Soleil

149210 — Detroit: 1980. The Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra lands in Detroit Scarce poster for Sun Ra's week-long residency at the Detroit Jazz Center in late December 1980. The Arkestra played eleven concerts and the shows were organized and soundboard-recorded by Rick Steiger a collaborator of Detroit-based poet and political activist John Sinclair; in 2008 the results were issued in a limited edition boxed set of 28 CDs on the Transparency label. "Either a fearsome avant-gardist or a traditionalist in the line of Fletcher Henderson for whom he arranged early in his career. The truth about Sun Ra is that he was both those things. The man born Herman 'Sonny' Blount in Alabama grew up steeped in the blues. Even when he founded his famous Arkestra with its theatrical approach to jazz and became a leading presence on the Chicago improvisation scene his work was always grounded in melody and in blues changes. Sun Ra's claim to come from Saturn was one of the great metaphors of Black American music" Cook & Morton. Listening to the music from these Detroit sessions is an extraordinary experience the band veering seamlessly from free jazz to moments of tight ensemble playing that resemble Ellington mixing original numbers with standards including a glorious version of Bob Haggart and Johnny Burke's 1939 evergreen "What's New>". Apposite indeed. Poster 606 x 455 mm rather flimsy paper stock printed black on yellow integral large image of the Arkestra onstage smaller portrait of Sun Ra and small map showing location of Detroit Jazz Center. Closed tear encroaching 80 mm in from left edge and touching image of the band general light creasing a couple of nicks yet remaining bright and very presentable. Richard Cook and Brian Morton The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ninth edition 2008; Discogs website. unknown