Sun Ra: Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue

Label: Atavistic

Reissuing a relatively obscure 1977 album originally released by Sun Ra on his Saturn label, this collection of mostly jazz standards is not the place to start learning about Sun Ra, but will be fascinating to fans for several reasons. A bassless septet is used (expanded to an octet with the addition of bass on the title track), leaving plenty of solo space for tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, who even achieves an original take on “My Favorite Things.” A few of the arrangements are charming but lack spark, but the sparks certainly fly on most of them. The bonus tracks, worth the price of the disc all by themselves, are an untitled Ra original from the ‘77 session and two 1973 rehearsals of “I’ll Get By,” trios with Ra’s pianism and great bassist Ronnie Boykins the constants, one take featuring Gilmore and the other a tender reading with his place taken by trumpeter Ahk Tal Ebah. (Steve)