Sun Ra, Concert for the Comet Kohoutek, ESP 3033-2
Sun Ra, Somewhere Else, Rounder 3036
Reviewed by Scot Hacker
In December of 1973, the comet Kohoutek passed within observational range of the earth in the course of its 127-year orbital cycle. Astronomers and scientists were baffled by the comet's anomalous tail, which not only pointed into the sun, but also mutated in shape during the course of its visit (much like the life and music of Ra himself!). Who but the original afronaut would recognize immediately that a celestial anomaly such as this deserved a salutatory concert?
Recorded live at Town Hall, N.Y. on December 23, 1973, this concert represents some of the most "out" of the Arkestra's work on record, as was fitting to the sidereal occasion. Ra plays synthesizers throughout, wheeling his way out of codified song structures into crashing, swirling, pummeling electronic jams that sound like nothing so much as satellites burning on contact with the atmosphere. Elsewhere he plays the roar of rocket engines with one hand, while the other paints the sound of meteorites crunching underfoot.
Despite the stormy, serious feel of much of this disk, the relentless space party (and its attendant sense of humor) is always lurking just beneath the surface. "Outer Space Emergency" cranks on hard and dense, then backs off; it is revealed that a core of the group has been maintaining a spritely little groove behind the scenes, and soon everyone falls in with them. "What planet is this?," someone is asking over the top.
Elsewhere, such as on "Unknown Kohoutek", the atmosphere is completely bacchanalian. One can easily visualize the dancers, the fire-eating, the band marching through the audience singing "Space is the Place" awash in folds of gold lame' while log drums thunder out a ritual beat. "Why don't you turn yourself inside out?" implores June Tyson. The band oblige her for a while, simmer down somewhat, and Tyson lurches into a blood-curdling shriek. When her breath expires, the band settles into a new funk, and she again is singing. "We open up the doors of the outer space employment agency."
Although this release lacks the usually copious and detailed liner notes of other historical ESP recordings, it compensates with a set of stunning photographs of the galactic messenger and his band playing in the home of Hartmut Geerken (author of "Obduktions Protokoll -- Living with Sun Ra") in Egypt, 1971. Also reproduced are promotional posters for Sun Ra concerts with the likes of Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Dr. John, James Brown, and the MC5 (!), and several of Ra's poems. Given the tremendous amount of information on the Arkestra we've seen of late, the tradeoff for the graphical delicacies is worth it (although a musician listing, if available, would have been nice). The recording quality is passable, at least as good as some of the better Saturn and Thoth releases, but like many of the period ESPs, the emphasis is on the work's cultural weight, not the sound board.
Sun Ra has said that each of his recordings is like an issue of a cosmic newspaper. If this is so, then, "Somewhere Else" must be the Sunday edition. Recorded 15 years later (1988/89), the difference in approach is dramatically different. A return to acoustic piano (on some tracks) and the majesty of his hallmark bent swing style mark several of the tracks, while others revel in free jams which differ from the earlier date's in their greater sense of maturity. Solos (especially those by old-timers Gilmore and Allen) remain lyrical and songful regardless the degree of density.
The bulk of the recording consists of very large bands (up to 21 pieces), while the first and last tracks are sextet and quintet. It's a treat to hear Ra in the smaller settings, as we have so seldom since the 50s. Nevertheless, the larger ensembles are contained, together, outrageous but not out of hand. Piano and synth switch-hit in the large-group works, and it quickly becomes plain that Sun Ra was one of the few people who have successfully translated their piano virtuosity to the synthesizer, rather than using it as texture or background. One can hear what surely must have been a great inspiration for later experimental synth players (such as Don Preston) in several of these cuts.
These are probably some of the last tracks laid down by Ra before weariness and ill health began to show in his playing. As far as stamina and acuity are concerned, this recording could have been made at any point in his career. As usual, the staple soloists sound completely at home, because they are. Trombonist Priester stands out for his ultra-light touch. His tone on the opening track, "Priest" (named after him?) is so mellow and harmonious as to resemble that of a french horn -- but the graceful slides give it away. John Ore moves likewise organically through that track, slipping ruberry up stairs of triplets. Don Cherry's presence is pretty minimal, and when he does appear he runs in wide circles abreast of the theme.
Rounder has done as good a job as could be expected with the shoddily managed source tapes. While the fidelity is exceptional, the tape runs out during the track "Somewhere Else," so one has to endure a fade out/in as the tape is replaced. And the stunning poem "Everything Is Space" as spoken/sung by Tani Tabbal and Jaribu Shahid is cut off crudely in mid-sentence, with no resolution whatsoever. Still, it is to Rounder's credit that they include these tracks despite their gross imperfections -- the humorous-on-the-outside, serious-on-the-inside cosmology of the Arkestra is exemplified by tracks like "Everything," and it would be a shame to miss out on this enterplanetary crystallization of Ra's world.
Session details:
Concert for the Comet KohoutekKohoutek Intro / Astro Black / Variations of Kohoutek Themes / Journey Through the Outer Darkness / Enlightenment / Unknown Kohoutek / Discipline / Outer Space E.M. (Emergency) / Space Is the Place. 55:23.
Musicians not listed.
Somewhere Else
Priest / Discipline & Tall Trees in the Sun / 'S Wonderful / Somewhere Else, pt.1 / Somewhere Else, pt.2 / Stardust for Tomorrow / Love in Outer Space / Everything Is Space / Tristar. 61:48.
Sun Ra, p; Billy Higgins, d; Buster Smith, d; John Ore, b; Jeribu Shahid, b; Julian Priester, tb; Don Cherry, pt; June Tyson, v; Fred Adams, t; Michael Ray, tp,v; Akmed Abdullah, tp; Jothan Collins, tp; Al Evans, tp,flhn; Tyrone Hill, tb; Reynold Scott, bar sx,fl; James Spaulding, as,fl; Marshall Allen, as,fl,perc; John Gilmore, ts,perc,v; James Jackson, bsn,d; Earl Smith, d; Eric Walker, d; Thomas Henderson, d; Elson Nascimento, surdo,perc; Jorge Silva, repiniqe,perc; Rollo Radford, eb; John Ore, b; Elo Omoe, bc,as,cl,perc; Noel Scott, as,perc; Danny Thompson, bs,fl,bongo; Bruce Edwards, g; Carl LeBlanc, g.
[Writers] [Birdhouse]