Sun Ra "Other Voices, Other Blues" 2xLP (1978, Horo)

$

100

Incomparable band leader, incredible musician, unearthly (in more ways than one) composer… there has never been and will never be another artist like Sonny Blount, better known throughout the galaxies as SUN RA. And today, dear seeker, Baron Elmo offers you a lost gem from the great one’s vinyl discography: Other Voices, Other Blues, an Italian import double lp released in 1978 by the Horo label, never reissued in any format. Even by Ra's standards, this set is a bit of an oddity. Billed as the “Sun Ra Quartet,” the group consists of Ra on piano and electric keyboards, John Gilmore on tenor sax and percussion, Michael Ray on trumpet, and Luqman Ali on drums. This was one of three impossibly rare albums our man cut in Rome in January of 1978 for Horo with this stripped-down ensemble and, we think, the finest of the bunch. Ra takes a slightly lower profile than usual here, providing a background for us to experience two of his best horn players in a more focused setting. With just four musicians, Other Voices can't help but lack the grandeur of the full Arkestra, but what we get is every bit as valuable, especially for fans of John Gilmore who have longed for a chance to hear this tenor giant really stretch out. The opening “Springtime and Summer Idyll,” is a blues with a down home R&B groove, with Ray’s fanfare-like trumpet paying tribute to the good times hinted at in the title. Ra gets down and dirty on organ, then zooms into outer space for a brief solo. “One Day in Rome” is a straight 12-bar blues, infused with a little off-kilter feel to remind you it's Ra. He shifts to piano here, going for notes that don’t quite sound right as if he's paying tribute to Thelonious Monk. After these two nods to the jazz tradition, Ra blasts us straight into orbit with the cosmic freak-out “Bridge on the Ninth Dimension.” It kicks off with a cymbal marking time, while a pianissimo synth lurks in the background. At two minutes the horns weave in and our journey begins. Gilmore really shines on this number, with endless ideas and the commitment to follow them wherever they may lead. “Along the Tiber,” gives us a chance to hear the musicians show off their be-bop chops. Michael Ray is well suited to the challenge and provides a flurry of notes on his solo. The ballad “Sun, Sky, and Wind,” is Ra's piano showcase, where our man sounds much like Cecil Taylor in the latter half of the piece. “Rebellion,” is electronics gone wild, a swirled and flanged keyboard trip that no one else can do quite like Ra. “Constellation,” features the two horns predominantly, Gilmore and Ray blowing hot while Ra and Ali push the groove from underneath. The album concludes with an extremely abstract piece entitled “The Mystery of Being,” that crackles with strong improvisation from all four players. Excellent liner notes from jazz critic Nat Hentoff. All in all, Other Voices, Other Blues is a wonderful digression from Sun Ra's usual thing, making this set doubly valuable to serious fans. Both records show very slight wear, but are in excellent shape and play beautifully. The cover has some ringwear on both sides and some staining on the inside gatefold.

A $3.00 charge will be added to the winning total for shipment within the USA, $9.00 to Mexico and Canada, $18.00 to anywhere else in the world. Thanks for the visit – hope to hear from you soon!

Track listing
Springtime And Summer Idyll
One Day In Rome
Bridge On The Ninth Dimension
Along The Tiber
Sun, Sky, And Wind
Rebellion
Constellation
The Mystery Of Being