Sun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live At The left Bank

Sun Ra aficionados seem to possess an insatiable appetite for archival recordings of the ever-evolving ensembles of the pianist, composer and bandleader. Born Helman Poole Blount, in Alabama, in 1914, Ra released possibly as many as 200 albums during his lifetime, including extremely limited pressings with hand-painted covers that he sold in person. You might think such a vast and collectable discography would be treasure-trove enough for even the most committed of Ra crate diggers, but no. Which brings us to this double live album from a 1978 gig at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, a storied venue run by the Left Bank Jazz Society.

There has always been something of a disconnect between experiencing Ra on record and seeing his Arkestra up close in concert. That was especially true in the era when an Arkestra gig was more of a multi-media, performance-art spectacle—one that could include dancers, film projection and a light show—than a simple concert. But the avant-garde trappings tended to obscure the fact that the music was always far more rooted in jazz traditions coming out of blues, swing and bebop than in the free jazz avant-garde of the '60s.

Yes, there is some tempestuous ensemble playing on "Tapestry from an Asteroid," which features singer June Tyson. There are also bursts of down-and-dirty skronk, shrieking and caterwauling from the saxophones, and doses of sci-fi keyboard ambiance from the leader (Ra was an early pioneer of electronic music in the '50s), but these exaltations are outweighed by the lyricism and swing inherent in much of the music.

Ra is in fine fettle on piano. He exudes tenderness on "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," reveals his love of blues and stride piano on a swinging version of "Space Travelin' Blues" and chisels boogie woogie figures on "Yeah Man" and "Big John's Special." These latter two, harking back to Fletcher Henderson, in whose band Ra spent a year, and Benny Goodman's orchestra, could almost have come from Louis Jordan's charts, with the 20-piece band romping like the soundtrack to a Keystones Cops movie.

There is a delicacy and finnesse too, particularly on "Lights on a Satellite" where the harmonization of trumpet, flute and piano gently beguiles. Marshall Allen at his most soulful conjures Johnny Hodges, while Duke Ellington's influence can also be heard in Ra's sweet intro to the Arthur Johnston/Sam Coslow "Cocktails for Two;" A celebration of the ending of Prohibition, Ellington would record this number in 1934. On the Tadd Dameron/ Miles Davis couplet "Lady Bird/Half Nelson" tenor saxophonist John Gilmore's mellifluous playing offers further antidote to the band's wilder extremes.

The band sounds tightly rehearsed and exuberant, a focus sharpened, and an enthusiasm kindled, no doubt, by the presence of Robert Mugge's cameras, which would render the film A Joyful Noise (1980).

There is some loss of sound from the inadequate mic set up, and the extended drumming/percussion and chanting on "We Travel the Spaceways" overstays its welcome a little, lacking on record the infectious collective-ritual element, the emotional impact, that concert goers would experience as the band members snaked their way through the crowd. These, however, are minor quibbles that cannot diminish the power and beauty of the performance as a whole.

A 36-page booklet features interviews by producer Zev Feldman with a colorful array of people, most whom were at the Left Bank that evening in 1978. These include music critic J.D. Considine, film maker Robert Mugge, Left Bank Jazz Society co-founder John Fowler, Sun Ra band members Michael D. Anderson (drums) and centurion Marshall Allen. In addition there are recollections and appreciations from the late jazz historian Dan Morgenstern, saxophonist Gary Bartz and pianist Craig Taborn. Together, they shed light on Ra's personality, his broad-spectrum influences and the enduring impact of his music.

Ra fans should delight in this fine archival release, while doubtless wondering—just a little—if tapes from the evening's second set might ever see the light of day.

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