Sun Ra - Cosmo Earth Fantasy(Sub Underground Vol 1&2) (USA 1974/5) ( CD) Reissue 2012

This Art Yard release combines two ultra rare Ra Saturn LPs from 74'and 75', "Cosmo Earth Fantasy" and "What's New", although the recordings themselves are dated somewhat earlier, from 1962 Choreographers Workshop reheasrsal recordings to a live recording from 1975. Quite a mix of styles on offer here with the set kicking off with the mammoth 22 minute improvised title track which will challenge but reveals some quite interesting passages. It does get pretty noodly at times though. The rest is a bit more conventional sounding in a fashion(if you could ever call any of Sun Ra's muisc conventional) with some nice piano from Ra in places and reasonable remastering to give a fairly listenable release. A very worthwhile Sun Ra set and gets my rating of 4/5.

https://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-And-His-Astro-Infinity-Arkestra-Cosmo-Earth-Fantasy-Sub-Underground-Series-Vol-1-2/release/4085654

Sun Ra - Stardust From Tomorrow (USA 1996)

And some more Sun Ra.

Finally got through all my recent arrivals with this last release, the rest of the concert from the previous post(Austria 1989) released on a double CD set. A reasonable sounding recording of an average sounding late period Ra concert. The usual stuff with some old Ra standards and some untitled improvisations. Careful attention needed to appreciated the subtle qualities and wade through the chaos. Rating 2.5/5.

Sun Ra - Second star to the Right(Salute to Walt Disney) (USA 1995)

And yet more Sun Ra

A live recording released by Leo Records, who released several other quality Ra recordings, culled from a larger set from an Austrian concert in 1989 using an audience recording. It is therefore quite surprising the sound quality of this set. Not a big fan of Disney music myself so this isn't one record I will revisit a lot, but there are some interesting moments and of course Ra puts his unique bent onto the music. Rating 2.5/5.

Sun Ra - The Paris Tapes (Live At Le Theatre Du Chatelet 1971) (ArtYard 2010)

More Sun Ra.

Art Yards recent release of this 1971 concert in Paris, which I think was their first visit to Europe. A reasonably good quality sounding recording of  the Archestra in action and a reasonably enjoyable set apart from the mass percussion pieces which sound like a wall of noise and can go on for considerable time and sound really boring on record but may make more sense in the context of the concert if you were physically present. Rating 3/5.

Sun Ra - Media Dreams (USA 1978)

The Latest Sun Ra Arrival.

With a busy work load comes a higher income and more excess cash and in my case, some of that excess gets used on buying CDs. There is quite a back log of new CDs arrived that I am listening too at present and have been struggling to find time to blog them, but with my back playing up again, tramping and gardening are not things I can reliably indulge in and even working is slightly difficult at present. So its time to make some quick entries on these recent arrivals.

Art Yard seems to have targeted a specific period in the Sun Ra discography for their releases with a considerable number of them coming from the late 70s and it may be due to the fact that this period is an extremely creative one for Ra as far as I am concerned. Media Dreams is another release from this period that stands well above much of his other work and has some great soloing from Gilmore and Ray over some interesting electronic noodling from Ra. Also with an additional second disc of  a live recording offering up a great Ra piano solo amongst other electronic solos, this release is essential for Sun Ra affectionardos. Rating 4.5/5.

Sun Ra - The Complete Detroit Jazz Center Residency December 26th 1980 - January 1st 1981 (28 CDs) (Transparency 2008)

The Mother of all Ra Live recordings.

Tracklist

Friday December 26, 1981

Disc One 67:37

1st Set

Sun Ra Accepts The Key To The City Of Detroit

Discipline 27

Untitled Improv

Queer Notions

Yeah Man!

Round Midnight

Space Loneliness

Lady Bird

Half Nelson

Cocktails For Two

Big John's Special

Love In Outer Space (Includes Long Drum Section)

Disc Two 67:32

Fate In A Pleasant Mood

Space Is The Place

Untitled Improv

We Travel The Spaceways

Gone With The Wind

Encore

Angel Race / This Place Is Not My Home / Stranger In Paradise / Astro Nation

Greetings From The 21st Century / Interplanetary Music / Moonship Journey / Next Stop Mars / Second Stop Is Jupiter / Rocket Number Nine / Do That Thang / Pluto Too

2nd Set

Discipline 27

Untitled Improv

Untitled Improv

Enlightenment

The Satellites Are Spinning

Blue Lou

Unidentified Title

Disc Three 39:58

Spontaneous Simplicity

Images

Unidentified Blues

Stompy Jones

Over The Rainbow

I Can't Get Started

Saturday December 27, 1980

Disc Four 72:42

1st Set

Untitled Improv

Hymn To The Sun

Untitled Improv

Untitled Improv

Untitled Improv (Organ And Percussion)

Big John's Special

Unidentified Title

Take The A Train

Lightnin'

Disc Five 56:32

Slippery Horn

Solitude

Exactly Like You

The Mayan Temples

The Sound Mirror

Right Road, Wrong Direction

Bad Truth

Shoulder To Shoulder

Sea Of Immortality

To Be Or Not To Be

Ra Ra Ra

Over The Rainbow

Calling Planet Earth

Enlightenment

The Satellites Are Spinning

Disc Six 74:38

Love In Outer Space

Yeah Man!

Space Is The Place

We Travel The Spaceways

Announcer

2nd Set

Untitled Improv (Kora)

Discipline 27-11

The Same Sun Is Shining Now / Computer In The Sky / Private Eye In The Sky / Another Kind Of Glory / I Have Many Names / Mystery, Mr. Ra / You Have No Life Certificate / I Am A Different Kind Of Being / The Universe Sent Me To Converse With You / Stranger In Paradise / Do You Have Rights For Angels? / I Use Planets For Stepping Stones / Bad Truth / You're Just Babies In The Universe

Bad Truth / Moonship Journey / Sea Of Immortality / Astro Nation / Angel Race / This World Is Not My Home / I'll Wait For You

Greetings From The 21st Century / Rocket Number Nine / Second Stop Is Jupiter

Disc Seven 74:34

Untitled Improv

We'll Be Together Again

The Sunny Side Of The Street

King Porter Stomp

Spontaneous Simplicity

Space Loneliness

Lights On A Satellite

Watusi

Disc Eight 15:54

Big John's Special

Strange Celestial Road

Hit That Jive Jack / Gone With The Wind

Announcer

Sunday December 28, 1980

Disc Nine 72:31

1st Set

Untitled Improv (Kora) / Jingle Bells / Untitled Improv / Hymn To The Sun

Along Came Ra / Mystery Mr. Ra

Discipline 27 / Untitled Improv / Unidentified Title

Unidentified Title

Unidentified Blues

Three Little Words

Disc Ten 77:34

Sleeping Beauty

Fate In A Pleasant Mood

El Is A Sound Of Joy

South America

Africa

The Satellites Are Spinning

Saturn Rings / Journey To Saturn / Saturn Rings

Announcer

Disc Eleven 58:02

2nd Set

Untitled Improv

Unidentified Title

Discipline 27-11

You Are Living On The Other Side Of Time / I Am Sin / Sunset

The Same Sun Is Shining Now / Private Eye In The Sky

You'd Better Mind What You're Saying

Untitled Improv

Deep Purple

Unidentified Title

Big John's Special

Yeah Man!

Disc Twelve 65:16

Body And Soul

Queer Notions

Discipline 99

Images

Unidentified Blues

Lady Bird

Half Nelson

Watusi

Disc Thirteen 30:55

Destination Unknown / Untitled Improv / Untitled Improv (Synthesizer) / Destination Unknown

Space Is The Place

We Travel The Spaceways

Rocket Number Nine / Next Stop Mars / Second Stop Is Jupiter / Journey To Saturn / Saturn Rings / Third Heaven / Neptune

Monday December 29, 1980

Disc Fourteen 58:23

Unidentified Title (Kora, Bass, Percussion, Etc)

Pleiades (Flutes And Bells Only)

Before Sun Comes Out

Discipline 27 / Unidentified Improv

Spontaneous Simplicity

Oblique Parallax (Organ And Synthesizer Only)

Queer Notions

Big John's Special

Yeah Man!

Disc Fifteen 46:43

Lights On A Satellite

Love In Outer Space

We'll Be Together Again (Organ And Rhythm Only)

Disc Sixteen 58:13

Space Loneliness

Destination Unknown / The Space Age Is Here To Stay / Unidentified Improv (Synthesizer Only) / Calling Planet Earth

Space Is The Place

We Travel The Spaceways / Angel Race / This World Is Not My Home / I'll Wait For You / I Could've Enjoyed Myself On The Planet / Greetings From The 21st Century / Rocket Number Nine / Next Stop Mars / Second Stop Is Jupiter / Why Go To The Moon / Satellites Are Spinning / Journey To Saturn / We Travel The Spaceways / Interplanetary Music / Face The Music / Strange Celestial Road / Sun Ra And His Band From Outer Space / Hit That Jive, Jack / Gone With The Wind

Encore

Astro Nation

King Porter Stomp

Fate In A Pleasant Mood

Announcer

Tuesday December 30, 1980

Disc Seventeen 55:25

Untitled Improv (Kora, French Horn, Etc)

Discipline 27 / Untitled Improv (Alto Sax, Trumpet, Etc.)

The Last Days / Crazy As A Daisy

Calling Planet Earth

Queer Notions

What's New?

Springtime Again

Space Loneliness

Cocktails For Two

Disc Eighteen 60:23

Lights On A Satellite

Big John's Special

Love In Outer Space

Enlightenment

The Shadow World

Disc Nineteen 44:30

The Shadow World (Continued)

Journey To Stars Beyond (Part 2) / Space Is The Place

Over The Rainbow (Organ Only)

Space Is The Place

We Travel The Spaceways / Outer Spaceways Inc. / We Travel The Spaceways / Hit That Jive, Jac / Moonship Journey / Greetings From The 21st Century / Rocket Number Nine / Second Stop Is Jupiter / Why Go To The Moon / I'll Wait For You / We Travel The Spaceways / Angel Race / Stranger In Paradise / This World Is Not My Home / We Travel The Spaceways

Announcer

Wednesday December 31, 1980

1st Set - 8:00 PM

Disc Twenty 56:24

Untitled Improv (Percussion. Kora) / Untitled Improv (Horns) / Unidentified Title (Flutes)

Auld Lang Syne

Astro Black

Tapestry From An Asteroid

Along Came Ra

Discipline 27

Island In The Sun

Disc Twenty-One 48:14

A Foggy Day

How Am I To Know?

Images

New Horizons

There Will Never Be Another You

Celestial Realms

Stardust From Tomorrow

Enlightenment

Disc Twenty-Two 42:06

Somebody Else's Idea / I Wouldn't Make A World Like This

Bad Truth / Somebody Might Push The Button

The Impossible Is Your Only Hope / Sea Of Immortality

Untitled Improv

They'll Come Back / There Are Other Worlds / Take The Big Gamble (On The Dark Horse)

Announcement: Get Your Passport From Me

2nd Set - 11:00 PM

Disc Twenty-Three 59:40

Untitled Improv (Percussion, Kora)

When There Is No Sun / Are You Spotless?

Discipline 27-11 / I Am The Tempter / I Use Planets For Stepping Stones / Discipline 27-11

Auld Lang Syne

Big John's Special

El Is The Sound Of Joy

Beyond The Purple Star Zone (Journey To Stars Beyond) (Part 1)

The World Of Africa

Rose Room

Disc Twenty-Four 57:21

Halloween In Harlem

Journey To Saturn / Saturn's Rings

You Got To Head Out To Space One Day / Never Never Land

Everything Is Space

Fate In A Pleasant Mood

Strange Worlds / Black Myth

Medicine For A Nightmare / Untitled Improv

Rocket Number Nine / The Space Age Is Here To Stay

Face The Music

Disc Twenty-Five 59:47

St. Louis Blues

Watusi

Sunology / The Lion Of The Heavens

Planet Earth

Third Heaven / Why Go To The Moon? We Travel The Spaceways / Imagination

Announcer

Thursday January 1, 1981

3rd Set - 3:00 AM

Disc Twenty-Six 19:49

On Green Dolphin Street

Untitled Improv

Outer Space Is Such A Pleasant Place

Myth Vs Reality

Strange Worlds / Black Myth

Disc Twenty-Seven 72:43

Untitled Improv

Vista Omniverse (Organ And Synthesizer Only)

Tea For Two

Blue Lou

King Porter Stomp

Yeah, Man!

Deep Purple

Keep Your Sunny Side Up

Interstellar Low Ways

The Satellites Are Spinning

Stompin' At The Savoy

Mayan Temples

Disc Twenty-Eight 60:12

Unidentified Title

Queer Notions

Willow Weep For Me

Space Loneliness

Round Midnight

Limehouse Blues

Discipline 99

Space Is The Place / We Travel The Spaceways / Greetings From The 21st Century / Strange Celestial Road

Announcer

I briefly mentioned this CD Box Set several months ago after it arrived in my mail box. It could quite possibly be the only copy in NZ. This version of this release is the 2008 second addition of 500 after the initial 400 from 2007 on CDr, so they are getting pretty rare. It is not a lavish affair by all means, the packaging consists of a cool plastic hinged box with binder rings to hold the plastic sleeves that the Cds slip into. The track list is a printed list on 2 sheets of folded A3 paper. The list of musicians does not quite match those listed in "The Earthly Recordings Of  Sun Ra" Second Edition. I like the packaging and it should hold up well over time. The set was released by Transparency Records, a small boutique label that has put out quite a number of rare Sun Ra recordings, mostly live audience recordings and other rare gems and some not so good. The residency was recorded on soundboard by the residencies organiser, Rick Steiger, and was probably doing the rounds on the Tape swapping scene for some time. The set had been remastered from the original soundboard cassettes and although is very listenable and well above Bootleg quality, it certainly ain't high -fidelity. With over 26 hours of music on offer there is plenty to keep one occupied, although a lot of dedication is required.I have been sampling random discs from this set over the last several days and am finding the music here immensely listenable and enjoyable. We are getting the full gauntlet of Ra's ourve and lots and lots of excellent soloing from the Arkestra. There is far too much music for me to go into much detail about and in reality this set will only be of interest to a few hundred hardcore Ra fans but if you are into Sun Ra in a big way then this is one of the best live documents I have heard, sound quality aside. Highly Recommended, If you can find it. Rating 4.5/5.   

Sun Ra - A Night In East Berlin/My Brother the Wind & Sun No.9 (USA 1995)

Another quality Leo release of various recording from the Sun Ra archive, this set comprises a couple of late period live recordings of superior sound quality and  excellent playing. The music presented here is mostly somewhat more accessible than a lot of other recordings by Ra and so is recommended for the less hardcore Ra aficionado. A great release, Rating 4/5.

Sun Ra - Space Probe

The latest Sun Ra Arrival.

As I head towards owning probably the largest Ra CD collection in NZ, this latest arrival is another of those collections that shines yet another light on the musical world of Mr Ra. The 17 minute title track is a spaced out extended experiment on the new Moog as of like 1970 and is way ahead of it's time and quite an impressive collection of weird noises which are very cool on the headphones late in the evening.(don't play it to your Grandma). The rest of the set is a small ensemble recording and parts remind me of Moondog. All very good Sun Ra and the recording quality is some of the best. Rating 4.5/5.

Sun Ra - Live At The Red Garter 1970 (USA 2013)

SUN RA

This popped up on Nuvoid last week and I knew I had it on the shelf along with quite a lot of the other Transparency releases I procured last year. Nuvoid talks about the historical importance of this recording and the quality of the playing, but he is a muso himself and far more knowing about these things than me. The bugbear here is that this set was mastered from an audience recording and even after mastering for CD still sounds like a Bootleg. Which for me makes it pretty hard to get into the swing of it and makes me wonder why bother when there are so many far superior Ra recordings available, but hey, that's Sun Ra. There is some interesting stuff here amongst the murk and it would have been nice to hear it more clearly. Rating 2/5.

Sun Ra - Lanquidity (USA 1978)

SUN RA

Just arrived.

The late 70s were an interesting time for Sun Ra Fans in that he integrated a lot of the current "Black music styles" in to his recordings and so we have albums influenced by Disco and Funk and this set which leans heavily towards the Jazz/Fusion of the early 70s. This makes for one of the more accessible Ra albums and a good one for those who struggle with his more esoteric stuff. I think it is a great set and the recording quality is one of the best I have heard in the vast Ra discography. Rating 4.5/5.

Sun Ra - My Brother The Wind - Volume Two (USA 1971)

The Sun Ra Discography.

So the first Sun Ra CD of the new year arrived this week as I embark of another season of growing my Ra collection. Got around 80 releases so far so I might be over half way now although there are quite a number that haven't been released on CD so I have had to download those ones. "My Brother The Wind" is a cool album title and consists of two separate recording sessions, as do many Ra Releases. The first 6 tracks on this set are from 1969 and at first you'd think you had accidentally picked up a Jimmy Smith CD. All Ra compositions but in a fairly straight up Jazz style with Ra doing the Jimmy Smith on the Organ. All very good stuff with some nice Ra touches and of course some June Tyson vocals on two tracks and some nice solos to keep it interesting. It is far less challenging listening that most Sun Ra. Track 6 gets a lot weirder and primes us up for the rest of the tracks, which were recorded in 1970 and consist of Ra getting quite experimental on his Moog. So lots of weird electronic sounds probably improvised during recording and is a part of Ra's repertoire that is difficult but rewarding and interesting. Rating 3.5/5.

Sun Ra - Out There A Minute (USA 1989)

The Sun Ra Discography.

Oh look, another Sun Ra CD post sitting in my draft file from last year.
This set is a compilation released back when so much of the Sun Ra Catalogue was almost impossible to obtain. Several tracks come off albums that were re-issued at a later date and I now have on CD, but several tracks are previously unissued. Read more about that at NuViod.
A good sampling of Ra's early 60s output and the unreleased cuts are worth the outlay. " Somewhere in Space" is especially excellent and Ra certainly selected some of his more accessible material for this compilation. Rating 4/5.

Sun Ra & His Omniverse Arkestra - Destination Unknown (USA 1992)

The Sun Ra Discography.

Trying to catch up with all the Sun Ra CDs that have arrived the last few months and I am way behind, not hardly even looked at the large selection of Transparency releases that I obtained.
Another live set from the end of Ra's life, this was the second to last album released in his lifetime. The set kicks of with a very accessible and excellent Ra Groove in "Carefree" followed buy Ra soloing on piano with some support from brass and light percussion later in the piece, a somewhat more avant-garde piece although still more accessible than so much of the earlier music. The Arkestra sound tight and also more conventional, especially on the cover songs with Ra taking us back to his earliest influences and well as some of his earlier repertoire. So a good mix and a set that, although unmistakably Sun Ra, is starting to sound more like a contemporary Jazz group. Another good album for Ra Newbys to ease them in. Rating 3.5/5.

Sun Ra - Live At Pit-Inn _ Tokyo, Japan 08.08.198 (Japan 1988)

The Sun Ra Discography.

Yet more Ra, this from very late in his career, this live concert recorded and released via Japan. Sun Ra had mellowed a bit by this stage of his life and so there is quite a lot of more conventional swinging grooves going down here along with some vocal chants and some mild chaos. Overall a nice enough set with some enjoyable Ra grooves and some songs from way back in his catalogue.Rating 3.5/5.

Sun Ra - Monorails & Satellites (USA 1968)

The Sun Ra Discography.

A reasonably rare event in the Sun Ra cannon is a solo piano album, but that is exactly what we have here and although it is not one that I would go all gooey over, I do like to hear him solo. I always enjoy his far out solo's on many of the Archestra recordings although there isn't too much of the really way out stuff here, there is some good stuff to wrap your ears around that is a little less than conventional.
With so much less happening on a solo recording it becomes much easier to stay with the playing even when it gets weird and I find it quite absorbing. A good record and a bit more accessible. Rating 3.5/5. 

Sun Ra - Concert For the Comet Kohoutek (USA 1973/1993)

The Sun Ra Discography.

Yep! More Sun Ra, quite a bunch have arrived over the last few weeks and I am still wading my way through them in random order now. This is another live recording from a period abound with live Ra recordings. I haven't much to say about this set, it is pretty standard fare for the period and the recording is of a reasonable quality and like so much of Sun Ra's output, focus and dedication is required to really get the most from his music. The electronic freeform sounds on "Journey through the outer Darkness" are very impressive and for me the highlight of this set and are one of the things that set Ra apart in the Jazz world. Still, another worthwhile addition to my collection and I will rate it 3/5.

Sun Ra - The Other Side Of The Sun (USA 1980)

The Sun Ra Discography.

Another recent arrival to add to my burgeoning Sun Ra Collection and we find Ra and the boys in a very melodic mood as they swing their way through an impressive "Space Fling" taking us all the way back to the Arkestra's early days. Then we get a lovely version of  "Flamingo" before we get treated to a very funky version of the perennial "Space is the Place" and a unique version it is too. "The Sunny Side Of The Street" is another extended swing workout, with the album closing with another Ra Original in the slightly more chaotic style we are use to. Overall a fairly accessible set from Ra and most enjoyable. Rating 3.5/5.  

Sun Ra - Other Planes Of There (USA 1966)

The Sun Ra Discography.

More out there music for this next Sun Ra recording and again I refer you to Nuvoid and Adventure Equation for more detailed analysis and information about this album. I'll Just say that it sounds like standard Sun Ra music, which means pretty much unlike anyone else, quite challenging and free sounding jazz music. Some more great piano from the master, Pretty wild and chaotic sounds here.

Rating 3.5/5. 

Sun Ra - When Angels Speak Of Love (USA 1966)

The Sun Ra Discography.

First up, because I'm lazy and mostly semi-literate, I'll direct you to a couple of better sources for more informed opinions of this next Sun Ra recording. Nuvoid and Adventure Equation. 

I think this is the high point of the group of the choreograph workshop recordings from the early  60s in New York. Space music certainly would be an apt description for this strange atmospheric Jazz inflected music. It's is mostly slow in tempo with plenty of that famous reverb and echo from these Workshop recordings. I am very impressed  with the opening track and have enjoyed the whole album overall, especially as there is some great Ra piano in the mix here and there. It is great that these ultra rare recordings are actually still available from the Evidence reissue campaign back between 1992 and 2000, I have relied on them heavily in building by collection.Rating 5/5.

Sun Ra - What's New (USA 1975)

The Sun Ra Discography.

1.  What's New   6:55

2.  Wanderlust   5:53

3.  Jukin'   2:26

4.  Autumn in New York   6:59

5.  State Street   3:45

6.  Sometimes I'm Happy   6:42

7.  Time after Time 1   2:18

8.  Time after Time 2   3:30

9.  Easy to Love   3:27

10. Sunnyside Up   3:36

11. We Roam The Cosmos   10:30

Got a bit of a backlog of Sun Ra albums to get through and I believe this is where we got to in part one of the Sun Ra Discography. This is the second release in the discography where I haven't been able to purchase it on CD("Deep Purple" was the other one although some of the tracks I have on "Sound Of Joy"), except some of the tracks above appeared on the "Standards" CD. This original release has a particularly convoluted history and has never been reissued on CD, so I got this version from Adventure Equation Blog. Also check out Nuvoid, for  a more indepth review and history.

The first four tracks, again recorded at the Choreographers workshop in 1963, continue the series of jazz standards the Arkestra covered and overall is an enjoyable workout, although I do prefer it when they play the more original Sun Ra compositions. Tracks 5  to 10 cover similar ground and some I have covered on the "Standards" CD. All fairly conventional Jazz but more in the Bebop style than the earlier swing that Ra played previously. A nice set.

Track 11 was the original B-side of What's New but was only issued on very few copies of the original pressing before the other tracks, 5-10, replaced it on later pressings. This is a fairly lo-fi live recording of an apparently improvised number which sounds familiar with parts of other tracks incorporated. The line "space is the place" and perhaps, the line"My Brother The Wind" indicate this. It is mostly a spoken/sung word piece with very slight background sounds. Ra Sermonising his space stuff. Not particularly interesting.

Overall rating 2.5/5.