Fate in a Pleasant Mood, recorded in 1960, finds
the Arkestra at the very end of their Chicago days. The tunes still have that '50s
Arkestra sound (great horn arrangements, prominent timpani), although there is an increasing use of dissonance and the arrangements are more spare, thanks to a dwindling
Arkestra.
Ra sticks to piano on these tracks, with excellent flute contributions from
Marshall Allen and some fine trumpet as well, mostly courtesy of Phil Cohran.
Gilmore shines on "Ankhnaton" and "Distant Stars." Most of the tunes still have strong ties to bop and swing, although "Space Mates" and "Kingdom of Thunder" point the way to a percussion-led sound that would be further explored after the band relocated to New York. [This release was remastered and co-produced by
Michael D. Anderson (of the
Sun Ra Music Archive) and
Irwin Chusid, under the auspices of
Sun Ra LLC, the heirs of the late music legend. Original session tapes were used when available and sound quality should surpass all previous CD/digital editions.] ~ Sean Westergaard