a mystery to you, then you have some detective work to do. For the uninitiated, Blue Delight is a good jumping off point. Sadly, like scads of other Ra recordings, it has fallen out of print. And that's a shame because this little powerhouse from 1988 could be as close as Sun Ra ever came to making jazz with mainstream appeal. Don't let that deter you -- it still crackles with the vigorous intensity and wild flair that put Ra and the Arkestra on the star map. Considering their more cacophonous and less accessible back catalog, this album is a particularly enjoyable spin. On standards like “Days of Wine and Roses” and “Gone with the Wind,” Ra showcases his skills as bandleader, arranger, and performer. In remarkably concise arrangements, he juxtaposes a noisy orchestra with serene, quiet interludes for startling dynamic contrast. Open sections allow soloists room to stretch out and interpret changes but Ra maintains a taut kineticism as if holding the Arkestra wound up in reserve and ready to spring. And spring they do, because the selections are not limited to classics. There are several spaced-out originals pushing 12 minutes in length, with gratuitous contributions from Arkestra stalwarts like Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Eloe Omoe. So if the total sound environment of atonal wailing by extended technique is your thing, you'll find plenty to dig your teeth into. The bottom line is that you're still listening to a Sun Ra record, albeit one that has been sweetened with a lifetime of experience. The musical goals are clearer and the combination of production quality and overall brevity make them more easily heard and understood.

Through the fracas of merging textures and clashing tonalities, Ra and the unusually large Arkestra (19 pieces!) still get wild, but never lose you by straying too far from recognizable scaffolds of harmony or melody. Don't get me wrong: I love the 70s Arkestras, too -- bands that worked so far inside the melody's harmonic architecture that it's more accurate to say the tunes were transmuted rather than interpreted. But here, thanks to the expert arrangements, you'll find the best of both worlds: the wild unknown realm of possibility, and the known universe of linear melody and conventional harmony. So new listeners will be safely introduced to the perilous realm of group improvisation while seasoned fans can still enjoy the frenzy of instrumental activity that is to be expected from Earth's resident Saturnian. Guest spots include Billy Higgins, Julian Priester, and Tommy Turrentine, who sound remarkably at ease with their surroundings and move through the music with facility and grace. Ra’s own playing serves as both anchor and centerpiece. In it can be heard the ghost of Erroll Garner’s left hand, and astute listeners will sense the impact of more angular, single-note excursions that recall Lenny Tristano. Steeped in the distant memory of blues and swing, Ra’s revered influences mingle with his unique proclivities and technical mastery to form an inimitable style that supports and enriches the high powered cast.

And please remember to turn up the volume for maximum effect.