Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". This fantastic expanded reissue includes bonus material – some tracks that appeared on the album Sun Sound Pleasure, and other recordings too – titles that include "Hour Of Parting", "Round Midnight", "Hours After", "Velvet", "Enlightenment", "Hours After (single version)", "Great Balls Of Fire (single version)", "Back In Your Own Backyard", and the unreleased tunes "Blues For Saturn", "State Street (alternate)", and "Horoscope (incomplete)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album from Sun Ra – a set that's got some of the same soulful focus as Space Is The Place, and a really surprising sense of groove on many moments! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid) – at the studios of Bob Blank, at a time when he was really able to capture the many strands of music that would come together in a performance, then find just the right way to put them over on record! The album was originally dismissed by many Sun Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and great focus of the group's more far-reaching ideas – and at some level, it's probably the sound that most people imagine the Arkestra to have when they're first starting out, rather than the more avant material that dominates most of their catalog. The whole thing is wonderful – and titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album from Sun Ra – a set that's got some of the same soulful focus as Space Is The Place, and a really surprising sense of groove on many moments! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid) – at the studios of Bob Blank, at a time when he was really able to capture the many strands of music that would come together in a performance, then find just the right way to put them over on record! The album was originally dismissed by many Sun Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and great focus of the group's more far-reaching ideas – and at some level, it's probably the sound that most people imagine the Arkestra to have when they're first starting out, rather than the more avant material that dominates most of their catalog. The whole thing is wonderful – and titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". Fantastic 2CD version – which includes both the commercial release, and the other mix of the record that Ra issued on Saturn – plus a great booklet of notes. CD

An amazing album from Sun Ra – a set that's got some of the same soulful focus as Space Is The Place, and a really surprising sense of groove on many moments! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid) – at the studios of Bob Blank, at a time when he was really able to capture the many strands of music that would come together in a performance, then find just the right way to put them over on record! The album was originally dismissed by many Sun Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and great focus of the group's more far-reaching ideas – and at some level, it's probably the sound that most people imagine the Arkestra to have when they're first starting out, rather than the more avant material that dominates most of their catalog. The whole thing is wonderful – and titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". LP, Vinyl record album

(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Friday, November 29. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on November 30 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the most important Sun Ra albums from the early years of Saturn Records – a set that got a bit more circulation than some of his other records, and which shows the group really expanding their sonic range in a wonderful way! The title track takes up all of side one – and is this mystic workout that features Sun Ra on clavioline and piano – an acoustic/electric combination that creates really mindblowing results – and which is echoed by some very inventive reed work from Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and John Gilmore on tenor. The tune has a brooding intensity that's amazing – very spacey at times, and free, but not in an aggressive way. Other tunes follow in their own rich pattern – and also feature Ra on Sun Harp, celeste, dragon drum, and marimba – on titles that include "The Shadow World", "Abstract Eye", and "Abstract I". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "A Night In East Berlin", "Images", "Love In Our Space", and "Space Is The Place". LP, Vinyl record album

Long-overdue reissue of one of Ra's greatest moments! The song "Nuclear War" is to Ra's 80s career what "Space Is The Place" was to his 70s one – a bona-fide hit, played with a catchy groove, and a chorus that was a great hook into new audiences at the time. It's got a political lyric, and a back/forth rhythmic approach that shows that the Arkestra could still hit a good groove when they wanted to! The other tracks on the album have a more straightforward approach – heading into Ra's straighter 80s side, a mix of traditional jazz tunes performed with organ, synthesizer, tenor, alto, baritone, trumpet, and percussion. There's still plenty of oddness in the mix – and Ra's work on organ and synth give the record an eerie edge that gets a bit funky on other tunes. Titles include "Nameless One No 2", "Celestial Love", "Drop Me Off In Harlem", and "Retrospect". CD

A really great record, and one that was recorded by a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – done in this spiritual style that's almost a bit like some of the Horo Records material that Sun Ra had recorded just a short time before! There's an intimacy here that's wonderful – and the group features Ra on piano, John Gilmore on tenor, Hayes Burnette on bass, and Samarai Celestial on drums – and one track also features added work from Charles Davis on baritone and Michael Ray on trumpet. The album's a lot more inside than some of the freer work by Ra during the 70s – and we mean that in a great way – and there's also less of the full ensemble chanting that you'd hear on some of the other spiritual sessions from the 70s by the Arkestra. All of these aspects add up to make for a wonderfully special set from Ra and some of his key players – served up on titles that include "The Place Of Five Points", "Omniverse", "Visitant Of The Ninth Ultimate", and "Dark Lights In A White Forest". CD features two bonus tracks – a 1979 solo piano version of "Over The Rainbow", recorded at the Moers Festival – and a 1977 live take of "The Sound Mirror". CD

Classic live material, recorded at the legendary Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Fest in the early 70s. The Fest was the brainchild of John Sinclair, the White Panther founder/Detroit radical who was also the big early manager of the MC5. Sinclair produced the set and wrote a nice set of introductory notes – but the real interest here is in the performance of Ra & The Arkestra, who are recorded live before an audience of 15,000 fans, and who include Kwame Hadi, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Danny Davis, and June Tyson. The set's about an hour long, and titles include "Discipline 99", "Love In Outer Space", "Watusa/Discipline", and "At First There Was Nothing". CD

Sun Ra and the Arkestra famously recorded a song on a Disney tribute album in the late 80s – and this set follows up on that famous moment by showcasing a whole bunch of other songs from World Of Walt – all done by the Arkestra in a range of wild versions! At some level, the songs are maybe no surprise – a great fit for the cosmic yearnings of Ra, and a very good match for some of the more inventive arrangements he was bringing to these late years of the Arkestra – at a time when they were finally getting some of the wider recognition they deserved. Material is from a few different years, but about half the tracks were recorded at the 9:30 club – and titles include "Second Star To The Right", "Let's Go Fly A Kite", "Pink Elephants On Parade", "Whistle While You Work", and "The Forest Of No Return". CD

Sun Ra and the Arkestra famously recorded a song on a Disney tribute album in the late 80s – and this set follows up on that famous moment by showcasing a whole bunch of other songs from World Of Walt – all done by the Arkestra in a range of wild versions! At some level, the songs are maybe no surprise – a great fit for the cosmic yearnings of Ra, and a very good match for some of the more inventive arrangements he was bringing to these late years of the Arkestra – at a time when they were finally getting some of the wider recognition they deserved. Material is from a few different years, but about half the tracks were recorded at the 9:30 club – and titles include "Second Star To The Right", "Let's Go Fly A Kite", "Pink Elephants On Parade", "Whistle While You Work", and "The Forest Of No Return". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most mysterious, elusive Sun Ra albums in the legendary Saturn Records catalog – a set that was only ever pressed in small quantities back in the 80s, and often with different tracks for different pressings too! The material here is from a range of different performances, and really showcase the continued sense of majesty the Arkestra carried forth from the 70s, even when they were working farther from the limelight – often with the lovely June Tyson in the lead on vocals, and a bit of vocalizations from Ra as well – and different lineups depending on the tracks – but with mindblowing material from John Gilmore on tenor and Marshall Allen on alto throughout the recordings. Ra plays a bit of electronics, but most of the sounds here are acoustic – although still as other-worldly as ever – and this package finally brings together all the tracks that have appeared on variations – with one unissued number too. Titles include "When Spaceships Appear/Ra To The Rescue Ch 1", "Back Alley Blues", "Drummerlistics", "Children Of The Sun", "Mystery Mr Ra", "Space Shuttle/Ra To The Rescue Ch 2", and "Cosmo Party Blues". CD

One of the most mysterious, elusive Sun Ra albums in the legendary Saturn Records catalog – a set that was only ever pressed in small quantities back in the 80s, and often with different tracks for different pressings too! The material here is from a range of different performances, and really showcase the continued sense of majesty the Arkestra carried forth from the 70s, even when they were working farther from the limelight – often with the lovely June Tyson in the lead on vocals, and a bit of vocalizations from Ra as well – and different lineups depending on the tracks – but with mindblowing material from John Gilmore on tenor and Marshall Allen on alto throughout the recordings. Ra plays a bit of electronics, but most of the sounds here are acoustic – although still as other-worldly as ever – and this package finally brings together all the tracks that have appeared on variations – with one unissued number too. Titles include "When Spaceships Appear/Ra To The Rescue Ch 1", "Back Alley Blues", "Drummerlistics", "Children Of The Sun", "Mystery Mr Ra", "Space Shuttle/Ra To The Rescue Ch 2", and "Cosmo Party Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally essential 2 CD set that brings together a huge amount of singles that were recorded by Sun Ra and others for his legendary Saturn label! As you probably know, the albums that were recorded for Saturn were rare enough – but the singles on the label were even rarer, and some of them were pressed in batches as small as 75 copies! The material is a very strange mix of jazz, soul, doo wop, and R&B – but it's all got the off-kilter Sun Ra twist to it, and the music is a key slice in the independent history of underground jazz pioneered by Ra & The Arkestra. You'll hear plenty of stuff by Ra (including the legendary "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman") – and you'll also get stuff by Lacy Gibson, The Cosmic Rays, The Nu Sounds, Yochannan, and The Qualities. Annotated with 36 pages of detailed notes, written by 4 different Ra experts – and a treat for collectors and novices alike! CD

One of the most soulful Sun Ra albums ever – very much on the Lanquidity tip, and done with a great mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation! The vibe here is really mellow, spiritual, and warm – and the album actually feels a lot more like a session recorded for the Strata East label than it does for Saturn! Keyboards pervade the session – electric piano and organ drifting around in moody, laidback lines – augmented by occasional vibes, bits of guitar, and some wonderfully well-blown sax solo work by Marshall Allen and John Gilmore! The title track "Sleeping Beauty" runs for all of side two of the album – and it's an amazing little number that mixes instrumental passages with some great mellow Roy Ayers-styled vocals. "Door Of The Cosmos" is a bit of a groover, and even gets a bit funky at times – and the album also features the laidback spacey number "Springtime". CD

A brilliant record by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – and an album that forever gave them a slogan to live by! The record's different than some of the other Arkestra work from the time – in that it's a bit tighter and more spiritual, more in keeping with the style of the Blue Thumb label, for which it was recorded – and soaring along on a wave of post-Coltrane spiritual jazz enthusiasm. Side one features the ultimate recording of "Space Is The Place" – an anthemic tune that blends chanting, modal rhythms, and some incredibly soulful solo work – making for one of the Arkestra's most perfectly realized tunes! That gem runs for over 20 minutes – and other shorter tracks on the album include "Discipline", "Images", "Sea Of Sound", and "Rocket Number Nine". CD

A brilliant record by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – and an album that forever gave them a slogan to live by! The record's different than some of the other Arkestra work from the time – in that it's a bit tighter and more spiritual, more in keeping with the style of the Blue Thumb label, for which it was recorded – and soaring along on a wave of post-Coltrane spiritual jazz enthusiasm. Side one features the ultimate recording of "Space Is The Place" – an anthemic tune that blends chanting, modal rhythms, and some incredibly soulful solo work – making for one of the Arkestra's most perfectly realized tunes! That gem runs for over 20 minutes – and other shorter tracks on the album include "Discipline", "Images", "Sea Of Sound", and "Rocket Number Nine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Sun Ra albums ever – and one of the most enigmatic, too! Strange Strings is a very unique session recorded with an otherworldly sound – heavily steeped in the use of "electronic strings", amplified string instruments recorded with crazy echo and other effects, almost sounding like analogue electronics at times. The set also uses a variety of percussion instruments – including "log drum" and "lightning drum" – and Ra plays a bit of electronic piano on it as well as a variety of interesting percussion instruments. And if that's not enough, the whole album ends with the spooky sound of Thlan Aldridge on "space voice"! Incredibly cosmic, and quite out at most moments – with tracks that include "Strange Strange", "Worlds Approaching", and "Strings Strange". Plus, this amazing 2LP set features lots of other bonus material too – titles that include "Moon Orbit", "Untitled St Peters", "Crystal Spheres", "Cosmos Miraculous", and "Ra Explains The Bandura". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Sun Ra albums ever – and one of the most enigmatic, too! Strange Strings is a very unique session recorded with an otherworldly sound – heavily steeped in the use of "electronic strings", amplified string instruments recorded with crazy echo and other effects, almost sounding like analogue electronics at times. The set also uses a variety of percussion instruments – including "log drum" and "lightning drum" – and Ra plays a bit of electronic piano on it as well as a variety of interesting percussion instruments. And if that's not enough, the whole album ends with the spooky sound of Thlan Aldridge on "space voice"! Incredibly cosmic, and quite out at most moments – with tracks that include "Strange Strange", "Worlds Approaching", and "Strings Strange". Also comes with bonus tracks – "Untitled St Peters", "Crystal Spheres", "Cosmos Miraculous", and "Ra Explains The Bandura". 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

A very cool document of the great Sun Ra – and a set that combines both music and a spoken passage from a class that Ra was teaching at the University of California in the 70s! The spoken work is fascinating – as it really captured Ra as he lived, but in ways that are different than you might expect – still as intellectual as any of his writings, and ideas you might have picked up from other sources – but with a very down-to-earth approach that maybe makes the man seem more human than some of his future-thinking music, or the cosmic garb that he's usually wearing on a record cover! Ra is completely captivating during the 30 minute lecture – which was part of a cours titled The Black Man & The Cosmos – then the set moves into a wonderful five minute solo piano piece, and an extra cool solo Moog performance that runs for over sixteen minutes in length – mindblowing analog electronics that has Ra getting some very noisy sounds from the Moog! 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". CD

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall – and marks a great large venue performance by the Arkestra on the New York scene. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The World Shadow", "Rocket Number Nine", "The Voice Of Pan", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued performances from Sun Ra and his legendary Arkestra – recorded live at Slugs in New York, and featuring the group in two very different modes! Side one features "Calling Planet Earth/We'll Wait For You" – from the same performance that also gave the world the Universe In Blue album – but presented with a very wild, freely improvised sound! The tune runs for well over 20 minutes, and features lots of shifts in presence and power from the individual instruments – with some especially great bass clarinet from Eloe Omoe, who takes a great solo – as well as work from John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Davis on alto, Ronnie Boykins on bass, and Kwame Hadi on trumpet. June Tyson also sings a bit – although the instrumental passages are the strongest draw. The remaining two tracks are much more in the Strange Strings sound of the group – although maybe looser and freer than the work on that album – as they feature mostly stringed instruments, from a variety of global sources, mixed with some woodwind elements and a bit of percussion – almost with a vibe that's like the mid 50s Moondog discovering free jazz! Titles for these two tracks include "Moonshots Across The Sky" and "Thunder Of The Gods". CD

Never-issued performances from Sun Ra and his legendary Arkestra – recorded live at Slugs in New York, and featuring the group in two very different modes! Side one features "Calling Planet Earth/We'll Wait For You" – from the same performance that also gave the world the Universe In Blue album – but presented with a very wild, freely improvised sound! The tune runs for well over 20 minutes, and features lots of shifts in presence and power from the individual instruments – with some especially great bass clarinet from Eloe Omoe, who takes a great solo – as well as work from John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Davis on alto, Ronnie Boykins on bass, and Kwame Hadi on trumpet. June Tyson also sings a bit – although the instrumental passages are the strongest draw. The remaining two tracks are much more in the Strange Strings sound of the group – although maybe looser and freer than the work on that album – as they feature mostly stringed instruments, from a variety of global sources, mixed with some woodwind elements and a bit of percussion – almost with a vibe that's like the mid 50s Moondog discovering free jazz! Titles for these two tracks include "Moonshots Across The Sky" and "Thunder Of The Gods". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2). CD

A beautiful little record from Sun Ra and the orchestra – and a set that really lives up to its evocative cover and title! The album features Ra on "intergalactic space organ" – an instrument that may well be a conventional version of the organ, but which is handled with some haunting, very spacey solos that spin out beautifully often setting the scene while the rest of the Arkestra comes in and adds in great solos over the extended reading of the title tune. The lineup includes John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and Kwami Hadi on trumpet – and June Tyson sings a bit on the record as well. Titles include "Black Man", "In A Blue Mood", and "Universe In Blue" (parts 1 & 2). LP, Vinyl record album

2 lost classics by Sun Ra on one CD! Visits Planet Earth features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Interstellar Low Ways is a record that features material was recorded in 1959 and 1960, but unissued until the mid 60's. Ra plays piano, chimes, and gong, and the tracks have a nice laid back spacey feel, with some ensemble vocals chanted by the group. Ronnie Boykins also plays the space gong on one cut, which sounds very nice. Cuts include "Somewhere In Space", "Space Loneliness", "Space Aura", and "Interplanetary Music". CD

2 classic Saturn albums by Sun Ra – back to back on one CD! We Travel The Spaceways is a beautiful album of tracks recorded during some of the Arkestra's last days in Chicago. The record features some great work by Ra on Electronic Piano and Cosmic Tone Organ – and there's a full complement of horn players on the set, including Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, and Marshall Allen. 2 tracks – "Interplanetary Music" and "We Travel The Spaceways" – have haunting vocals by the group, and the set also features the numbers "Space Loneliness", "Tapestry From An Asteroid", and "New Horizons". Bad & The Beautiful was recorded in 1961 – and features prime small group playing by Ra, Gilmore, Patrick, Marshall Allen, Ronnie Boykins, and Tommy Hunter, with the tracks "Search Light Blues", "Ankh", "On The Blue Side", and "Exotic Two". "Exotic Two" has some great echoey percussion – recorded in a wide-open way that mixes strangely with the piano lines on the session. "On The Blue Side" has some great tenor from Gilmore, very much in a blue tone, sounding like laidback Hank Mobley from the 50s! CD

A wonderful session recorded in New York in 1963 – and featuring the band at its progressive best! The album has many dark overtones, and features a core group that includes Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, John Gilmore, and Pat Patrick – playing their usual horns, plus percussion, amidst reverb by Thomas "Bugs" Hunter and performances by Ra on gong, pianoforte, and clavioline. The whole set has an open-ended "loft jazz" kind of feel – typical for the mid 70s New York avant scene, but groundbreaking at the time of this recording. Titles include "Celestial Fantasy", "The Idea Of It All", "Next Stop Mars", and "Ecstasy Of Being". 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 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

A whole new side of the talents of Sun Ra – especially if you only know the longer-style jams on some of his albums from the 60s and 70s! From the very start of his career, Ra was every bit as interested in issuing music on 45s as he was on albums – and in fact, at some of the more desperate times, the 7" single turned out to be a very affordable format to try out new ideas – including some great projects with other artists! The array of work presented here is stunning – as the set includes some very up-close and personal moments with Ra on record, plus some tight jazzy tracks from the Arkestra, surprising vocal group material designed to crack the R&B market, and some especially cool projects with other singers too. The package is put together with very detailed notes on all the singles – and while the bulk of this material comes from the key Arkestra years of the late 50s through the early 80s, there's also a few tracks from other dates too – including a handful of songs that were only issued as 45s in later years. Vinyl Part 1 is a 3LP set that focuses on the earliest years – with a total of 35 tracks in all – and titles include "Chicago USA" by The Nu Sounds, "I'm Coming Home" by Billie Hawkins, "Softalk" by Sun Ra, "Demon's Lullaby" by Le Sun Ra, "It's Christmas Time" by The Qualities, "M Uck M Uck (Matt Matt)" by Yochanan, "Bye Bye" by The Cosmic Rays, "October" by Sun Ra, "Adventur In Space" by Sun Ra, "Back In Your Own Backyard" by Hattie Randolph, "The Sun One" by Yochanan, "Dreaming" by The Cosmic Rays, "The Sun Man Speaks" by Yochanan, "Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie" by The Cosmic Rays, "Last Call For Love" by Billie Hawkins, and "Super Blonde" by Sun Ra. LP, Vinyl record album

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A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness". CD

2 early Saturn albums by Sun Ra on one CD! Fate In A Pleasant Mood was recorded and released in 1960 – and is a stellar example of Ra's early genius at work. John Gilmore and Marshall Allen hold down the reed solos, and Ra's piano is out front, with plenty of space for crazy solos, especially on the cut "Space Mates". All compositions are original Ra material, and the track list includes "Ankhnaton", "Distant Stars", and "The Others In Their World". When Sun Comes Out is from a few years later – when the Arkestra had moved to New York City – and the lineup is a bit more adventurous, with Ra playing a bit of percussion and electric celeste on one track, and an overall freer approach by the rest of the group. Titles include "Dimensions In Time", "Dancing Shadows", "The Rainmaker", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Calling Planet Earth". CD

It's hard to conceive of the idea of a "greatest hits" for Sun Ra – as none of his records even cracked the charts – but this set is a much-needed one that offers a strong sampling of Ra's rich body of work, summed up nicely by 18 tracks that over a keen picture of his unique vision. The set's also valuable in that it keeps things nice and lean, with most tracks only running for 4 or 5 minutes, not slipping into the longer drawn-out versions that are usually the province of more serious Ra listeners. Titles include "Saturn", "King Of Not", "Pleasure", "The Order Of The Pharonic Jesters", "The Perfect Man", "We Travel The Spaceways", "I Loves You, Porgy", and "Velvet". CD

Never-issued work from the Sun Ra Arkestra – and two tracks that really show just how much the initial wave of their sound tied together with other strands of postwar music! Both cuts here feature vocals from singer Ricky Murray – and as you can tell from the titles, there's a slightly exotic feel to the tunes – almost a space take on Eden Ahbez territory, handled by Murray in a rich baritone, while the Arkestra provides backing with some nicely rhythmic touches! The sound is straighter than some of the group's more avant material, but in a way that also really links them towards the more out-there side of mainstream music – that blend of exotic modes and wistful longing that Ra first explored in Chicago as the house band at the Club DeLisa! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really wonderfully-done collection of work from the legendary Sun Ra – put together by longtime musical partner Marshall Allen, and way way different than the typical mish-mash of tracks you'd find on some of the budget or public domain titles on the market! First off, the track selection is really thoughtful – music that definitely defines the Arkestra in the 60s and 70s, but which also highlights some of its overlooked corners too – pulled together from recordings that appeared on the Saturn, Impulse, and other labels – all curated and remastered by Art Yard, who've done their share of great Ra reissues over the years. Plus, the package features a few unreleased performances as well – and although it would serve as a great introduction to the music of Sun Ra, it's also really perfectly put together for longtime Ra fans as well – given the focus, track selection, and overall quality of the whole thing. The sounds are sublime – maybe one of the best summations of the righteous, cosmic genius of the Arkestra at its best – and titles include "Reflects Motion", "Island In The Sun (extended)", "Somewhere In Space", "The Lady With The Golden Stockings", "Somebody Else's World", "Ancient Aethiopia", "Astro Black", "Have You Heard The Latest News From Neptune", "We Travel The Spaceways", and "Plutonian Nights". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost work from Sun Ra – pulled from two different tapes recorded in the Bay Area in 1971! Disc one features an obscure performance – even by Ra standards – done at the Warehouse in San Francisco, with a group of unlisted players, all of whom really hit some of the farthest-reaching Arkestra modes of the time. The sound is often quite free, and relatively out – but a few sparer tracks feature great instrumental pairings that include percussion and trombone, and percussion with moog from Ra! Titles include "Discipline", "Enlightenment", "Satellites Are Spinning", and 3 more unidentified tracks. Disc two is quite different, but equally compelling – as it features Sun Ra speaking before a class at UC Berkeley, spinning out his thoughts in a relatively freewheeling manner! The lecture covers a number of themes similar to his writings of the time – quite political at moments, and always pretty compelling. CD

Quite an obscure little live set from Sun Ra – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the amount of live material he's got out there! The performance was found on a reel simply titled "Spacemaster Concert", and recorded at an undetermined date in the early 70s – and it's easily one of the starkest, most challenging recordings so far in the Lost Reel series! There's a fair bit of electric keyboards on the set – often played with some noisier tones, and offset with vocals by June Tyson, and instrumentation by John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Kwami Hadi. Many numbers are less orchestral than sparer small combo performances – and titles include "Outer Space/Untitled Improvisation", "Exotic Forest", "Shadow World", "Strange Worlds/Untitled Improvisation", "Stardust From Tomorrow", and "Friendly Galaxy/Watusi". CD

Sun Ra quartet material from the late 70s – his great Italian studio recordings from Voice Studio in Rome –rare material originally released on the New Steps and Other Voices, Other Blues LPs on the Horo label that's been hard sought over the years! The group features John Gilmore on percussion and tenor, Michael Ray on trumpet, Luqman Ali on drums, and Ra on keyboards. It's got a number of tracks that are relatively straight – at least for Ra – and which are played with a wonderful edge that makes them instantly compelling, sounding almost like obscure indie soul jazz sides from the east coast underground of the mid 70s. The feel on most numbers is very different than Ra's usual work, and the record sparkles with a genius that makes us wish it was easier to find the Horo work! Includes the sublime vocal tune "When There Is No Sun", plus the original tracks "The Horo", "Moon People", "Rome At Twilight", and "Friend & Friendship" – plus a very nice cover of "My Favorite Things", Along The Tiber", "Rebellion", "The Mystery Of Being", "One Day In Rome", and "Springtime & Summer Idyll". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. Titles include "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space". CD

Very out work from Ra & The Arkestra – recorded in 1964, with a lineup that includes Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Danny Davis – plus added percussion from Lex Humphries and Roger Blank. The best tracks on the set have a fragmented otherworldly quality – and the album includes the tunes "Spiral Galaxy", "Sound Spectra", "Sketch", and "Pleasure" – plus "Other Planes Of There", which runs for over 22 minutes! CD

"Club Lingerie" is about as unlikely a name as you might find for the setting of a concert by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – but as you'll hear from the music on this 2CD set, the group weren't about to let a little bit of ladies undergarment stop them from having a good time! The package brings to light some key material from the Arkestra's under-documented live sets in LA – a 1985 performance that's presented here with little in the way of notes or personnel, but which is done in that genre-crossing style the group used often in live dates as the 80s moved on – an approach that has them stepping easily through many generations of jazz as the set progresses – inside one moment, and very outside the next! Includes a version of "Mack The Knife", and a total of 13 tracks in all. CD

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future". LP, Vinyl record album

A compilation of Sun Ra's pioneering mid 50s work in Chicago – key years in Ra's evolution that find him taking familiar styles of the time, from doo wop to bebop – and sending them into the stratosphere on a vessel that's all Ra! All of the tracks are from 1955 and 56, and most appear to have been previously released on CD, but it's still a fine and richly varied demonstration of Ra's range during a couple of key early Saturn years in Chicago! Titles include "Spaceship Lullaby (a vocal tuen with the Nu Sounds)", "Can This Be Love?", "Call For All Demons", "Future", "Sun Song", "Lullaby For Realsville", "Urnack", "Demon's Lullaby", "India", "Advice For Medics", "Kingdom Of Not", "Dreams Come True" and more. CD

A whole new side of the talents of Sun Ra – especially if you only know the longer-style jams on some of his albums from the 60s and 70s! From the very start of his career, Ra was every bit as interested in issuing music on 45s as he was on albums – and in fact, at some of the more desperate times, the 7" single turned out to be a very affordable format to try out new ideas – including some great projects with other artists! The array of work presented here is stunning – as the set includes some very up-close and personal moments with Ra on record, plus some tight jazzy tracks from the Arkestra, surprising vocal group material designed to crack the R&B market, and some especially cool projects with other singers too. The package is put together with very detailed notes on all the singles – and while the bulk of this material comes from the key Arkestra years of the late 50s through the early 80s, there's also a few tracks from other dates too – including a handful of songs that were only issued as 45s in later years. 3CD set features a stunning 65 tracks in all – and titles include "Chicago USA" by The Nu Sounds, "I'm Coming Home" by Billie Hawkins, "Softalk" by Sun Ra, "Demon's Lullaby" by Le Sun Ra, "It's Christmas Time" by The Qualities, "M Uck M Uck (Matt Matt)" by Yochanan, "Bye Bye" by The Cosmic Rays, "October" by Sun Ra, "Adventur In Space" by Sun Ra, "Back In Your Own Backyard" by Hattie Randolph, "The Sun One" by Yochanan, "Dreaming" by The Cosmic Rays, "The Sun Man Speaks" by Yochanan, "Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie" by The Cosmic Rays, "Last Call For Love" by Billie Hawkins, and "Super Blonde" by Sun Ra. CD

Maybe the strongest solo project ever from Phil Alvin – a late 80s effort dedicated to the romping R&B sounds of the 50s – done with great help from both the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Sun Ra Arkestra! A number of cuts are from the glory days of the R&B single – and the approach moves between tracks with Alvin's combo, one with the Dirty Dozen, and three especially nice tracks with the Arkestra! Given the way that Sun Ra's 80s material was often dipping back into earlier generations of jazz, the group make for a very strong fit with Phil's approach – on titles that include "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn", "Titanic Blues", "Collins Cave", "Death In The Morning", "Next Week Sometime", and "The Old Man Of The Mountain". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant early work by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – 2 rare Saturn recordings back to back on one CD! Angels & Demons At Play is a monster of an album! Ra plays organ and electric piano, and the band includes Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Marshall Allen, Ronnie Boykins, Art Hoyle, Phil Cohran, and Julian Priester. The group's also got an electric bass, which gives the tracks a nice bottom, and a good spooky feel. Nothing's too out, but the record's got a great off-kilter sound, and lots of original tracks like "Between Two Worlds", "Tiny Pyramids", "Music From the World Tomorrow", and "Angels And Demons At Play". Nubians Of Plutonia has Ra and the Arkestra playing in a mix of straight jazz and spacey styles, with Ra on electric piano throughout the entire set. A few tracks have some great chanted vocals – and we're not sure if they're sung by one of the Saturn doo wop groups, or by the ensemble – but they give the tracks a great sound, and the whole set has a good late 50's Arkestra sound. With the tracks "Nubia", "Plutonian Nights", "Star Time", and "Watusa". CD

A fantastic Sun Ra album – with otherworldly sounds that perfectly sum up his unique jazz vision! The album features material recorded in New York in 1961, and released on Saturn in 1965 – but whatever the date, it's still light years ahead of its time! Ra plays piano, as usual, but he also works with some beautiful instruments of his own creation – including the strangely wonderful Sun Harp, the Dragon Drum, and the Spiral Percussion Gong. The percussion instruments are heard to great effect on the track "Solar Drums" – which has an echoey percussive sound that's really wonderful! The rest of the group includes John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Pat Patrick, Clifford Thornton, Marshall Allen, and Clifford Jarvis – classic Ra players all of them – and other titles include "Lights On A Satellite", "Kosmos In Blue", and "Cluster Of Galaxies". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic example of Ra's early genius – and a record that was pulled from a legendary session that the band recorded in 1960. John Gilmore and Marshall Allen hold down the reed solos, and Ra's piano is out front, with plenty of space for crazy solos, especially on the cut "Space Mates". All compositions are original Ra material, and the track list includes "Ankhnaton", "Distant Stars", and "The Others In Their World". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album that Sun Ra ever cut for the Savoy label – a beautifully understated session that mixes more conventional jazz with some particularly Ra-like touches! The group on the set is extremely tight – especially the horn work of John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Pat Patrick – who glide together along with some of the best mainstream modernists of the 50s, but break out with earthier tones and phrases that clearly mark their playing as different from the norm. Ra plays relatively straight piano for the album, but there's more than enough Arkestra touches from other players on bells and assorted percussion – emphasizing the rhythmic qualities of the tunes, and really living up to the promise of titles that include "Bassism", "China Gates", "Of Sounds And Something Else", "Tapestry From An Asteroid", "Jet Flight", "Space Jazz Reverie", and "Where Is Tomorrow?". CD

The second set of Heliocentric tracks that Ra recorded for ESP, with a freer feel than the first volume, and a bit more avant-oriented work overall. Ra and the group play a lot of percussion – and Ra himself is on tuned bongos, piano, and clavioline, which has a very nice spooky sound! The reed work on the album is by Robert Cummings, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, and Marshall Allen – with bass by Ronnie Boykin and percussion by Roger Blank. Tracks include "Cosmic Chaos", "House of Beauty", and "The Sun Myth". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sun Ra's best non-Saturn live sets of the 70s – a nice little record that shows the group mixing it up with equal parts avant garde and straight ahead jazz, all handled in that ever-growing large group style that made them a real force to be reckoned with in a concert setting! The album was recorded during the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, and has a bit more focus and polish than some of the other Arkestra live material from the time – a mature, coherent sound that almost points the way towards some of their work to come in the 80s – when Ra and the group were finally reaching the wider audience they deserved. The set's a double-length one, and features players who include John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, and James Jackson on Ancient Egyptian Infinity drum – which is always a treat. Ra plays solar organ and moog, as well as piano – and titles include "Of The Other Tomorrow", "On Sound Infinity Spheres", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "Gods Of The Thunder Realm", "Gods Of A Thunder Realm", "The House Of Eternal Being", and "Lights On a Satellite". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strongest Sun Ra albums in wide release during the 80s – a live set from Utrecht in 1983, done with a tightly-crafted sound that really focuses the energy of the group and displays their great range and capabilities in a number of modes! Most of the set is relatively inside, with a cohesive sound that's marked by some strong horn arrangements and nicely bluesy lines from Ra on piano. Titles include "D 27", "Fate In a Pleasant Mood", and a reading of "Round Midnight" – but the highlight for us is an extended combination of the tunes "Love In Outer Space" and "Space Is The Place", which grooves along mightily! CD

One of the most important Sun Ra albums from the early years of Saturn Records – a set that got a bit more circulation than some of his other records, and which shows the group really expanding their sonic range in a wonderful way! The title track takes up all of side one – and is this mystic workout that features Sun Ra on clavioline and piano – an acoustic/electric combination that creates really mindblowing results – and which is echoed by some very inventive reed work from Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and John Gilmore on tenor. The tune has a brooding intensity that's amazing – very spacey at times, and free, but not in an aggressive way. Other tunes follow in their own rich pattern – and also feature Ra on Sun Harp, celeste, dragon drum, and marimba – on titles that include "The Shadow World", "Abstract Eye", and "Abstract I". This great reissue features the rare stereo mix of "The Magic City" – plus "Other Worlds (alternate)" and "The Magic City (mono version ending)". CD

One of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. Titles include "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous Ra from the end of the 70s – one of the most soulful albums ever by the Sun Ra Arkestra, and a lost treasure that's got some nice funky moments! The vibe here is very much in the Lanquidity/Disco 3000 mode – an extrapolation of styles best known from the Space Is The Place era, tightened up into more of a groove at some points, but also relaxed and more reflective at others. Our favorite track on the set is "UFO", a snapping bit of funk that comes as a real surprise from Sun Ra – and a tune that's got some nicely noisy guitar jamming alongside straighter electric rhythms – all topped off by vocals from the group and some really strong horn work! The tune's a great party funk number that shows the Arkestra at its most joyous – and other tracks include "On Jupiter", which has a great blend of light vocals, spacey moog, and snakey sax – plus the side-long "Seductive Fantasy", a laidback number that unfolds with a really gentle grace. LP, Vinyl record album

Definitely no blues here – but the album's a wonderful mid 70s session from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – done in the same slightly-straight style they were using on their rare recordings for the Horo label around the same time! The album's a mixed session of standards and a Ra original – played by the group with a relaxed, open feel that really allows for some particularly soulful solo moments – of the sort you sometimes don't always get from the Arkestra! John Gilmore's tenor sounds great – sometimes played with a brief nod to Coltrane, or to some of the Gilmore's other contemporaries of the Chicago tenor school of the 50s – and Ra's piano is especially expressive, reaching back over years of pianistic tradition with great command, almost in a way that reminds us of Jaki Byard, but a bit more adventurous. Other group members include Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Akh Tal Ebah on trumpet, James Jacson on flute and bassoon, Eloe Omoe on clarinet, Richard Williams on bass, Luqman Ali on drums, and Atakatune on congas – and titles include "Some Blues But Not The Kind That's Blue", plus versions of "Nature Boy", "My Favorite Things", "Black Magic", and "Tenderly". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Untitled" from the same 1977 session as the main album, plus two takes on "I'll Get By", both recorded in 1973 and featuring Ra on organ in a trio with Ronnie Boykins – on one version with John Gilmore on tenor, and another with Akh Tal Ebah on flugelhorn. CD

Unbelievable! This is one of the rarest Sun Ra records we've ever seen – and it's also one of the most compelling. There are no tracks listed on the label (although the Sun Ra discography lists them as "Sometimes The Universe Speaks", "Pleiades", "Third Heaven", "When There Is No Sun", "Halloween In Harlem", and "Shadow World") – and the sound is very very unusual. The first two tracks feature lots of spare reed work, mixing flutes, oboe, and clarinet with some occasional percussion. Then, the record shifts into an all-vocal number – almost like one of Ra's older doo wop tunes, but with a very strange sing-song lyric about the cosmos. Side two moves into larger group sounds, more in keeping with the mid 70s style of the Arkestra, and featuring some very firey solos mixed with a bit of synth. Great stuff, and the Arkestra at its most mystical! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Sun Ra albums ever – and one of the most enigmatic, too! Strange Strings is a very unique session recorded with an otherworldly sound – heavily steeped in the use of "electronic strings", amplified string instruments recorded with crazy echo and other effects, almost sounding like analogue electronics at times. The set also uses a variety of percussion instruments – including "log drum" and "lightning drum" – and Ra plays a bit of electronic piano on it as well as a variety of interesting percussion instruments. And if that's not enough, the whole album ends with the spooky sound of Thlan Aldridge on "space voice"! Incredibly cosmic, and quite out at most moments – with tracks that include "Strange Strange", "Worlds Approaching", and "Strings Strange". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure live set from the Sun Ra Arkestra at Myron's Ballroom in LA from 1981 – their first Los Angeles appearance in a decade, and a really extended performance here that's presented here in all of its glory! The 3CD package features over 3 hours of music – a slow-building concert that has plenty of spare moments at the start, with lots of keyboards from Ra – then draws into a tighter, more soulful focus as things move on – making keen use of John Gilmore's tenor and also including some vocals from June Tyson. Tracks aren't listed, but the concert features a version of "Enlightenment" with vocals by Ra, as well as a take on "Space Is The Place"! CD

Features Ra on synthesizer, Chris Anderson on piano, John Gilmore on tenor, John Ore on bass, Buster Smith on drums, and Bruce Edwards on guitar. CD

Previously-unissued live work from Sun Ra – a very hip set recorded in Cleveland during the mid 70s, and a performance that features some especially nice organ work from Ra himself! The set begins with an extended number titled "Astro Nation" – a slightly funky cut that has some great chanting from the group, almost the same level of politics you might find in Parliament's "Chocolate City" – matched with some bold keyboards and horns. Group chants continue on "Enlightenment", which is taken in a short version – then there's another longer jam in "Friendly Galaxy". Organ continues on "Theme Of The Stargazers/Satellites Are Coming" – then Ra hits a very noisy stretch on the moog during "Synthesizer Solo". The group rounds things up with a version of "Sophisticated Lady" – and other players include Akh Tal Ebah and Kwame Hadi on trumpet, John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, and Damon Choice on vibes. June Tyson and Eddie Thomas are also part of the group on vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

Doo wop era spaceways travel from Sun Ra and soulful mid 50s vocal recruits – including The Cosmic Rays, Crystals, Nu Sounds and Juanita Rogers – a motherlode of rarities and never before issued recordings! Interplanetary Melodies includes doo wop numbers of earthly concern, and space theme tunes, and it's jaw dropping that such top notch recordings were still deep down there in the vaults after the excellent earlier era Ra collections from the Atavistic and Evidence labels – and Norton's efforts here are just as wonderful! The vocals are excellent, with some straighter songs, that could have been huge hits numbers with some sweetness and soaring qualities – particularly the Cosmic Rays tunes, but others are more playful, spacey, with odder lyricism and rawer performances. Soulful harmonies or strange mannerisms, rollicking piano or eerie harmonium, it's fantastic stuff and essential early Sun Ra! Most tunes are culled from unreleased studio or home recordings from the vaults, plus a couple rare releases on Saturn and Pink Clouds, and titles include "Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie", "Bye Bye", "Somebody's In Love" (unissued home rehearsal) and more with Cosmic Rays, "Honey In The Bee Box" (unissued home rehearsal) with The Crystals, "Spaceship Lullaby" (unissued home rehearsal) and "I'm Through With You" (unissued home rehearsal) with Nu Sounds, "It's Christmas Time" by Qualities, "Teenager's Letter Of Promises" with Juanita Rogers and Lynn Hollings, "Tony's Wife" by Sun Ra and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic Arkestra live set from the end of the 80s – beautifully recorded, and put together with a lot more dynamic energy than some of the less professional Sun Ra live dates from the time! The set runs for nearly an hour in length, and tracks are long, but often quite focused – served up with a good deal of soulfulness in both the rhythms and horn work, as well as some of that Ellington-inspired tightness that marked Ra's best later years. Players include Michael Ray, John Gilmore, Tyrone Hill, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Ahmed Abdullah – and titles include "Astro Black", "If You Came From Nowhere Here", "Can You Take It", "Angel Race/I Will Wait For You", "Cosmo Approach Prelude", and "Interstellar Lo-Ways". This 2CD version features a lot more bonus material than was on the original album – a total of 20 tracks in all – with other numbers that include "East Of The Sun", "Tokyo Dance Blues", "Frisco Frog", "Cosmo Swing", "Space Is The Place", "If You Come From Nowhere Here", and "Can You Take It". CD

A classic set from this legendary Detroit festival – a mighty assemblage of roots and jazz performers that was put together by John Sinclair! The event was legendary at the time – and has lived on strongly via this great recording by Atlantic – one that really gets at the special fire of all the performers, and their very enthusiastic welcome by the audience too! Most of the material here is blues – but the set features a key track from Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra – a performance of "Live Is Splendid" from the Space Is The Place Suite. Other tracks include "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Dr John, "Road Runner" by Jr Walker, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "Gambler's Blues" by Otis Rush, "Ain't That Loving You" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Honey Bee" by Muddy Waters, "Form Kinetic" by CJQ, "Dust My Broom" by Johnny Shines, and "Goin Down" by Freddie King. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the strongest solo project ever from Phil Alvin – a late 80s effort dedicated to the romping R&B sounds of the 50s – done with great help from both the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Sun Ra Arkestra! A number of cuts are from the glory days of the R&B single – and the approach moves between tracks with Alvin's combo, one with the Dirty Dozen, and three especially nice tracks with the Arkestra! Given the way that Sun Ra's 80s material was often dipping back into earlier generations of jazz, the group make for a very strong fit with Phil's approach – on titles that include "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn", "Titanic Blues", "Collins Cave", "Death In The Morning", "Next Week Sometime", and "The Old Man Of The Mountain". CD

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness". CD

Previously unissued work by Sun Ra – tracks recorded during the sessions for his Heliocentric Worlds 2 album for ESP, but lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds". CD

One of the more obscure albums by Ra – but a great one, and a record that features a number of tracks recorded in the same marathon session that also yielded the albums Fate In a Pleasant Mood, Angels & Demons At Play, and We Travel The Spaceways. The record, like the albums mentioned above, is a beautiful assortment of jazz standards, redone the "Ra" way, with that late 50s exotic and haunting approach to modern jazz. One of the highlights of the session is an excellent take on "Holiday For Strings", and other cuts include "Body & Soul", "But Not For Me", and "Early Autumn". CD

Some of the most unusual Sun Ra material of the 80s – a series of performances done with the Outer Space Visual Communicator – a unique instrument that mixed light and music together, and created a very trippy experience for both the Arkestra and the audience! Most of these tracks have never been heard before – only two have appeared on a video – and together, they showcase a really unique experiment for Ra – which is really saying something, given how experimental Sun Ra could be with his music! The package was put together in collaboration with the inventor of the OVC, and titles include "Calling Planet Earth", "Sunset On The Nile", "Love In Outer Space", "Theme Of The Stargazers", "East Of The Sun", "Saturn Rings", and "El Is A Sound Of Joy" – plus a very long take of "Discipline 27-II". CD

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight". 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

One of the most important Sun Ra albums from the early years of Saturn Records – a set that got a bit more circulation than some of his other records, and which shows the group really expanding their sonic range in a wonderful way! The title track takes up all of side one – and is this mystic workout that features Sun Ra on clavioline and piano – an acoustic/electric combination that creates really mindblowing results – and which is echoed by some very inventive reed work from Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, and John Gilmore on tenor. The tune has a brooding intensity that's amazing – very spacey at times, and free, but not in an aggressive way. Other tunes follow in their own rich pattern – and also feature Ra on Sun Harp, celeste, dragon drum, and marimba – on titles that include "The Shadow World", "Abstract Eye", and "Abstract I". CD