Throughout their mid-to-late-'50s stay in Chicago,
Sun Ra (piano) and his
Arkestra established themselves as formidable purveyors of a new strain or sub-genre of
jazz. Having evolved from elaborate reworkings of familiar
standards,
Jazz in Silhouette (1959) presents a collection of originals, building upon
Ra's abilities as a consummate multi-tasker -- writing, arranging, scoring parts for his band, in addition to performing. He stretches the boundaries of the music to suit
the Arkestra, simultaneously progressing his distinct sound. Seminal readings of the quick and complex
"Saturn" and
"Velvet" are offered with unmatchable dexterity and precision. The latter title comes off like a confused version of
"Jeepers Creepers" as
Hobart Dotson (trumpet) prominently displays his unquestionable tonality.
"Ancient Aiethopia" is one of the more involved works, both in terms of length -- running over nine minutes -- and
the Arkestra's capacity for
Ra's compositions.
"Blues at Midnight" is another expansive (nearly 12 minutes) outing that, by contrast, is for the soloists rather than full ensemble.
John Gilmore (tenor sax),
Ronnie Boykins (bass),
Pat Patrick (baritone sax), and
Marshall Allen (alto sax) all shine behind
William Cochran's (drums) solid contributions. Equally significant is the running dialogue
Ra maintains during other musicians' leads, directing the ebb and flow with an uncanny fusion of melody and rhythm. Undoubtedly, this is a factor in the freshness the material retains. It is also a prime example of
Ra and company in a transitional phase, prior to their full-fledged explorations into the
avant-garde. ~ Lindsay Planer
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