Bad and Beautiful (1961)

Shortly after relocating to New York City from Chicago, Sun Ra and the remaining Arkestra members (now a sextet) began informal sessions at a new rehearsal space, Choreographers’ Workshop on West 51st Street. There, Sun Ra's old friend Tommy Hunter used some relatively low-budget gear to record their informal performances, some of which eventually appeared in 1972 on the album Bad and Beautiful. Although a relatively conventional offering (especially compared to what the Arkestra were performing live at the time of its release), it features some great, lyrical playing from a returning Pat Patrick and the always reliable John Gilmore. From a compositional standpoint, the jagged riff driving "Exotic Two" may be the album's highlight, although Gilmore's tenor solo in "Searchlight Blues" is also fascinating for the way he manipulates time. The new, looser version of "Ankh" here (also on Sound of Joy) offers a hint of how Sun Ra would continue to create new arrangements of the older Chicago tunes for more modern times.

In his 1993 article "Sun Ra - Supersonic Sounds From Saturn", Robert L. Campbell writes:

Movie themes and show tunes like “The Bad and the Beautiful” and “And this is My Beloved” were presented in a gorgeous set of arrangements, without improvisation. Countering this refinement were earthier numbers like “On the Blue Side” and a remake of “Ankh,” both featuring Patrick’s gritty baritone sax. “Exotic Two” is a Latin piece with the dry, hard, percussive piano sound that Ra began to cultivate around this time. “Search Light Blues” belongs to Gilmore. His entry is gauzy, almost Getzian, his solo filled with yearning and mystery. Even through the sonic dinge, you can hear his upper register making the practice room ring.

Personnel:

Sun Ra: Piano
John Gilmore: Tenor Sax
Marshall Allen: Alto Sax, Flute
Pat Patrick: Baritone Sax, Percussion
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Tommy Hunter: Drums

Recorded at the Choreographer's Workshop, New York in either November or December 1961. All compositions by Sun Ra except where noted.

1. "Bad and the Beautiful" (Previn, Raksin) 

In this lush reading of the theme from the film The Bad and the Beautiful, John Gilmore's tenor sax navigates through the main melody while Marshall Allen's flute adds counterpoint figures (although Allen's flute is featured alone in the bridge section). In the final stretch of the piece, Allen and Gilmore play through the theme together in a harmonized line.

2. "Ankh"

This is a new version of the song from Sound of Joy. In this faster, "jam" version, the opening sections are omitted, and instead the lurching bridge section is used as the song's main riff. Pat Patrick's bluesy baritone sax is featured first, followed by Sun Ra's lyrical piano and then Ronnie Boykins' rubbery bass. Some percussive piano accents eventually turn the song back towards the main theme section.

3. "Just in Time" (Styne, Comden, Green)

John Gilmore plays the main melody of this lively Broadway show tune on tenor sax with a warm, rounded tone, leading into a smokey solo. Sun Ra then enters with a soulful piano solo of his own, followed by a Gilmore taking the song out on a final, somewhat more pointed solo chorus.

4. "Search Light Blues"

This is a patient, "searching" blues, opening with a juddering piano trio. John Gilmore soon offers up a solo in which he plays around with the bar line, incorporating clever accents and silences into his figures. Sun Ra eventually enters with a piano solo which similarly plays with rhythm and but also pushes outwards against the blues harmony. Gilmore soon finishes off the tune with a final solo statement.

5. "Exotic Two"

A slippery, accented bass and piano figure opens this tune, driven by uptempo ride cymbal and percussion figures. Sun Ra's ensuing piano solo veers towards classical harmonic territory, after which a percussion interlude arrives. Sun Ra eventually leads this tantalizing piece to a close with jagged piano ornaments. Despite the "foreign" nature of its main riff, this song nonetheless comes off as being quite charming.

6. "On the Blue Side"

This lively swing-blues features a sharply-articulated baritone sax solo from Pat Patrick in the opening choruses, followed by an agile piano solo from Sun Ra (containing only a hint of chromaticism). Patrick then returns in a final outro solo.

7. "And This is My Beloved" (Borodin, Wright, Forrest)

This is a romantic Broadway show tune featuring a rich Sun Ra harmonization of the main theme using horns and flute. Mostly a restrained reading, it's nonetheless interesting to listen for the subtle variations the musicians bring to the material. 

"Street of Dreams" (Victor Young, Sam Lewis)

This "lost outtake" (included on the 2014 Bandcamp digital release) opens with Sun Ra extemporizing on piano, after which bass and drums summon up a slow ballad groove. After a few choruses continuing to feature Sun Ra in "romantic mode", Pat Patrick's crisp baritone sax enters with a heartfelt solo of his own.

Links
2014 Bandcamp Release 
Apple Music  
Wiki Entry 
Temple.net Entry
United Mutations Entry