A stunning supergroup from the contemporary scene on the west coast – heard here on a live set that's every bit as wonderful as the studio album that marked their debut! You'll probably know every player here from albums under their own names, and the group is every bit as great as the sum of its parts – Robert Glasper on keyboards, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth, Justin Tyson on drums, and Terrace Martin on keyboards and a bit of vocals – all coming together with a sort of crispy, contemporary energy – all live, but with a future-thinking approach to jazz that's really beautiful. Titles include "Perspectives/Postpartum", "How Much A Dollar Cost", "Change Of Tone", "Respond", "Been On My Mind", and "Resting Warrior". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure session from Sun Ra and the Arkestra, and a great one too – a set that's maybe a bit different than some of their other material from the time! The album's from the early 80s, but maybe feels a bit more like the group in the late 50s – when they were in Chicago, and first stepping from straighter modes to more adventurous music – which means that the tracks here have maybe a stronger relationship to familiar jazz styles than the more avant Arkestra work, yet are still filled with plenty of originality and the kind of elements that always made the group so wonderful! Ra plays a fair bit of organ, using the instrument in soul jazz ways at a few points, which is really great, alongside work on piano and electronics – and the group also features John Gilmore on tenor, Marshal Allen on alto and flute, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, Walter Miller on trumpet, and Tyrone Hill on trombone. June Tyson joins the group for a small bit of vocals – and overall, the session almost feels like a rough take on territory that the Arkestra would explore in the second half of the 80s, particularly on their European tours. Titles include "Celestial Love", "Blue Intensity", "Interstellarism", "Nameless One 2", "Sophisticated Lady", "Smile", and "Sometimes I'm Happy" – plus the track "Drop Me Off In Harlem", which was not on the original Saturn album. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Sun Ra records from the early 80s – and a set that's every bit as striking as its sinister title! The album was recorded in 1982 – in marathon New York sessions that yielded more than one album's worth of material – but of all of them, this is probably the best, and the one with some of the strongest playing – a really unified album that should have gotten a lot more circulation at the time, instead of a mostly underground release on Saturn Records. The set kicks off with the fantastic "Nuclear War", a wonderful little groover – and a track that's probably as strong a number in the Arkestra's book as "Space Is The Place" – but with a shift in righteous message from the 70s to the 80s. The album then shifts into 2 mellower numbers with weird spacey overtones – "Retrospect" and "Makeup" – before moving into side two, and the drawn-out edgey "Fireside Chat With Lucifer". Players include Ra on piano, electronics, and organ – plus John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, Marshall Allen on flute and alto, and Atakatune on percussion – plus vocals from June Tyson and Tyrone Hill on "Nuclear War". CD

One of the greatest Sun Ra records from the early 80s – and a set that's every bit as striking as its sinister title! The album was recorded in 1982 – in marathon New York sessions that yielded more than one album's worth of material – but of all of them, this is probably the best, and the one with some of the strongest playing – a really unified album that should have gotten a lot more circulation at the time, instead of a mostly underground release on Saturn Records. The set kicks off with the fantastic "Nuclear War", a wonderful little groover – and a track that's probably as strong a number in the Arkestra's book as "Space Is The Place" – but with a shift in righteous message from the 70s to the 80s. The album then shifts into 2 mellower numbers with weird spacey overtones – "Retrospect" and "Makeup" – before moving into side two, and the drawn-out edgey "Fireside Chat With Lucifer". Players include Ra on piano, electronics, and organ – plus John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone, Marshall Allen on flute and alto, and Atakatune on percussion – plus vocals from June Tyson and Tyrone Hill on "Nuclear War". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra's made the move here from Egyptian pyramids to Mayan temples – but the sound is every bit as cosmic and compelling as ever! The album's one of Ra's last – a studio set recorded in Italy in 1990, and one that draws strongly from the tightening of tradition the Arkestra experienced in the 80s – working at a time of some of their greatest acceptance by jazz audiences worldwide, and able to express themselves fully in a range of different modes! The sense of tone and timing here is beautiful – almost Ellington-like at points, but still with a decidedly Sun Ra-like quality – and players on the date include Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor, Noel Scott and Marshall Allen on alto sax, and Tyrone Hill on trombone – and June Tyson also sings just a bit on the set. Ra plays both piano and synth, and titles include "Alone Together", "Discipline 1", "Sunset On The River Nile", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "I'll Never Be The Same", "Theme On The Stargazers", and "Opus In Springtime". A double-length set too – nearly 80 minutes of music! CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this first volume include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", and "The Realm Of Lightning". LP, Vinyl record album

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this second volume include "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Mary Lou Williams is dipping far back into her roots here – working in a very bluesy batch of styles, with only accompaniment from Buster Williams on bass to back her up! The tracks are all relatively shortish, and done in styles that stretch back to older modes of 20s and 30s jazz piano – but as usual, Williams has a hip edge in her playing, and brings modernist undercurrents into play where you might least expect. Cynthia Tyson sings on 2 tracks in the set – and titles include "JBs Waltz", "The Blues", "NG Blues", "Prism", "No Title Blues", "My Mama Pinned A Rose On Me", "Baby Bear Boogie", and "Dirge Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Sean Price moves in for the knockout! Includes "Genesis Of The Omega", "Bar-Barian", "Pyrex", "Price & Shining Armour" feat Ruste Juxx, "Straight Music", "Hush", "Solmon Grundy" with Ill Bill, "Frankenberry" with Buckshot, "BBQ Sauce" with Pharoahe Monch, "By The Way" with Torae, "The Hardest N***a Out" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s grooves from the Turkish scene – served up in a mode that mixes earlier styles with instrumentation that's a bit more fitting for the decade – drum machine rhythms and keyboard lines coming into play with more exotic melodies, and vocals served up in a variety of styles! Some of the tunes here are tagged as "disco", but in a way that's really refracted through the span of space and time that led to these recordings – hardly familiar club modes, but still plenty darn groovy – and a nice take on Andaolu modes from a few years before! Titles include "Fiance", "Fidayda", "Emmoglu", "If You Want My Love", "Sunglasses Belly Dance", "Tabancamin Sapini", "Misty Mountain Melodies", and "Eminem". LP, Vinyl record album

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards that are some of his most enigmatic on record! This hugely expanded version features a whopping 12 tracks in all – the complete performance that originally spawned the album, all of which is as delightful as the 3 tracks that were originally issued on vinyl. Finding all this extra Ra material from the 70s – over 2 hours of music – is like finding a time machine – and the well-done package comes with great notes and excellent sound. Original tracks from the album include "Disco 3000", an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album – plus more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number, and "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion! Additional material includes "Echoes Of The World", "Sun Of The Cosmos", "Geminology", "Sky Blues", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Spontaneous Simplicity" – all played by a group that includes John Gilmore on tenor, Luqman Ali on drums, Michael Ray on trumpet, June Tyson on vocals, and Sun Ra on piano, organ, moog, and rhythm machine. CD

A very cool Sun Ra performance from 1980 – recorded in Rome, and a wonderful summation of all the new directions the Arkestra took during the 70s! There's a wonderful balance here between intimate vocal tracks, sung by June Tyson, and some fuller ensemble numbers – mixed up in ways that often show the most soulful side of the group, yet still allow plenty of space for bold, dynamic solos from players who include Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Michael Ray on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute, Kenny Williams on tenor and baritone, and Noel Scott on alto and baritone. The double-length set also has some beautiful instrumental moments that are quite gentle – a few exotic touches, and nice piano improvisations from Ra – very much like his excellent solo piano work on Improvising Artists. Titles include "Enlightenment", "Watusa", "Lights On A Satellite", "Nothing Is", "Children Of The Sun", "King Porter Stomp", "Sun Ra & His Band From Outer Space", "Springtime Again", "Big John's Special", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", and a few untitled pieces. CD

A very cool Sun Ra performance from 1980 – recorded in Rome, and a wonderful summation of all the new directions the Arkestra took during the 70s! There's a wonderful balance here between intimate vocal tracks, sung by June Tyson, and some fuller ensemble numbers – mixed up in ways that often show the most soulful side of the group, yet still allow plenty of space for bold, dynamic solos from players who include Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Michael Ray on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute, Kenny Williams on tenor and baritone, and Noel Scott on alto and baritone. The double-length set also has some beautiful instrumental moments that are quite gentle – a few exotic touches, and nice piano improvisations from Ra – very much like his excellent solo piano work on Improvising Artists. Titles include "Enlightenment", "Watusa", "Lights On A Satellite", "Nothing Is", "Children Of The Sun", "King Porter Stomp", "Sun Ra & His Band From Outer Space", "Springtime Again", "Big John's Special", "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise", and a few untitled pieces. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-lost performance by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – recorded in Amsterdam at the start of the 70s, when the group were brought in by avant saxophonist Hans Dulfer for a special performance! This album marks the first-ever issue of the material, from rediscovered tapes that finally present the group on that night in all of their glory – a horn-heavy version of the Arkestra with Danny Davis, Danny Ray Thompson, Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, and John Gilmore on reeds – as well as Kwame Hadi and Akh Tal Ebah on trumpets, June Tyson on vocals, and a surprise appearance from Alan Silva on cello, bass, viola, and violin! Ra himself plays moog, rocksichord, piano, and the Spacemaster organ – and the group has plenty of percussion, and a rich sound that really resonates strongly in the legendary venue. Titles include an early reading of "Space Is The Place" – plus "Watusa", "Walking On The Moon", "Paradiso Improviso #1", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Theme From The Stargazers", "The Solar Moog Approach", and "Second Stop Is Jupiter". CD

A long-lost performance by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – recorded in Amsterdam at the start of the 70s, when the group were brought in by avant saxophonist Hans Dulfer for a special performance! This album marks the first-ever issue of the material, from rediscovered tapes that finally present the group on that night in all of their glory – a horn-heavy version of the Arkestra with Danny Davis, Danny Ray Thompson, Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, and John Gilmore on reeds – as well as Kwame Hadi and Akh Tal Ebah on trumpets, June Tyson on vocals, and a surprise appearance from Alan Silva on cello, bass, viola, and violin! Ra himself plays moog, rocksichord, piano, and the Spacemaster organ – and the group has plenty of percussion, and a rich sound that really resonates strongly in the legendary venue. Titles include an early reading of "Space Is The Place" – plus "Watusa", "Walking On The Moon", "Paradiso Improviso #1", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Theme From The Stargazers", "The Solar Moog Approach", and "Second Stop Is Jupiter". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra and the Arkestra first sprang forth on the Chicago scene in the postwar years – and here, they return to the Windy City in two different concerts – both issued here officially for the first time ever! Both sets feature a seminal 70s lineup of the group – with the great John Gilmore on tenor, plus Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on flute and alto, Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on French Horn, Eloe Omoe on alto and bass clarinet, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, June Tyson and Cheryl Banks Smith on vocals, James Jacson on Ancient Ihnfinity drum, and Ra himself on acoustic piano and electric keyboards. Titles include "Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue", "Space Is The Place", "New Beginning", "Velvet", "Moonship Journey", "Ankhnaton", and a very long take of "Calling Planet Earth/The Shadow World". CD

Sun Ra and the Arkestra first sprang forth on the Chicago scene in the postwar years – and here, they return to the Windy City in two different concerts – both issued here officially for the first time ever! Both sets feature a seminal 70s lineup of the group – with the great John Gilmore on tenor, plus Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on flute and alto, Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on French Horn, Eloe Omoe on alto and bass clarinet, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, June Tyson and Cheryl Banks Smith on vocals, James Jacson on Ancient Ihnfinity drum, and Ra himself on acoustic piano and electric keyboards. Titles include "Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue", "Space Is The Place", "New Beginning", "Velvet", "Moonship Journey", "Ankhnaton", and a very long take of "Calling Planet Earth/The Shadow World". LP, Vinyl record album