Sun Ra - Outer Space Employment Agency (1973) [released 1999]

Outer Space Employment Agency is the third and final installment of Alive/Total Energy's releases culled from Sun Ra's performances at The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festivals.

Recorded on September 9, 1973 at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, this is a fair-fidelity live document; the sound is listenable, but not exceptional. Of the three tracks, "Discipline 99" and "Love in Outer Space" are by far the more cacophonous, with Sun Ra's spooky farfisa organ and mini-moog being by far the most interesting elements in the inscrutable brew. The 20-minute medley "At First There Was Nothing/The Universe Has More to Offer You/Wake Up Angels/Outer Space Employment Agency" -- yes, that's the full title -- is more ingratiating. Anchored on a lilting swing groove, much of it is devoted to the inimitable, and uplifting if not purely sensical, cosmic rap-philosophizing of the Arkestra, joined by vocalist June Tyson. If this were the only aural evidence of the Arkestra in this era, you could still get a sense of their more enduring qualities. But there are better-sounding albums of this phase of their development; this should be investigated by those hungry to hear Sun Ra in quantity. AMG Review by Richie Unterberger

During his lengthy recording career, Sun Ra employed many styles, from swing to doo-wop to free jazz to Disney show tunes. No single album can express the breadth of his intergalactic musical vision, but this recording culled from his 16-piece Intergalactic Arkestra's performance at the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival vividly conveys the exuberance of his band in full cry. The first track, "Discipline 99," blasts off with a blizzard of metal-flaking electronics and wooly, honking reeds; it sounds chaotic, but the perfectly timed leaps between passages for the whole group, emphatic solo statements, and an exhilarating unison between saxophone and synthesizer betray the iron command that Ra exercised over his ensemble. The Arkestra go on to shine brightly on Ellingtonian waltzes, extended multipercussion workouts, and a lengthy vocal segment in which Ra and his crew bestow jewels of space wisdom upon the enthusiastic crowd with gospel fervor. 

Amazon Review by Bill Meyer

On September 10, 1973, the Arkestra returned to play John Sinclair’s fifth annual Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, a huge outdoor concert held at Otis Spann Memorial Field. This was a rare opportunity for Sun Ra to play in front of a large audience, appearing on the final night of the festival on a bill with Luther Allison, Hound Dog Taylor, and Otish Rush. The entire concert was broadcast over the radio, including most of Sun Ra’s seventy-three minute set (see Campbell & Trent p. 201) and a tape of this broadcast apparently circulates amongst collectors, but I haven’t heard it. Finally, in 1999, Sinclair released a fifty-two minute fragment (omitting “Discipline 27” and “Astro Black”) on his Alive!/Total Energy label on a compact disc entitled, Outer Space Employment Agency. To be honest, it's a mixed bag.

(continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)

209. [183]  Sun Ra and the Intergalactic Discipline Arkestra

Outer Space Employment Agency

Sun Ra (Farfisa org, Mini-Moog syn, declamation); Kwame Hadi (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp, mell, sp-mell, declamation); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl, perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Alzo Wright (clo, perc); Ronnie Boykins (b); Tommy Hunter (d); Lex Humphries (d); Vic Morrison (d); Atakatune (cga); Odun (cga); June Tyson (voc); dancers also present.

Otis Spann Memorial Field,
Ann Arbor, MI, September 10, 1973

The Arkestra's second appearance at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival was broadcast over NPR stations, including KQED-FM in the Bay Area.  John Lockard supplied the correct date:  Sunday night, September 10.  He says that the Arkestra was the second-to-last act of the entire festival, followed by Luther Allison.

Most of the Arkestra performance was broadcast, for a total of 73 minutes of music.  Some tapes also include an interview with Ra (at his home in Philadelphia) by Peter Wolf.  Tunes from Michael Shore and ct; personnel from Shore and Michael Wilderman (who says Boykins, Humphries, and Morrison were mentioned on the broadcast).  "Discipline 27: has a countermelody not included in other known performances of the piece.

In 1999, John Sinclair issued a CD of this concert on Alive/Total Energy NER3021, under the title Outer Space Employment Agency.  (There is also an LP issue.)  The band is identified on these releases as Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra.  The CD includes an untitled improvisation that was not broadcast, and leaves off "Astro Black" and the synthesizer solo.

Unfortunately, the CD also continues the tradition of incorrect titling that has afflicted so many commercial releases of Arkestra concerts.  The Alive!/Total Energy CD refers to the untitled improv as "Discipline 99," to "Discipline 99" as "Love in Outer Space," and to "Love in Outer Space/Watusi" as "Watusi/Discipline 27-II"; from there to the end of the concert, the CD correctly includes all of the titles except "Discipline 27-II" itself.  Thanks to Armin Büttner for information about the CD, including the out-of-synch titling. 

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.  Campbell/Trent

Outer Space Employment Agency

1. Untitled Improv   13:49
2. Discipline 99   4:58
3. Love in Outer Space / Watusa   13:10
4. Discipline 27-II / At First There Was Nothing /
   The Universe Has More To Offer You / Wake Up Angels /
   Outer Space Employment Agency   20:15

Other Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival Recordings

Life is Splendid

It Is Forbidden