Holiday for Soul Dance (Remastered 2014) [feat. John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Phil Cohran & Nate Pryor]

Sun Ra typically wrote and arranged his material, with occasional standards or originals from Arkestra band members finding their way into the mix. Recorded in Chicago during a 1960 session at RCA Studios and at Hall Recording, this one (similar to Sound Sun Pleasure!!) features all standards with the exception of a song from the band (Phil Cohran’s “Dorothy’s Dance”). While Ra already had a blueprint for the galactic avant-garde sound swirling around inside his head (and into some songs), these are as straight-ahead as any jazz band working at the time would have played. He’s backed by his core personnel (singer Ricky Murray guests on “Early Autumn”) with plenty of piano solos (never better than on the opening of “But Not for Me”), as well as fine contributions from tenor saxophonist John Gilmore (“Body and Soul” and elsewhere) and alto saxophonist Marshall Allen (“Day by Day”), as well as bassist Ronnie Boykins and drummer Jon Hardy throughout. Perhaps the brightest moment here, however, is the uptempo closer “Keep Your Sunny Side Up,” which features tight ensemble playing from the four-piece horn section.