Sun Ra / Secrets Of The Sun
Album: Secrets Of The Sun   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Sun Ra   Added:Dec 2008
Label:Atavistic/Truckstop Audio  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2009-01-18 Pull Date: 2009-03-22 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Mar 22 Mar 15 Mar 8 Mar 1 Feb 22 Feb 15 Feb 8 Feb 1
Airplays: 2 2 1 1 3 1 3 5

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 20, 2015: Plumbotectonics
Flight To Mars
4. Mar 27, 2009: Emphysema For Emphasis
Solar Differentials
2. Aug 05, 2014: Eclectic Erudition week 06 summer '14 My Dad's Records
Flight To Mars
5. Mar 20, 2009: Memory Select
Love In Outer Space
3. Jan 03, 2014: Eclectic Erudition (fill in for Ramsey)
Reflects Motion
6. Mar 20, 2009: Emphysema For Emphasis
Solar Differentials

Album Review
Wedge
Reviewed 2009-01-11
Music that sits between Sun Ra's more conventional, composed jazz and the way-out free stuff. Most tracks carry a familiar '60s or late '50s vibe, feeling tuneful and danceable while serving as a vehicle for some freer soloing or strange sounds (as on 2). Tracks 1 and 2 have a black-and-white sci-fi aura to them. It's a 1964 reissue from Sun Ra's "Saturn" label, plus a bonus 17-minute track. Lo-fi. No FCCs.

Note the presence of a young Eddie Gale (San Jose's ambassador of jazz) on track 3. Tracks are otherwise populated by Arkestra regulars: Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, etc.

1- (4:53) Suitably sci-fi theme with a driving beat. Flute and piano solos get a bit out there.
2- (6:28) Midtempo, mellow, with weird, warbling "space bird sounds" and "space voice" and a spacey drum solo.
3- (5:26) Stern march w/free-flying tenor sax. Eddie Gale on trumpet! Settles into a jazzy groove.
4- (4:44) Laid-back, almost loungy vibe... then eerie, softly wailing woodwind solos
5- (9:07) Cool bass/drums, joined by jiggly nervous piano. Angular sax/flute theme. Becomes a cool rolling jam.
6- (2:42) Vague, ratty percussion
7- (17:35) Fairly straight jazz groove, bright, starts abruptly. Oddball piano solo, of course, followed by lots of other solos, including guitar. Lots of drums towards the end.

Track Listing
1. Friendly Galaxy   4. Love In Outer Space
2. Solar Differentials   5. Reflects Motion
3. Space Aura   6. Solar Symbols
  7. Flight To Mars