2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Of Mythic Worlds (1980)

Of Mythic Worlds is a "live" recording that demonstrates the power of the Arkestra to produce moods and play comfortably within forms that would frustrate many other musicians of wider popularity.  "The Mayan Temples" is an evocative piece of music that conjures images of a procession ascending the stately steps of an ancient structure of this past American civilization.  Of particular note is the seeming oneness of the flutes in this deceptively simple melody set against the decisive rhythms played by the Arkestra.

More and more, Sun Ra has been exposing his acoustic piano work.  He has given several solo piano concerts, one recently at the Festival Van Blaanderen in Belgium.  Here Sun Ra offers two piano selections -- the ever-popular "Over the Rainbow" receives a rhapsodic introduction before it modulates into a jaunty compendium of classic jazz piano styles.  The other piano piece, "Inside the Blues," is just that; a foundational work which once again justifies the blues as the basis of jazz.

The title selection, "Of Mythic Worlds" and "Intrinsic Energies" are exploratory.  Both show the Arkestra's ability to go outside but still swing in a decidedly different way.  Both John Gilmore, tenor, and Marshall Allen, alto, turn in highly original solos on these two selections.
From the back cover notes by Spencer R. Weston, January 9, 1980

Of Mythic Worlds is a fine album recorded in 1979 that sounds like a studio date. "Mayan Temples" is a great piece: slow and exotic with lots of flutes and bass clarinet. A nice reading of "Over the Rainbow" follows, then a great piano feature called "Inside the Blues." Side two heads just a bit farther out, with "Intrinsic Energies" sounding like some kind of space bebop while "Of Mythic Worlds" is a great tenor feature for John Gilmore. This is another album that will probably be tough to find but well worth it. 

Sean Westergaard - AMG Review

Inside the Blues

274. [232]  Sun Ra

Of Mythic Worlds

Sun Ra (org, p, Crumar Mainman); unidentified (tp); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb, announcement); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl, perc); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d, perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, libf, bgo); prob. Hayes Burnett (b); Luqman Ali (d); prob. Michael Anderson (d, perc); Atakatune (cga, perc)

Live, poss. Chicago, 1978

Mayan Temples (Ra)
Over the Rainbow (Harburg-Arlen)
[p and rhythm only]
Inside the Blues (Ra) [p and rhythm only]
Intrinsic Energies (Ra)
Of Mythic Worlds (Ra)

Philly Jazz PJ 1007, Of Mythic Worlds, was released in 1980; the matrix numbers were 9791A and 9791B, which probably indicated that it was mastered in September 1979.

Ahmed Abdullah believes the LP was recorded in 1979 (no date is given on the jacket).  The jacket states that the album was recorded in Chicago, but the proprietors of Philly Jazz knew nothing of the origins of the tape, and this information may be inaccurate.  A photo on the jacket shows the Arkestra performing at the Ann Arbor Festival in September 1979, but this LP features a much smaller ensemble; even allowing for the fact that excerpts featuring Ra and other soloists were used for the LP, only one trumpet can be heard in the freakout that concludes "Mayan Temples."  Also, guitars and vibes would be heard in the accompaniment if they were present.  Applause can be heard on Side A (it was cut out on Side B; both pieces are edited portions of long free improvisations), so this is definitely a live recording (not studio as stated in the first edition of this discography).  The sonics indicate a large hall, not a club.

Were it not for the Crumar Mainman that Sun Ra uses on "Intrinsic Energies" and "Mythic Worlds," it would be easy to mistake this for a 1977 recording; John Gilmore even announces "The Mayan Temples" in his best mid-'70s manner.  Personnel identified by rlc.  Danny Davis was not mentioned in the first edition; neither was the second drummer; and the bassist was identified there as Richard Williams.  Eloe Omoe was listed in the first edition, but there is no bass clarinet, just a fragment of a Neptunian libflecto solo at the end of the track called "Of Mythic Worlds."

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

 

Sun Ra
Of Mythic Worlds (1980)
Philly Jazz Records PJ 1007

180g LP

1. A1 Mayan Temples   7:47
2. A2 Over The Rainbow   5:30
3. A3 Inside the Blues   5:31

4. B1 Intrinsic Energies   8:43
5. B2 Of Mythic Worlds   12:45

-FLAC-

RS

HF

or

-320-

RS

HF