I only have cosmic tones, magic city, Atlantis and (forgot the title) but it's p tempting to rebuy them if the sound is really refreshed.
― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Friday, 23 May 2014 22:59 (ten years ago) link
Now: Monorails and Satellites Volume Two-- so far, more suspenseful than Volume One,, which was just played all the way through, as this will be, I assume. More about the reissues:http://jazztimes.com/sections/news/articles/130149-sun-ra-music-archive-reissues-21-albums-exclusively-for-itunes
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 01:50 (ten years ago) link
Solo Piano, Volume One, from 1977, produced by Paul Bley, and now Solo Piano Recital, which so far sports shorter pieces, aimed at live audience: the former (a studio set) occasionally too reliant on spaces between notes (dramatic pauses; encouraged by the usually excellent Bley's more ECM-ish influences? Surely Ra's not susceptible, so no excuse), but more often with varied ways of playing the same note, outbursts like a self=starting player piano, undertow-defying/shading waves though "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child"--overall, both albums have me thinking of Mondrian's "Broadway Boogie Woogie" and weather.
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 03:14 (ten years ago) link
(The live album's not as deep, maybe, but carries me along like a live album should.)
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 03:15 (ten years ago) link
Actual title: Solo Piano Recital: Teatro la Fenice Venizia.
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 03:21 (ten years ago) link
Same album, in the home stretch with "Free Improvisation"("I want to invite you to a party on Jupiter"). He'll be back Sunday afternoon. Also: five tracks, supposedly essential (reasons provided):http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/05/22/314363815/act-like-you-know-sun-ra
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 03:42 (ten years ago) link
Oops well like it says upthread, Sunday goes like this: with an in-depth look at some of Ra's earlier controversial, avant-garde work on the early morning "Jazz 'til Dawn" (1-6am) and a focus on notable Arkestra members with significant distinct careers on the afternoon "Jazz Profiles" (2-7pm).
― dow, Saturday, 24 May 2014 04:05 (ten years ago) link
Back for the Ra edition of "Jazz til Dawn," leading off with Of Mythic Worlds(1979) which is a space swing sandwich of "Over The Rainbow and "Inside The Blues," between the suave exotica of "Mayan Temples" (invitation to a beheading, perhaps) and the relative outness of "Intrinsic Energies" and the somewhat further out/crisply frictional title track. Good stuff, though I'm more into the more combustible cohesion and momentum of Life Is Splendid, from the 1972 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, with six drummers and plenty of strong male and female voices, rolling though light and dark: "If this is the Planet of Life, why are people dying? You dare call this life! Ha ha ha ha!" Horns laugh too, mountains ripple. "Why don't you come on to Outer Space with me? Every day down here is the same old thing. Come with me, to the Imm-measurablllle--Endless! Immeasurable!"1. Enlightenment 2. Love In Outer Space 3. Space Is The Place 4. Disciple 27-11/What Planet Is This?/Life Is Splendid/Immeasurable 5. Watusi6. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
― dow, Sunday, 25 May 2014 06:21 (ten years ago) link
Sorry, the medley starts with "Discipline (not Disciple) 27-11."
― dow, Sunday, 25 May 2014 06:33 (ten years ago) link
This afternoon's "Jazz Profiles": spotlight on Marshall Allen (90th birthday is today, I think; maybe they'll get around to his centennial too). Started with him and James Moody, in 1949, and later on Paul Bley Quintet's Barrage(ESP, '64), but mostly with Ra. Think I'll try to make more of my notes for other wheres of else, but here's news on Allen's new album Two Stars In The Universe,, with current Arkestra collegue Kash Kallion, who plays, cello, sarangi, and kabong (MA plays Casio as well as sax and flute, whole thing reportedly mellower than expected, but with some "freaky" too). Ltd, ed, get it while you can:http://www.thewire.co.uk/news/30281/new-marshall-allen-album-to-be-released-by-swiss-sun-ra-collector
― dow, Sunday, 25 May 2014 22:42 (ten years ago) link
Mark Sinker's interview with Ra: http://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/essays/loving-the-alien_black-science-fiction
― dow, Sunday, 25 May 2014 22:45 (ten years ago) link
One last: "If we came from nowhere here, why can't we go somewhere There." Not as much a question, as strong suggestion!
― dow, Sunday, 25 May 2014 22:55 (ten years ago) link
Will Friedwald, with a good overview of Ra, and exploring the iTunes reissues:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/sun-ra-still-out-of-this-world-1401313219
― dow, Saturday, 31 May 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
"Space is the Place" at Fenway!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n8vhu36B9U
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 15:35 (nine years ago) link
!!!
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 15:37 (nine years ago) link
AMAZING
― You are the worst breed of fong (stevie), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link
http://www.wnyc.org/story/happy-100-sun-ra-its-been-23-years-live-concert-has-been-heard/
― Daphnis Celesta, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 16:17 (nine years ago) link
Was anyone else kind of. . . I don't know. . . *annoyed* by this piece on Pitchfork?
http://pitchfork.com/features/starter/9447-sun-ra-10-essential-tracks/
To me, the picks feel a little obscure for obscurity's sake.
― austinato (Austin), Tuesday, 15 July 2014 23:15 (nine years ago) link
Thanks so much for that show, Daphnis!
― dow, Tuesday, 15 July 2014 23:28 (nine years ago) link
uh imo those aren't exactly obscure albums austin
― the late great, Tuesday, 15 July 2014 23:50 (nine years ago) link
any list with "Strange Strings" on it is ok by me
― dem bow dem bow need calcium (seandalai), Wednesday, 16 July 2014 00:26 (nine years ago) link
Not the albums, but the tracks are what bugged me.
I don't know. I still have a hard time accepting pfork writing outside of their "box." Don't mind me; snobbiness and whathaveyou.
**shrug**
I guess if it gets more people listening to Sun Ra, then all's well that ends well.
― austinato (Austin), Wednesday, 16 July 2014 02:56 (nine years ago) link
I know what you're saying though - even the idea of "10 sun ra songs you must hear" offends me ... why not 50? or 100 would be more like it!
― the late great, Wednesday, 16 July 2014 05:14 (nine years ago) link
Can someone help me identify a live Sun Ra track please? I used to have as an mp3, pretty sure it's somewhere between 10-20 mins long, sounds a bit like "V.I.P." by Fela Kuti - kind of repetitive horn riff that builds up, if that helps.
― inventionsforjohn, Monday, 25 August 2014 22:38 (nine years ago) link
lol
um what's the instrumentation
― Οὖτις, Monday, 25 August 2014 22:53 (nine years ago) link
and the era (take a guess)
― Οὖτις, Monday, 25 August 2014 23:08 (nine years ago) link
Haha, It's worth a try!
Ok, At a guess I'd say 70's at the earliest, maybe 80's. It was quite a clear, professional sounding live recording. The stand out thing of the track is the riff that gets repeated by the horn section (mainly trumpets, if I remember) and builds up, it's fairly slow tempo.
Is that any help?
― inventionsforjohn, Monday, 25 August 2014 23:57 (nine years ago) link
Space is the Place?
― liam fennell, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:30 (nine years ago) link
first thing that came to mind was 'that's how i feel'
― Merdeyeux, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:53 (nine years ago) link
Tracks I have from that era that are between 10-20 minutes long:
"There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)" - Lanquidity"Dark Lights in a White Forest" - Omniverse"Intensity" - Lost Tones"Somewhere There" - Outer Spaceways Incorporated"Omnisonicism" - Lost Tones"A Fireside Chat With Lucifer" - A Fireside Chat With Lucifer"Space is the Place" - Space is the Place"Life is Splendid" - Life is Splendid"Sleeping Beauty" - Sleeping Beauty"Say" - Strange Celestial Road"I'll Wait For You" - Strange Celestial Road
A bunch of these are slower, ballad-type pieces and don't bear much similarity to "VIP".
There's also a bunch of longer live tracks on the Live at the Ann Arbor Jazz Festival albums, but I have those at home. "Strange Celestial Road", "On Jupiter", and "Disco 3000" all have some p long tracks iirc but I don't have them here either.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 16:00 (nine years ago) link
listening to Secrets of the Sun - forgot Calvin Newborn was on this, so weird to hear that thick, nimble R&B/jazz guitar on a Sun Ra record
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 17:14 (nine years ago) link
Wow, thanks a lot for going through the trouble, appreciate it. After going through a box of about 100 unlabelled mp3 cd's I've found it - 'Adventures Outer Space' from 'Calling Planet Earth'.
Basically it's nothing like how I described it apart from sounding a bit like that Fela Track - It's only about 7mins, not a great recording and from the 60's - sorry about that.
Could have sworn it was longer, maybe anyone knows if there's another longer version out there, under a different name possibly?
― inventionsforjohn, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 21:05 (nine years ago) link
lol I don't even know that one at all
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 21:10 (nine years ago) link
ILX alumnus Andy Beta on Marshall Allen-selected Sun Ra and His Arkestra's enticing double-album overview, In The Orbit of Ra: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19736-sun-ra-and-his-arkestra-in-the-orbit-of-ra/
― dow, Monday, 6 October 2014 14:48 (nine years ago) link
the first disc of the comp is really amazingly well put-together
― the late great, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:25 (nine years ago) link
nice review
does not sound like the kind of thing I need to own tho lol
― Οὖτις, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
Roartorio Records is releasing an unreleased Sun Ra album from 1972 next month
In 1972, Sun Ra inked a high-profile deal with ABC / Impulse, bringing his recorded work to the widest audience he’d had to date. A slew of Saturn back catalog titles and two newly-recorded albums (Astro Black, Pathways To Unknown Worlds) were issued before ABC cancelled the contract, dumped the records into the cut-out bins, and left the unreleased albums to languish. Now, over four decades later, Roaratorio is proud to offer one of the lost Impulse recordings for the first time. Sign Of The Myth hails from the same studio session as Pathways, and shares its emphasis on guided improvisations. With a constantly shifting palette of Moog textures, Ra tosses off a dazzling array of ideas throughout, supported by the usual Arkestra stalwarts; in particular, bassist Ronnie Boykins and drummer Clifford Jarvis are in shining form here, giving shape and solidity to these pieces. Sign Of The Myth is a welcome augmentation to an especially fertile period from Sun Ra’s time on Earth. Download coupon included.
https://soundcloud.com/roaratoriorecs/sun-ra-his-astro-infinity-arkestra-the-truth-of-maat
― chr1sb3singer, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:36 (nine years ago) link
Cool! The Other Strange Worlds record Roaratorio put out is pretty great (though it isn't quite the "Strange Strings part 2!" the sticker claims).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 6 October 2014 19:42 (nine years ago) link
ooh yeah that sounds good
I have never heard Astro Black :(
― Οὖτις, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:43 (nine years ago) link
i don't know, i have more than 50 sun ra albums and i found the first disc of the comp surprising and engaging
― the late great, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:44 (nine years ago) link
Me neither! I used to see it used all the time, but never picked it up because I assumed it was a repackaging of a Saturn thing I already had.
xp
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 6 October 2014 19:46 (nine years ago) link
I saw it only once, on the wall at Dusty Groove in Chicago and it was $75
― Οὖτις, Monday, 6 October 2014 19:58 (nine years ago) link
― the late great, Monday, October 6, 2014 2:25 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah, i have most of this music on other records but i'm really enjoying listening to this. i like the way it juxtaposes a number of eras of sun ra's bands in a way that feels cohesive
― I dunno. (amateurist), Monday, 6 October 2014 20:50 (nine years ago) link
and the world really /was/ in need of a kind of sun ra best-of. his discography is kind of the definition of "daunting."
first disc makes a good case for sun ra as the GOAT "exotica" artist
― the late great, Monday, 6 October 2014 20:51 (nine years ago) link
there is a best-of already. 'Greatest Hits: Easy Listening For Intergalatic Travel'
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 7 October 2014 08:04 (nine years ago) link
The first disc is getting all the hype...what's the second one like? Thinking of picking this up.
― millmeister, Tuesday, 7 October 2014 08:52 (nine years ago) link
the new comp is definitely excellent.
― A college wearing a sweater that says “John Belushi” (stevie), Tuesday, 7 October 2014 09:42 (nine years ago) link
http://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SunRa71.jpg
http://www.openculture.com/2014/07/full-lecture-and-reading-list-from-sun-ras-1971-uc-berkeley-course.html audio & some text (backstory re latter)
― dow, Friday, 10 October 2014 15:36 (nine years ago) link
Disc 1 seemed too becalmed or detached for a while, but opened up during the last quarter, and all of Disc 2 grabbed me right away. Think I'll get it when got a little more $.Lost Reels, it says here, with a little background for performances from Berkeley, ca, summer '71, and unknown location, some time in '72. Performers listed incl. Allen, Gilmore, Patrick, Boykins, Danny Davis, June Tyson. Haven't had time to listen yet, but this site is fairly reliable:http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=2150
― dow, Tuesday, 27 January 2015 01:04 (nine years ago) link