. Adventure-Equation .: Sun Ra - Visits Planet Earth / Interstellar Low Ways (early 1960s)

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sun Ra - Visits Planet Earth / Interstellar Low Ways (early 1960s)

Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth is another one of the great albums dating to the Chicago period in the mid- to late '50s. Assembled from two recording sessions, Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth is an excellent snapshot of this early period. The first four tunes are all from the earlier session (1956) and feature the Arkestra playing what might strike many listeners as fairly conventional material. The remainder of the tunes are from a 1958 session, and show the band moving away from straight bop and swing towards a more unique sound using much more prominent percussion and an increasing use of dissonance, along with instruments like solar bells and space lute. Most of these tracks were recorded a number of times in the '50s (check Sound of Joy), but arrangements and players vary from take to take. This album is a good example of how the Arkestra sounded just prior to (figuratively) blasting off into outer space.

Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways is a great pairing of two classic Saturn LPs from the Chicago period. Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth was recorded in two sessions, one in late 1956 and the other in 1958. The first four tracks (from the 1956 sessions) are firmly grounded in bop and swing. The next three tracks are from the 1958 session, and find the Arkestra creating a more personal sound, with prominent tympani and elements of dissonance beginning to enter the picture. By the time of the 1960 sessions for Interstellar Low Ways, there was no one else in the Arkestra's league. Not only have the bandmembers picked up such instruments as the Solar Bells, Solar Drum, and Space Lute (!), but Space Chants like "Interplanetary Music" and "Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus" are being performed and recorded. Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways shows the rapid development of the Arkestra during the Chicago years, and serves as an excellent summary of that period.

AMG Reviews by Sean Westergaard

38. [24] Sun Ra and the Arkestra

Sound of Joy/
Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/
Deep Purple

Sun Ra (p, Wurlitzer ep, announcement); Art Hoyle (tp, perc); Dave young (tp except -2); John Avant (tb -1); Pat Patrick (as, bars, perc); John Gilmore (ts, perc); Charles Davis (bars, perc); Victor Sproles (b); William Cochran (d); Jim Herndon (tymp, timb except -2); Clyde Williams (voc -2).

Unidentified studio, Chicago,
November 1, 1956

          Overtones of China (Ra) -1
          Two Tones (Patrick-Davis)
          Planet Earth (Ra)
          Reflections in Blue (Ra)
          El Viktor (Ra)
          + 6 others

This session was recorded for Transition and intended for a follow-up to Jazz by Sun Ra, but the company failed and the album was never issued. Items from this session appeared on three different LPs, two on Saturn and one on Delmark, from which various reissues have sprung in turn.

First, four tracks appeared in 1966 on Saturn 9956-11-A/B, Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth. In 1967 it was given the catalog number 207. All tracks from this album were reissued in 1992 on Evidence 22039 [CD].

43. [30] Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra

Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth

Sun Ra (p, solar p [Wurlitzer ep], Egyptian sun bells), Lucious Randolph (tp); Nate Pryor (tb); James Spaulding (as); Marshall Allen (fl); John Gilmore (ts, solar bells, tambourine); Pat Patrick (bars, Rhodesian bells, solar drum); Ronald Boykins (b); Jim Herndon (timb); Robert Barry (d).

Rehearsal, Chicago,
late 1957 or early 1958

Planet Earth (Ra)

44. [31] Sun Ra (p.); Lucious Randolph (tp); Nate Pryor (tb); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts, bells); Pat Patrick (as solo); Charles Davis (bars); Ronnie Boykins (b); Robert Barry (d); Jim Herndon (tymp, boom bam, timb).

Rehearsal, Chicago,
late 1957 or early 1958

45. [32] Sun Ra (ep, p, spiral percussion gong, Chinese solar gong); Lucious Randolph (tp); Marshall Allen (as, fl); James Spaulding (as); John Gilmore (ts, solar drum); Charles Davis (bars); Pat Patrick (space lute); Ronnie Boykins (b); Robert Barry (d); Jim Herndon (tymp, timb).

Rehearsal, Chicago,
late 1957 or early 1958

The unusually extensive solo credits on the Saturn jacket were helpful in establishing the personnel. James Spaulding joined the Arkestra soon after his arrival in Chicago in August 1957; Marshall Allen and Ronald Boykins were in the fold by early 1958. Julian Vein gives early 1958 as the date. Lucious Randolph says the date is approximately correct, and is positive about his appearance on "Planet Earth" (on which he solos) but not completely sure about "Eve" and "Overtones of China."

67. [52] Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus
(Interstellar Low Ways)

Sun Ra (p, chimes, gong); Marshall Allen (fl solo); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (fl, bells, claves); Ronnie Boykins (b); William Cochran (d).

Rehearsal, Chicago, 1959

Interstellar Low Ways (Ra)

First released around 1966 on Saturn SR 9956-2-M/N, Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus; the cover featured a Sun Ra logo with a burning candle sticking out of it. In 1967 this LP was given the catalog number 203; in 1969 it was reissued as Interstellar Low Ways with a red-and-white cover. All tracks reissued in 1992 on Evidence 22039 [CD]. William Cochran is listed as a drummer on the later Saturn issue and is not known to be on any of the other tracks; the drumming is consistent with other examples of his mallet technique.

If Pat Patrick (as stated on the Saturn jacket) is on flute, the track must have been recorded before his departure to New York City in 1960. It's worth noting, however, that James Spaulding was in Chicago till early 1960 and that Ronald Wilson was also around at the time (both of them played flute behind vocalists for Vee-Jay during this period).

72. [61] Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Fate in a Pleasant Mood/
Holiday for Soul Dance/
Angels and Demons at Play/
We Travel the Spaceways/
Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus
(Interstellar Low Ways)/
The Singles

Sun Ra (bells, perc, gong -1, p -2); Phil Cohran (violin-uke -3, cnt -4, perc, voc); Nate Pryor (tb, bells -5); John Gilmore (ts -6, cl -7, perc, voc); Marshall Allen (as -8, fl -9, bells, voc); Ronnie Boykins (space gong -10, b, voc); John Hardy (d, perc, gong).

RCA Studios, Chicago,
around June 17, 1960

          Space Loneliness (Ra) -2, 4, 5, 7, 9
          Somewhere in Space (Ra) -2, 4, 6, 8, 9
          Interplanetary Music (Ra) [ens voc] -2, 10
          Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus (Ra) [ens voc]
          (incl. Second Stop Is Jupiter) -2, 4, 6, 8
          + at least 19 others!

According to Phil Cohran, this session was an all-day marathon at which 30 to 40 tunes were recorded. All tracks were identified by Cohran as coming from this session or have a similar ambiance to those he identified. Cohran places this session at Hall Recording Co. (but see below). Cohran has said that he copyrighted "Dorothy's Dance" "Within a week" after the session; "Dorothy's Dance" was registered on June 24, 1960. Sun Ra followed Cohran to the Library of Congress with a suite (consisting of "Space Loneliness," "Fate in a Pleasant Mood," "Lights on a Satellite," and "State Street") on July 8, and "The Blue Set" on July 21 (James Wolf).

Alton Abraham says that the studio at Hall Recording Co. was too small for the Arkestra and that he normally used it for mastering only. This was the smallest Arkestra to make a studio recording during the Chicago period; however, Abraham's suggestion that the session was done at RCA Studios does seem more plausible. The actual recording order is unknown, except that "Velvet" as the last track of the day. Personnel courtesy of Phil Cohran; the drummer, Jon Hardy, was not mentioned on any of the Saturn record jackets, though his name appears in the 1967 catalog in connection with We Travel the Spaceways.

Further confirmation of the common origin of many of these tracks is provided by a Saturn test pressing found in a Montréal record store by François Lamarche. The test pressing was made at Sheldon Recording Studios (aka the Chess studios in Chicago) and titled simply Music of the Future by Sun Ra Arkestra. Side A contained "Space Mates," "But Not for Me," and "The Others in There [sic] World." Side B had "Lights on the [sic] Satellite." "Day by Day," "Ankhnaton," and "Holiday for Strings." The pressing contains Alton Abraham's old address at 4115 South Drexel -- and gives a Montréal address and phone number for Sun Ra. It was therefore cut in the summer or early fall of 1961. However, Saturn did not actually issue any LPs from this session till 1965, and when they began to appear, the tracks had been redistributed.

Fasten your seatbelts. At least 22 tracks from this date were issued, on two Saturn singles and five different LPs.

75. [64] Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Fate in a Pleasant Mood/
Interstellar Low Ways/
We Travel the Spaceways

Sun Ra (p.); George Hudson (tp); Marshall Allen (as, bells, flying saucer, voc); John Gilmore (ts, perc, voc); Ronnie Boykins (b, perc, voc); John Hardy (d).

Rehearsals, Chicago,
around October 1960

          Onward (Ra)
          Space Aura (Ra)
          Space Loneliness (Ra)
          + 2 more

George Hudson began working with Sun Ra in late 1960 an was his main trumpet player from Phil Cohran's departure in January 1961 until the Arkestra left Chicago. His style is immediately recognizable on [Onward and Space Aura] and Phil Cohran identified him on "Space Loneliness" [which] is attributed to Walter Strickland on the Saturn jacket. Edward Skinner (who later changed his name to Luqman Ali) was incorrectly credited as the drummer in Jon Hardy's place on a number of Saturn issues. It is known, however, that he and Hudson often worked together, and it is possible that Skinner is on "Onward."
from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed. Campbell/Trent

Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways
1. Reflections In Blue   5:57
2. Two Tones   3:38
3. El Viktor   2:30
4. Saturn   3:57
5. Planet Earth   4:56
6. Eve   5:37
7. Overtones Of China   4:22
8. Onward   3:34
9. Somewhere In Space   3:02
10. Interplanetary Music   2:26
11. Interstellar Low Ways   8:24
12. Space Loneliness   4:32
13. Space Aura   3:11
14. Rocket Number Nine Take Off For The Planet Venus   6:12

FLAC

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