Sun Ra - Omniverse [CD]

RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FRIDAY 2021 RELEASE
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES WORLDWIDE
LIMITED TO 350 COPIES IN NORTH AMERICA

Omniverse, recorded in New York in 1979 and released that year on Sun Ra's Saturn label (catalog #91379) is a solid, overlooked set in the vast Ra canon. The tracks aren't so much compositions as excursions, with few memorable themes or recurring motifs. It's pure jazz, somewhat "inside" (for Ra), with little of the aggressiveness and confrontation for which the bandleader was renowned. ("Visitant of the Ninth Ultimate" is an exception.) Omniverse offers lots of reflective piano in trio, quartet, and sextet settings. Instead of a keyboard showcase, Sun Ra engages in dynamic interplay with the rhythm section. The horns are featured largely as soloists; there are few ensemble passages.