Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out

by Sean Westergaard

Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out is a pairing of two early-'60s Saturn LPs that catch the Arkestra in an interesting transitional phase. Fate in a Pleasant Mood is one of the final recordings from the Chicago phase, while When Sun Comes Out is one of the first recordings made after the band relocated to New York. The Chicago period had Ra forging a personal sound using elements of swing and bop, with stellar horn arrangements and propulsive timpani drums. By the time they settled in New York, the swing and bop elements had fallen by the wayside and the percussive elements figured more prominently, with solos taking a more outside tack. Sun Ra and John Gilmore, in particular, play much more aggressively, with Gilmore really expanding his vocabulary. While it's not as musically cohesive as other Evidence two-fers, Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out does a nice job of summarizing the Arkestra's first major stylistic shift. This makes it an important document for collectors and, in providing a look at two early phases of the Arkestra, it also gives the Sun Ra novice a guidepost to these two distinct periods.