Purple Night
Encyclopedia
Purple Night is a jazz
album by free jazz
pioneer Sun Ra
.
The album was the second in a short-term recording deal with major label A&M Records
, who had a "Modern Masters Jazz Series" imprint going at the time. Sun Ra's profile had risen considerably in recent years, partially because of the support given to the master in interviews by avant-garde
alternative rock
band Sonic Youth
around that time, who had both named him as an influence and opened shows for Ra and his Arkestra.
The album was recorded in one marathon session at BMG Studios in New York City
, using a 22-piece group that included several Arkestra members or veterans, including three drummers and two bass players (one on upright bass and another on electric bass
), plus fellow free jazz musician Don Cherry
, who contributed his trademark pocket trumpet
work. During the session, Cherry sat at the right of Ra and his piano.
Seven tracks were used for the Purple Night album; the remainder of the master multi-track tapes were given to Sun Ra and his manager Alton Abraham
for future release on their own after the A&M deal concluded; much of these recordings were released three years later by Rounder Records
on the album Somewhere Else, released shortly before Sun Ra's death. Currently the Purple Night album is out of print and the copyright on the original album is still believed to be held by A&M's current owner, Universal Music.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
album by free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
pioneer Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
The album was the second in a short-term recording deal with major label A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, who had a "Modern Masters Jazz Series" imprint going at the time. Sun Ra's profile had risen considerably in recent years, partially because of the support given to the master in interviews by avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
around that time, who had both named him as an influence and opened shows for Ra and his Arkestra.
The album was recorded in one marathon session at BMG Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, using a 22-piece group that included several Arkestra members or veterans, including three drummers and two bass players (one on upright bass and another on electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), plus fellow free jazz musician Don Cherry
Don Cherry (jazz)
Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
, who contributed his trademark pocket trumpet
Pocket trumpet
thumb|250px|Pocket trumpet in B-flat, with a 5-inch standard size bell and medium-large boreThe pocket trumpet is a compact size B trumpet, with the same playing range as the regular trumpet. The tubing is wound more tightly than that of a standard trumpet in order to reduce its size while...
work. During the session, Cherry sat at the right of Ra and his piano.
Seven tracks were used for the Purple Night album; the remainder of the master multi-track tapes were given to Sun Ra and his manager Alton Abraham
Alton Abraham
Alton Abraham was an African American social entrepreneur who acted as business manager for Sun Ra.Alton born in Chicago and served in the U.S Military in Okinawa from 1945-1947 When he returned to Chicago, he studied at the DuSable High School and Wilson Junior College gaining qualifications as...
for future release on their own after the A&M deal concluded; much of these recordings were released three years later by Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
on the album Somewhere Else, released shortly before Sun Ra's death. Currently the Purple Night album is out of print and the copyright on the original album is still believed to be held by A&M's current owner, Universal Music.
Track listing
- "Journey Towards Stars" – 3:44
- "Friendly Galaxy" – 7:43
- "Love In Outer Space" – 7:12
- "Stars Fell On Alabama" – 10:27
- "Of Invisible Them" – 19:08
- "Neverness" – 13:16
- "Purple Night Blues" – 4:02
- All compositions composed by Sun Ra and published by Enterplanetary Koncepts (BMI), except "Stars Fell On Alabama" written by Mitchell Parrish and Frank Perkins and published by Mills Music Inc./Everbright Music Co. (ASCAP). All arrangements by Sun Ra.
Musicians
- Sun RaSun RaSun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
- piano, synthesiser, vocal - Don CherryDon Cherry (jazz)Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
- pocket trumpet - June TysonJune TysonJune Tyson was a jazz singer.She performed with keyboardist and bandleader Sun Ra regularly, from at least the early 1970s to her death. Tyson was diagnosed with cancer and grew increasingly ill...
- violin, voice - Fred Adams - trumpet
- Michael Ray - trumpet, voice
- Ahmed AbdullahAhmed AbdullahAhmed Abdullah is a jazz trumpeter. He began playing when he was 13 years old. By the 1970s he was performing in New York's loft scene, and joined the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1976. Since that time he has played with Chico Freeman, Ronnie Boykins, Charles Brackeen, Steve Reid, John Hicks and Marion Brown...
- trumpet - Al Evans - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Tyrone Hill - trombone
- Julian PriesterJulian PriesterJulian Priester is an American jazz trombonist and composer.He has played with many artists including Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.-Biography:...
- trombone - Reynold Scott - baritone sax, flute
- James Spaulding - alto sax, flute
- Marshall AllenMarshall AllenMarshall Belford Allen is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EVI ....
- alto sax, flute, percussion - John GilmoreJohn Gilmore (musician)John Gilmore was an American jazz tenor saxophone player best-known for his long tenure as a member of Sun Ra's Arkestra...
- tenor sax, percussion, voice - James Jackson - bassoon, African drum
- Earl C. "Buster" Smith - drums
- Eric "Samarai" Walker - drums
- Thomas "Bugs" Hunter - drums (misidentified in the sleeve notes as Thomas "Bugs" Henderson)
- Elson Nascimento - surdoSurdoFor the football player of the same name see Surdu.The surdo is a large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, most notably in Axé/Samba-reggae and samba and its variants, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section....
, percussion - Jorge Silva - repiniqueRepiniqueA repinique is a two-headed Brazilian drum used in samba baterias . It is used in the Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Carnival baterias and in the baterias of Bahia, where it is known as repique. It is equivalent to the tom-tom in the non-Brazilian drum kit or to the tenor drum in marching bands...
, percussion - Rollo Radford - electric bass
- John OreJohn OreJohn Ore is an American jazz bassist.Ore attended the New School of Music in Philadelphia from 1943-46, studying cello, and followed this with studies on bass at Juilliard....
- acoustic bass
Production Personnel
- John Snyder - producer
- Steve Ralbovsky - executive producer