Nothing Is...

One of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the '60s

Material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones -- in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next -- never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" -- and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. Titles include "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space".

ESP1045 contains the program as originally released on LP at the time. For that and much more from the tour, check out ESP1060 College Tour: The Complete Nothing Is.

Sun Ra: piano

John Gilmore: tenor sax

Marshall Allen: alto sax

Pat Patrick: baritone sax

Robert Cummings: baritone clarinet

Teddy Nance: trombone

Ali Hassan: trombone

Clifford Jarvis: drums

Ronnie Boykins: bass and tuba

James Jackson: log drum and flute

Carl Nimrod: sun horn and gong.

The band is in prime form. Sun Ra waves the flag with thunderous chords, a short statement of what is in store. The indefatigable Gilmore turns in trenchant twists and turns on the tenor, his playing tight, gnarled and pithy. As he soars and turns on the wings of his fancy, Clifford Jarvis urges and pushes on the drums before he lets the sax man hold centre stage and have his own divine, which he does with a torrent of ideas. But the clime is free and the band joins in, a raucous soar before space is given its due, the horizon widens and calm descends through the arco of Ronnie Boykins. These are moments to cherish: the music has ridden a roller coaster and then immersed in placid, translucent waters, only to be invigorated again into a collage of red hot colours. - Jerry D'Souza

Musicians: Sun Ra / John Gilmore / Marshall Allen / Pat Patrick / Robert Cummings / Teddy Nance / Ali Hassan / Clifford Jarvis / Ronnie Boykins / James Jackson / Carl Nimrod