Sun Ra and the Year 2000 Myth Science Arkestra - Live at the Hackney Empire

Second is the presence of guest (or Arkestra members for a tour) players like Charles Davis' robust baritone sax, India Cooke's high-flying violin, and Talvin Singh's tablas in the percussion section. That means new voices who definitely make their presence felt so, bingo, it's already not just another Sun Ra release.

The space-age atonal outbursts are mostly frontloaded on the three long opening pieces as Astro Black fades in over drums, Davis and Cooke immediately take impressive solo spins and the crowd roars at the end of 18 minutes that sure don't feel like it. “Other Voices" quickly ventures into abstract textural zones and it's the first time I realized how cinemagraphic, how full of soundtrack colors, Sun Ra's music can be. Davis' baritone slashes through and Michael Ray's trumpet flashes over the top, the Ra tosses some space sonic keyboard dischords in and his peaceful piano transitions into “Planet Earth Day." Back at the movies again, gathering momentum with thundering drums and big band stylings before Marshall Allen goes stratospheric and the lurching riff behemoth subsides behind Kash Killon's cello.

“Hocus Pocus" is in-the-pocket big band romping with strong John Gilmore solos on clarinet and tenor bracketing Tyrone Hill's brassy trombone outing. Gilmore shoulders much of the solo load on ““Blue Lou," a big band at the speed-of-sound outing with hot jazz drumming before Singh and Elson Nascimiento hit the final tablas-congas breakdown. “Face The Music" swings out in wonderfully joyous fashion with massed vocals before Noel Scott's great alto solo and Davis galvanizes again--his baritone's brawny tone really cuts a visceral swath through the essentially light swing of Sun Ra's Arkestra.

The string trio with guess bassist John Ore soloing fades into more cinematic big band to start the second disc. Davis is solid and Cooke shines but the real story is the rock-solid, swinging support from the drummers. Sun Ra's drummers rarely receive any mention (quick, can you name one?) but Earl “Buster" Smith and Clifford Barbaro really drive the Arkestra all through Live At Hackney Empire. The mood-lightening “East Of Sun" is almost cartoon music (that's not a criticism) but the lively, vibrant “Sunset On The Nile" falls victim to the perils of set flow with overextended vocal exchanges.

That changes as soon as Ra's piano leads into the blues “Skimming and Loping" and the Arkestra takes off on a swing thing for serious dancing, the drums rockin' away behind the solos (and salvaging some slack spots) and just listen to the Ra's pure rock roll left hand heading into the home stretch. The Noble Sissle-Fletcher Henderson chestnut “Yeah Man" brings swing era exuberance to the fore--let's hear it for the drummers again--before “We Travel The Spaceways" and “They'll Come Again" trail off into vocal chants as Sun Ra space sounds out. The musical momentum dissipates but it was probably a natural winding down for audience and Arkestra alike after 2½ hours.