The Sun Ra Arkestra: Music for the 21st Century

Opening with the "Century 21-Tomorrow's World," the band greets the audience with a happy in-flight jingle before it rockets through space. An uncredited Moog player and guitarist D. Hotep join Elson Nascimento's hand drums to create interstellar ambiance. The brief, unwieldy medley of Allen's "Light and Darkness/Theme for Sunny Ray" lumbers through with soaring Moog overhead, ending with saxophones awake and an alto solo that links to the leader's "Super Nova." After a fanfare, a small riff with a smooth electric guitar (Bruce Edwards?) grows a sting with a raw trombone solo that pulls the Moog back in, and all dissolves for the micro trumpet march theme. The Nova explodes into trumpet fire.

Woozy liquid horns ease "Voices from Outer Space" in before the textural vocalese of Arnold Jenkins dominates. Outer funk comes on to support Jenkins, then "Pulsar" appears. Allen's tune imitates twinkling starlight, then grows as it travels around the band. An intimate interlude makes way for a brief Luqman Ali solo, then it's out with a roar and a whimper.

Allen's clarinet intro amplifies the Ellingtonian feel to "Blues Intergalactic," while a trio of free flutes welcome "Blue Sun." Jenkins' baritone handles the solar hymn's vocals. "In-B-Tween/Mr. Mystery" starts with a riff similar to "Lights on a Satellite," with a gargling vocal by Jenkins. Allen plays some go-for-broke alto over the stately arrangement. The guitar spreads some Latin flavor, and Jenkins recites a brief tribute to Mr. Ra. Ra's "Reflex Motion" goes from rigid seesaw to wild extended group improvisation. The floating "When You Wish Upon a Star" boasts a Jenkins vocal with Allen spraying reed in response. The perennial "We Travel the Spaceways" closes the ritual with the Moog handling the flight simulation.

Allen and company succeed not only flying Sun Ra's ship, but also making valuable additions to the flight log.

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