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| From Saturn LP Back: "In tomorrow's world, men will not need artificial instruments such as jets and spaceships. In the world of tomorrow, the new man will “think" the place he wants to go, then his mind will take him there. (This cover is a view of one of the moons of SATURN, taken about 300 space miles up.)" |
Jazz In Silhouette is frequently cited as one of the key records from Sun Ra's early career. As his third record release (preceded only by Jazz By Sun Ra, Vol. 1 (Transition) and Super-Sonic Jazz (Saturn), it contains superb performances of approachable tunes, recorded with relatively high production values. Many of the songs went on to become concert staples throughout the decades to come (and in many different arrangements). Aside from superb playing from the soloists, two compositions feature some fascinating tempo structures and mood changes ("Enlightenment", "Ancient Aeithopia"), while others simply contain very memorable tunes ("Velvet", "Images", "Horoscope"). At the same time, the album also features "Saturn", a piece with a rigorously-complex theme melody whose harmonic complexity rewards the listener on repeated visits. Although future Sun Ra records would contain revived "archival" sessions from this area, Jazz In Silhouette is probably still the best single album most representative of Sun Ra's Chicago era.
Personnel:Sun Ra: Piano, Celeste
Hobart Dotson: Trumpet
Bo Bailey: Trombone
James Spaulding: Alto Sax, Flute
Marshall Allen: Alto Sax, Flute
Pat Patrick: Baritone Sax, Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Sax
Charles Davis: Baritone Sax
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
William Cochran: Drums
Jazz In Silhouette (released in 1959)
Recorded on one March 6, 1959 session in Chicago,
this session introduces Hobart Dotson as the Arkestra's
newest
trumpet player, while the trombone chair is taken by
Bo Bailey and the drums by William Cochran (replacing Nate Pryor and
Robert Barry from other sessions of the same year). Sun Ra
leaves his electric keyboards at home for this date, but instead contributes a rare
celeste solo in "Blues At Midnight". All tracks composed by Sun Ra except as noted.
1. "Enlightenment" (Hobart Dotson, Ra)
A gong strike ushers in a slow New Orleans-style march (led by baritone sax and piano, soon joined by alto sax), after which a swing theme eventually surfaces, featuring a lead line and solos from Hobart Dotson on trumpet. After an extended development of the theme (still led by trumpet), Sun Ra's piano is featured in a brief, sparkling solo section. This is followed by the sudden appearance of a Latin mambo groove featuring wide-open brass fanfares. The tempo then abruptly slows down again in a return to the swing groove (again featuring Dotson's trumpet), before ending in a final fanfare. This tune would see many different live incarnations over the years, most notably as a vocal/march piece.
2. "Saturn"
This is a 3rd version of the song "Saturn", with the earlier versions eventually appearing on Sound of Joy (1968) and on a rare single. After a rhythmic opening figure driven by left-hand piano riffs, saxophones enter with an complex, syncopated (and multi-part) theme over an uptempo groove. John Gilmore eventually offers up an agile tenor sax solo which is followed a baritone sax solo from Pat Patrick. After a restatement of the secondary part of the theme, a coda (based on the opening theme section) finishes things off.
3. "Velvet"
A piano intro leads to an light-hearted, uptempo swing theme led by brass. Pat Patrick then takes a baritone sax solo, followed by Hobart Dotson on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor sax, another baritone solo (Charles Davis) and then a return to the main theme. This tune would be performed many times in future concerts.
4. "Ancient Aiethopia"
John F. Szwed opines about the piece in more poetic terms below:
“Ancient Aiethopia” calls up the spirit of Ellington’s programmatic statements on Africa like “Pyramid” or “Menelik.” But what Sonny achieved with this piece was unprecedented in jazz (though Ravel’s “Bolero” might be claimed as a distant relative): by means of the simplest of structures (a single chord and a crisp but subtly shifting “Latin tinge” rhythm of bass, tom-toms, and timpani) the Arkestra is set free from the conventions of the pop song and its grip on the swing era, but also free from the harmonic residue of the same songs left from the beboppers... Though there had been efforts at opening up jazz before, setting it free of its conventional and recurring structures, what made this composition so startling is the ease and assuredness with which it was achieved. As improvised and open as it is, there is an inexorable sense of direction, a destiny about the piece. (Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra, Szwed 1997)
5. "Hours After" (Ra, Everett Turner)
A version of this slinky swing number (written by trombonist E.J. Turner) tune was released as a single in 1958 (backed by "Great Balls of Fire"). It's boisterous theme may be inspired from the many years during which Sun Ra's bands performed mainly in Chicago strip joints. In any case, after a swaggering trombone solo from Bo Bailey, a brassy bridge section occurs, followed by solos from Hobart Dotson on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Charles Davis (or Pat Patrick?) on baritone sax, and finally a return to the main theme.
6. "Horoscope"
Low piano accents introduce an Ellingtonian big band swing theme. Various lead statements from baritone sax, trumpet and trombone then weave their way through a series of accented brass formations. Gilmore's tenor sax is eventually featured in a more formal solo section, after which the drums get a brief cadenza during the coda.
7. "Images"
8. "Blues at Midnight"
This is a new, much longer version of a lively swing blues number featured once before on Super-Sonic Jazz. It opens with a brief lead from Ra on piano followed by a smoking solo from Gilmore on tenor (with his initial choruses backed only by bass and drums). A baritone solo eventually arrives (Patrick?), followed by solos from trombone (Bailey), alto (Marshall Allen), a second baritone sax (Davis?), flute (Spaulding), trumpet (Dotson), celeste (a scintillating Sun Ra) and finally drums (Cochran). A winding final theme section closes out the tune and the album.
The mini-album Sound Sun Pleasure!! is made up of tracks recorded at the same Chicago
session which produced Jazz In Silhouette, but released 6 years later. From a session point of view, both records chronologically follow
Lady With the Golden Stockings (The Nubians of Plutonia). Vocalist Hattie Randolph (sister to trumpet player Lucious Randolph) is featured on the songs "'Round Midnight" and "You
Never Told Me That You Cared". The most progressive tune here is probably "I Could Have Danced All Night", which adroitly navigates through several tempo and mood changes.
1. "'Round Midnight" (Monk-Hanighen)
Hattie Randolph sings on this arrangement of the Monk standard. Opening with a strong trumpet line, Ra soon comps on piano underneath Randolph's velvety vocals while the brass instruments interject swells and accents. Eventually a brief piano solo arrives, preceding a return to the verse section. Bailey's trombone leads the band into a final coda section.
2. "You Never Told Me That You Cared" (Sun Ra, Hobart Dotson)
Bright brass figures and dramatic drum rolls open this modulating ballad, leading to a languid verse section led by tenor sax (Gilmore), after which trumpet (Dotson), baritone and alto sax are featured in a secondary theme. A modulating cadence leads to a more uptempo swing groove featuring trumpet. The trumpet solo section finishes after a nice accented interlude figure, followed by a tenor sax solo (Gilmore). After an accented ending section Dotson leads the brass section through another variation of the theme before bringing the tune to a final cadence.
3. "Hour of Parting" (Michael Spoliansky, Gus Kahn)
A "candlelight" piano intro leads to an elegantly-orchestrated ballad featuring Dotson's trumpet in dialogue with thick chords from the rest of the brass ensemble. A bridge section features some more "polite" piano ornamentation from Sun Ra, before another orchestrated theme section arrives, followed by a solo section featuring Dotson's trumpet again .
4. "Back in Your Own Backyard" (Jolson-Rose-Dreyer)
Hattie Randolph appears a second time here on this gentle swing number (which also features some nice celeste textures from Sun Ra during some parts of the verses). A muted trumpet line introduces a second and final verse.
This is the same track as on Jazz In Silhouette (see above) but in some editions is mastered with wider stereo.
6. "I Could Have Danced All Night" (Lerner-Loewe)
Dotson's wide open trumpet leads the band into an opening mid-tempo groove while William Cochran lays down some Latin-tinged drum beats. The following B section is outlined by alto saxophone in the top line, after which flute is also featured. The melody then suddenly descends into a series of intertwining brass and wind lines over a cha-cha groove. Ra's piano and spiraling flutes dominate the next sequence, before the tune abruptly switches yet again into a fast swing led by alto sax. Dotson eventually returns to the top line in a final descending fanfare/coda.
Links
Jazz In Silhouette
2014 Bandcamp ReleaseSound Sun Pleasure!!
Apple Music
Wiki Entry
Temple.net Entry
United Mutations Entry
2014 Bandcamp Release
Apple Music
Wiki Entry
Temple.net Entry
United Mutations Entry
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