Sun Ra - Omniverse (LP)

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.