cxxxvii. SUN RA: Bassism

cxxxvii. SUN RA (1914-1993)

Bassism (1961)
SR, piano
Bernard McKinney, trombone, euphonium
Marshall Allen, alto saxophone, flute, "morrow" (a Japanese shakuhachi with a Bb clarinet mouthpiece)
John Gilmore, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Pat Patrick, bass saxophone
Ronnie Boykins, bass
Willie Jones, drums
Leah Ananda, conga
(4:03)

from The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra.

New York City! Just like we pictured it!

"The idea was just to play a few gigs, maybe some studio work, and then go back to Chicago ... but as soon they crossed the George Washington Bridge, they collided with a taxi and bent one of the wheels of Boykin's father's car. With no money to have it fixed, they were stranded again. Ra went to a phone booth and called Tom Wilson, and the band all moved in together into a couple of hotel rooms over the Peppermint Lounge on 45th Street. [They moved around] until they found a cheaper place farther downtown in the seventies, where they all lived together."

No one bothered to review this album for 23 years. It was eventually re-released under a new title, with one reviewer giving it some "damning-with-faint-praise" cheer:

"This is one to play for the mistaken folks who think the Arkestra did nothing but make noise. Excellent."