Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jade Warrior
Label: Island Records
Released: 1978
Runtime: 41:26
Rating: 4.5/5
»Way Of The Sun« was a stunning culmination of the Jade Warrior albums from the years when the band was signed to Island. In fact, talking about “the band” in the plural is a bit awkward when it comes to the ‘Island era’ of this cult British prog rock outfit, since in this phase of their career Jade Warrior were a duo made up of guitarist/percussionist Tony Duhig and flutist/percussionist Jon Field (today, alongside Glyn Havard, the last original member standing), backed up by a whole host of excellent guest musicians.
After exploring the Far East on their previous three albums, with countless influences from traditional Japanese and Chinese music, peaking in a conceptual trilogy of fully instrumental albums, »Floating World« (1974), »Waves« (1975) and »Kites« (1976), all inspired by Eastern traditional philosophy, mysticism and mythology, Duhig and Field turned to the complete opposite side of the globe for »Way Of The Sun«, drawing on the ancient peoples of Latin America, led by the Maya and the Aztecs.
»Way Of The Sun«, which features quite a few relaxing Latin arrangements where two entirely different cultures (the natives and the Spanish conquerors) collide and flow into each other, carries the seed of a concept: across nine instrumental compositions, it traces the course of a Mayan day from sunrise (»Sun Ra«) to sunset (»Death of Ra«). The individual pieces are very approachable and full of rolling rhythms, so the album captivates with its ambient fluidity from start to finish and serves up a proper meditative feast. As for standout moments, the title track deserves special mention, with its playful flute passages from Field, Duhig’s wonderfully pleasant guitar harmonies and a hugely colorful percussion game directed by both instrumental masters, so there’s never a dull moment.
Ethereal compositions like »River Song«, where amid the ambient shades you can easily picture fallen palm leaves drifting on the river’s surface, lull the listener into a soothing calm in an instant, yet the overall rhythmic variety, the intricate guitar lines and the cheeky flute provide the necessary dynamics. On »Carnival«, where, true to its name, a festive atmosphere takes over, various Latin rhythmic influences blend together, led by a slightly more aggressive electric guitar, making this a track that’s still going to appeal to plenty of Santana fans today. The closing number, »Death of Ra«, on the other hand, features gripping improvisations on electric guitar and flute, conjuring up the melancholy mood of a sunset in an instant.
By the end of the seventies, as their deal with Island ran out, Jade Warrior had hit the peak of their most creative phase. »Way of the Sun« is the proof, and after almost four decades it remains a treat for all fans of world music with a touch of new age and the occasional, rare foray into jazz fusion. Jade Warrior were without a doubt pioneers in blending rock, world music and early new age, and it made no difference whether they drew their inspiration from East Asia or Latin America, since they were equally successful in both cases.
Line-up
Tony Duhig – guitar, percussion
Jon Field – percussion, flute
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Dick Cuthell – horn (1)
John Dentith – drums (1-7)
Skalia Kanga – harp (2)
Graham Morgan – drums (8)
Bill Smith – bass guitar (7)
Godfrey, Kuma and Alan – drums and bass congas (5)
Gowan Turnbull – saxophone (7)
Production
Jon Field and Tony Duhig
Track list
1. Sun Ra
2. Sun child
3. Moontears
4. Heaven stone
5. Way of the sun
6. River song
7. Carnival
8. Dance of the sun
9. Death of Ra
