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Sun Ra Arkestra: It's After The End of The World
Ceremoniously opening with June Tyson’s heavily breathed words spoken as if serenaded from a tropical bird—“dream,” “blackness,” and lastly “a world” swirl into the rumbling and gathering of percussion, brass, and reeds. Flutes, oboe, and a modified bassoon (with a French horn mouthpiece!) performed by Leroy Taylor (aka Elo Omoe) create a modern classical orchestral atmosphere before the swinging beats of drums and trumpet-like scorching alto sax lines carry the momentum elsewhere.
A bass-driven piano introduces dozens of different meters performed on drums and percussion instruments of all shapes and sizes over the Egyptian march of “Watusi.” A near twenty-minute suite culminates in the closing “Duos,” featuring the avant alto sax vocabulary of Marshall Allen and Danny Davis followed by the burly baritone dialogue of Pat Patrick and Danny Thompson. One of the singular and unfortunate drawbacks are several abridged versions either subtly fading into segments or, as with “Duos,” more abruptly. Nonetheless, such a recording as this offers the next best thing to but a sampling of what it must have been like to experience the path that Ra offered his listeners in a live concert, perhaps the most uninhibited platform for his musical message.
Track Listing
1. Strange Dreams/Strange Worlds/Black Myth... - 14:32 2. Black Forest Myth - 9:20 3. Watusi, Egyptian March - 2:41 4. Myth Versus Reality: The Myth/Science... - 18:12 5. Duos - 4:37
Personnel
Sun Ra Arkestra
band / ensemble / orchestraAlbum information
Title: It's After The End of The World | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label
About Sun Ra Arkestra
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