Halloween

 

Three performances of Halloween in Harlem (because I simply could not resist).

Sun Ra - Calling Planet Earth (1971) - Calling Planet Earth Box CD 3

The Paris concert was supposed to be the last of this ill-fated tour -- but at the last minute, Sun Ra decided to go to Egypt. Someone had tipped him off to cheap airfare from Copenhagen to Cairo and a handful of gigs in Denmark were cobbled together to pay for a trip to the Land of the Pharaohs (see Campbell & Trent p.178). Egypt was a place of obvious spiritual importance to Sun Ra, but half of the rapidly shrinking Arkestra bailed out and returned home. Nevertheless, the core musicians dutifully carried on with the shoe-string adventure. As it turned out, the Danish promoters failed to pay, and Sonny financed the trip by selling a batch of tapes to the Black Lion label, the desperate transaction taking place on the tarmac as the Cairo-bound plane awaited its departure (Id. p.179; Szwed p.292). Among those tapes was a recording from Odense on December 3, 1971 but never issued (has anyone heard this?) and the December 5th concert from the Tivoli Theatre in Copenhagen, which was finally released by the DA Music/Freedom label as Calling Planet Earth in 1998.

The homemade stereo recording was made from the stage (probably by Tommy Hunter), and while it sounds fine, there is some distortion during the loudest parts and you can hear the seams of a hasty editing job. Hunter’s voice (likely recorded in the hotel room afterwards) announces the date and venue before cutting into a brief turbulent percussion jam, which serves as an introduction to “Discipline 5.” The through-composed sequence of sweet-n-sour harmonies rises and falls over the busy percussion section, yielding to an unaccompanied alto saxophone solo by Danny Davis, and returning for the reprise. Kwami Hadi remains as the only brass player, but the saxophone section is full and lush: besides Davis, mainstays Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Danny Thompson, and Eloe Omoe and newcomers Larry Northington and Hakim Rahim are all present and help to flesh out the intricate arrangement. “Discipline 10” is more groove-oriented, propelled by Ra’s barbequed organ comping over which the Arkestra riffs on a handful of big-voiced chords. Ra solos interestingly on organ while Patrick grinds out a stumbling bass line until Gilmore enters with a fiercely overblown solo on tenor sax. Unfortunately, he’s way off-mic and hard to hear. Even so, you can tell he’s really blowing his ass off! After a return of the head, Ra steers the band into a nicely sung rendition of “Enlightenment." A severely truncated version of “Love in Outer Space” ends what would have been side one of the LP, fading out just as things start to come to a boil.

(Continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)


187. [163]  Sun Ra Arkestra

Calling Planet Earth

Sun Ra (org); Kwame Hadi (tp, cga); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl); Larry Northington (as, cga); John Gilmore (ts, perc, d); Pat Patrick (bars, eb); Danny Thompson (bars, fl); Eloe Omoe (bck, fl); Hakim Rahim (as, fl); Clifford Jarvis (d); Tommy Hunter (d, as); Lex Humphries (d); June Tyson (voc, dance); prob. Cheryl Banks (dance, voc); prob. Wisteria el Moondew [Judith Holton] (dance, voc); Richard Wilkinson (light show).

Tivoli Hall, København, Denmark,
December 5, 1971

This live tape was hastily edited after the concert (Tommy Hunter's voice announces the date and location) and sold to Black Lion at the Copenhagen airport….  Black Lion never issued the material, but in April 1998, DA Music issued it on Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 741071).  This was also included as the third CD in the three-CD box titled Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 7612).

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed. Campbell/Trent

Calling Planet Earth (1971)

1. Untitled percussion intro   1:45
2. Discipline no. 5   2:50
3. Discipline no. 5 (continued)   2:40
4. Discipline no. 10   8:17
5. Enlightenment   2:50
6. Love in Outer Space   2:42
7. Discipline no. 15/The Satellites Are Spinning   6:50
8. Calling Planet Earth/The Outers   9:59
9. Adventures Outer Planes   7:31

FLAC

or

320

Box Set Images (incl. NuVoid reviews)


Calling Planet Earth box set CD 1
(Outer Spaceways Incorporated) 1968

Calling Planet Earth box set CD 2
(Spaceways) 1966

Doctor Auratheft (-) Sun Ra Mixtapes Part 6 (Bonus!)

 

Message To The Earth Man (From The Sun Man) Volume 10

Download -New Link!!
RS

1  Message (Intro)
2  Astro Black
3  New Day
4  One Day In Rome
5  Skylight
6  Jukin’
7  The Mystery Of Two
8  There Is A Change In The Air
9  Mayan Temple
10 Purple Night Blues
11 I Loves You, Porgy
12 I’m Gonna Unmask The Batman
13 I Am We Are
14 Message (Outro) 

This Mixtape has never been offered online before.  Siebe graciously submitted this for posting at Adventure-Equation; pretty nice, eh?

For a couple of years DJ, Historian and Philosopher, Siebe Thissen, who is currently the Public Art Director at Centre for The Arts Rotterdam and holds his PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam, hosted a blog that many of you may remember as (-) Dr. Auratheft.  Among his many musical loves, Siebe has a long-time interest (infatuation?) in the music of our favorite Saturnian.  I've enjoyed his Sun Ra mixtures tremendously and with a friend's help was able to collect them all.  I contacted Siebe a couple of months ago and he very generously agreed to comb through his archives and upload 320k upgrades of his original 128k offerings for us to enjoy here at Adventure-Equation.  Incredibly, he even sent an unpublished Ra mixtape for posting here.

Siebe explained that he "started making Ra mixtapes in order to really understand his music as it is not very accessible at first listening. So the tapes are the result of a personal musical-anthropological journey. A lot of people people don't know where to start with Ra. It’s almost impossible to list a ‘best of series’ – you really have got to dig into Ra’s oeuvre.

So I started collecting albums (mainly records borrowed from friends,  CD's and MP3’s found on the web) and started listening carefully to them. Each time I enjoyed a particular track I separated it and stored it in a file. Over the years that file grew (and is still growing) and I started combining selections of tracks into mixtapes. There was an educational aspect: after my discovery of Ra, I wanted to show my circle of friends how amazing and incredible this heritage is and how relevant his music is today.

To update his sound,  I decided not to use the many anarchic-horn-blowing-chaos-tracks. No, I focused on composition instead. And I paid tribute to Ra’s smaller band recordings I like a lot. One of my favorite albums is "God Is More Than Love Ever Can Be" (piano, bass, drums) and I love his piano solo albums. Sun Ra is a mighty composer.

My mixes usually include four ‘Ra styles’: 1) songs, 2) open, slow, free jazz, ‘democratic’ group improvisations, 3) traditionals, 4) piano compositions. So yes, some styles are under represented, like Moog synthesizer improv's and loud group jams. As a fan I think they are interesting and belong to his omniverse, however, as an educator/podcast maker – sharing my love for music with others - I think they contribute less to his greatness."

"There's criticism too. Some people say it's wrong to leave out the noisy, free jazz "chaos parts", since as a listener you need that physical/psychological anxiety to really appreciate the tracks that appear after that noise. Only then you can really appreciate the emerging beauty, crawling out of the chaos and opening up your brain cells. I don't agree. I don't think it is necessary to consider each album a conceptual unity (that's why I never mention in the tracklist from which album a specific track was taken). I do not consider his albums "conceptual unities", however, his total oeuvre forms a unity. I think Ra gives us the freedom to create omniverses ourselves. He shows and sheds light on possible routes – consequently, we have to map our own routes and territories."

There are other folks who think you are not allowed to squeeze Ra into a "Greatest Hits" format. I agree. I never did. That's why I made 10 mixtapes!!! And they are not greatest hits, they are "new albums” – personal interpretations of Ra.  Anyway, no one made Sun Ra mixes before, so why shouldn't I give it try? Or better: I had to. The most beautiful thing is, this music is much more than an oeuvre, the guy represents the music of the 20th century. I consider him a genius."
 

Sun Ra - ESP Radio presented by The Good Doctor part 4

In anticipation and celebration of the imminent release of The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1 (pre-order directly from Transparency (transparency2011@yahoo.com) for an exceptional discount)!  The set is expected to ship within the next week.

Several years ago, Arkestra member and official Sun Ra archivist, Michael D. Anderson "The Good Doctor," enhanced the ESP-Disc website with a 14-hour Sun Ra retrospective.  The Good Doctor, just as what I expect to hear from the forthcoming 14-CD Transparency Release, The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1, presents a timeline of Sun Ra's career featuring both classic releases and unheard nuggets from the Archive.  The tribute is divided into 6 parts, each approximately 2 hours for a total of 14 hours of amazing information and music.  Throughout the broadcasts, Michael D. Anderson relates biographical information about Ra and shares many anecdotes of his time with the Arkestra; I find these are particularly interesting and entertaining.

A few of my favorite moments from these broadcasts have already been featured here.  You might remember Rusty Morgan's "Blame Shame" or the Arkestra's remarkable performances of Universe in Blue and I Roam the Cosmos (if you missed these, rectify!).  There are plenty more incredible rarities peppered throughout these broadcasts so stay tuned as each will be featured here over the next weeks.  Each post will feature the original master tape offered in both FLAC and 320k mp3 as well as an mp3 audio stream of the show.

MANY THANKS to our friend, I-), for sending me these wonderful recordings.

ESP Sun Ra Radio Tribute Part 4

FLAC (pt 1/2)
FLAC (pt 2/2)
(linked files)

or

320

New Links in Comments!

Part 4 setlist

1. The Good Doctor (0:02)

2. ESP Sampler commercial [note: this was repeated at beginning of file 4; not included here] (0:53)

3. I Am Strange -- Sun Ra, poem recital and piano (4:48)

4. The Good Doctor (1:07)

5. Universe in Blue, pt. 1 & pt. 2 (19710817) [from "Universe in Blue" but note: in stereo, and with applause at end] [GD says location possibly Slug's] (14:02)

6. "Intergalactic Research" (ends with Gilmore unacc. solo) (19710817, poss. Slug's, same show as "Universe in Blue") (15:13)

7. Discipline 27 (19710817, poss. Slug's, same show as "Universe in Blue") (7:32)

8. The Good Doctor (2:01)

9. Theme of the Stargazers (19711217, Egypt) [from "Horizon"] (2:07)

10. Discipline 2 (19711217, Egypt) [from "Horizon"] (4:41)

11. The Shadow World (19711217, Egypt) [from "Horizon"] [note: more complete version than LP; edited-out part patched in by GD from cassette] (16:40)

12.Unidentified title (heavy synth) (19711217, Egypt) (4:54)

13. Unidentified title [June Tyson, voc., low-volume recording; sound improves at 4:00] (19711217, Egypt) (11:40)

14. Unidentified title (19711217, Egypt) [note: GD announces these as "We'll Wait For You" and "Discipline 8" but to my ears they're not] (4:13)

15. Unidentified title [solo bs?] (19711217, Egypt) (1:48)

16. The Good Doctor (1:52)

17. Outer Spaceways Incorporated [take 1?] (w/long intro) (19720213, alt. take, mono film track from film "Space is the Place") (7:44)

18. Outer Spaceways Incorporated [Evidence "Space is the Place" soundtrack version] (3:19)

19. We'll Wait For You [Evidence soundtrack version but longer; does not fade] -Strange Worlds -solo Moog (19720213, mono film track from film "Space is the Place") (8:23)

20. The Good Doctor (1:02)

21. The Good Doctor [note: announces side C of "Live at Montreux" 1976, but in file, 17 min. of non - Sun Ra "elevator music" appears instead, as noted in email--not included here] (1:55)

22. Halloween in Harlem (1977?1031, Grendel's Lair, Philadelphia) [not in RLC] personnel includes: Craig Harris, Vincent Chancey, Oscar "Bobo" Brown, b. (5:30)

23. The Shadow World (1977?1031, Grendel's Lair, Philadelphia) [not in RLC] (7:31)

24. applause, announcement by Dave Gold (1977?1031, Grendel's Lair, Philadelphia) [not in RLC] (0:40)

25. The Good Doctor (2:59)

26. I Cover the Waterfront (feat. Gilmore) (19771213, Bottom Line, NYC) [not in RLC] (9:07)

27. Theme of the Stargazers (19771213, Bottom Line, NYC) [not in RLC] (6:41)

28. The Good Doctor (1:30)

29. Untitled improvisation (intro) (19780417, Left Bank Jazz Society) [not in RLC] personnel includes: Robin Eubanks, tb, Dale Williams, eg (4:26) --

30. Tapestry From an Asteroid (June Tyson, voc.) (19780417, Left Bank Jazz Society) [not in RLC] (8:39)

31. Omnipotence (Ra, solo keyboard) (19780417, Left Bank Jazz Society) [not in RLC] (4:01)

32. The Good Doctor (0:15)

33. ESP Sampler commercial (1:02)

Inspired by Sun Ra: The Gasoline Monk & Disco 3000 (2011)

The  Gasoline Monk contacted me a few days ago to express his appreciation for the Sun Ra's music and to share with us his incredible composition titled DISCO 420 which is comprised of snippets and passages from Sun Ra's seminal album, Disco 3000.  I hope you enjoy this montage which dramatically re-contextualizes Sun Ra's work yet manages to keep

the spirit of the original alive.

 

Disco 420

Sun Ra - Purple Night (1990)

Sun Ra's purple night is not only a great album, it is one of Sun Ra's Best, right up there with Heliocentric worlds, Space is the Place, and A Night in East Berlin. It is composed and it isn't. A track like track 3, Love in Outer Space is done as a straight song, but those harmonic touches only Sun Ra could add make it enchanting. A track like track 2, on the other hand, is only based off a single bass line: A2, D2,C2,F2, played over and over as eighths (to give you an idea), and what the "arkestra" does with it, how it increases tension or not, and their self-interaction, it makes it a perfect and classic free jazz track. Everything you could ever want in an avant-garde jazz album, Purple Night is as good as it gets.
Amazon reader review

The album was the second in a short-term recording deal with major label A&M Records, who had a "Modern Masters Jazz Series" imprint going at the time. Sun Ra's profile had risen considerably in recent years, partially because of the support given to the master in interviews by avant-garde alternative rock band Sonic Youth around that time, who had both named him as an influence and opened shows for Ra and his Arkestra.

The album was recorded in one marathon session at BMG Studios in New York City, using a 22-piece group that included several Arkestra members or veterans, including three drummers and two bass players (one on upright bass and another on electric bass), plus fellow free jazz musician Don Cherry, who contributed his trademark pocket trumpet work. During the session, Cherry sat at the right of Ra and his piano.

Seven tracks were used for the Purple Night album; the remainder of the master multi-track tapes were given to Sun Ra and his manager Alton Abraham for future release on their own after the A&M deal concluded; much of these recordings were released three years later by Rounder Records on the album Somewhere Else, released shortly before Sun Ra's death. Currently the Purple Night album is out of print and the copyright on the original album is still believed to be held by A&M's current owner, Universal Music.
Wikipedia

At its best, Sun Ra's orchestra on this CD uses a simple repetitive riff as a basis for lengthy performances that vary dynamics and build up gradually in intensity. At its worst (the 19-minute "Of Invisible Theme"), the ensemble rambles on aimlessly, almost as if were creating a sound effects record. Unfortunately their versions of "Love in Outer Space" and "Stars Fell On Alabama" are quite silly with the former featuring a "glee club" vocal while the latter displays Ra's lack of a singing voice. Another minus is the sudden mood change during an otherwise lyrical piano-bass duet on "Journey Towards the Stars" caused by a surprise entrance from Marshall Allen's out-of-tune alto. Cornetist Don Cherry (always muted), James Spaulding on flute and alto, John Gilmore on tenor and trombonist Julian Priester get some solo space but most impressive is John Ore's busy and versatile bass playing and Ra's frequently Monk-ish piano. However the minuses easily outweigh the good points on this disc.
AMG Review by Scott Yanow

639. [421]  Sun Ra

Purple Night /
Somewhere Else

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); Don Cherry (pocket tp); Fred Adams (tp); Michael Ray (tp, voc); Ahmed Abdullah (tp, voc); Jothan Callins (tp); Al Evans (tp, flg); Tyrone Hill (tb); Julian Priester (tb); James Spaulding (as, fl); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb, voc); Reynold Scott (bars, fl); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Rollo Radford (eb); John Ore (b); Earl C. "Buster" Smith (d); Samarai Celestial (d); Thomas "Bugs" Hunter (d); Elson Nascimento (surdo grande, perc); Jorge Silva (repinique, perc); June Tyson (voc, vln).

BMG Studios, NYC, mid-November 1989

A&M 75021 5324, titled Purple Night, was released on CD in 1990.  Rounder 3036 [CD], Somewhere Else, was released in 1993; there is also a German release on Zensor 136 [CD].  All information from the CD liner notes; Thomas Hunter is misrendered "Thomas Henderson" on both, and Callins' name is misspelled Collins.  The Rounder CD consists of outtakes from the two A& M sessions.
from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.  Campbell / Trent

Purple Night (1990)

1. Journey Towards Stars   3:48
2. Friendly Galaxy   7:48
3. Love In Outer Space   7:18
4. Stars Fell On Alabama   10:33
5. Of Invisible Them   19:14
6. Neverness   13:19
7. Purple Night Blues   4:04

FLAC

or

320

May 2012
Check comments in these 3 posts for new links!

related releases

Blue Delight

Somewhere Else

What You So! (1989) - Sun Ra Poem

Sun Ra's recitation from the song Of Invisible Them

What You So! (1989)

This today is a judgement day
It is more likely, examination day.
A ruler rules the judgement be
This day to judge and examine
Today is examination day
Too long delayed but yet
Are you too blind to the evils of non-discrimination
That you dare not understand?
Are you so willfully ignorant of what you should be;
That you think you are only what others say you are,
Yet perhaps you fail to realize
That what you are
you are
And thus so.
Thusly, if what you reap is what you so
What you reap is what you are:
Amen!
Because what you 'am' is what you be
And what you is, you am
And what you be, you are
If what you are is what you so.

SUN RA The Immeasurable Equation
The Collected Poetry and Prose compiled and edited by
James L. Wolf and Hartmut Geerken
Waitawhile (2005) p. 422

Doctor Auratheft (-) Sun Ra Mixtapes Part 5

The Neverness Paradigm (Volume 8)

 

The Pharaonic Order Of Things (Volume 9)

download - New Link!!
RS

This is the fifth of five posts, each featuring two of  Dr. Auratheft's Sun Ra mixtapes.  Each mix is offered as 128k web stream and is downloadable at Siebe's AAC 320k upgrades (when available).  Clicking the title above each player will link to the appropriate page on Dr. Auratheft's blog.  Enjoy!

For a couple of years DJ, Historian and Philosopher, Siebe Thissen, who is currently the Public Art Director at Centre for The Arts Rotterdam and holds his PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam, hosted a blog that many of you may remember as (-) Dr. Auratheft.  Among his many musical loves, Siebe has a long-time interest (infatuation?) in the music of our favorite Saturnian.  I've enjoyed his Sun Ra mixtures tremendously and with a friend's help was able to collect them all.  I contacted Siebe a couple of months ago and he very generously agreed to comb through his archives and upload 320k upgrades of his original 128k offerings for us to enjoy here at Adventure-Equation.  Incredibly, he even sent an unpublished Ra mixtape for posting here.

Siebe explained that he "started making Ra mixtapes in order to really understand his music as it is not very accessible at first listening. So the tapes are the result of a personal musical-anthropological journey. A lot of people people don't know where to start with Ra. It’s almost impossible to list a ‘best of series’ – you really have got to dig into Ra’s oeuvre.

So I started collecting albums (mainly records borrowed from friends,  CD's and MP3’s found on the web) and started listening carefully to them. Each time I enjoyed a particular track I separated it and stored it in a file. Over the years that file grew (and is still growing) and I started combining selections of tracks into mixtapes. There was an educational aspect: after my discovery of Ra, I wanted to show my circle of friends how amazing and incredible this heritage is and how relevant his music is today.

To update his sound,  I decided not to use the many anarchic-horn-blowing-chaos-tracks. No, I focused on composition instead. And I paid tribute to Ra’s smaller band recordings I like a lot. One of my favorite albums is "God Is More Than Love Ever Can Be" (piano, bass, drums) and I love his piano solo albums. Sun Ra is a mighty composer.

My mixes usually include four ‘Ra styles’: 1) songs, 2) open, slow, free jazz, ‘democratic’ group improvisations, 3) traditionals, 4) piano compositions. So yes, some styles are under represented, like Moog synthesizer improv's and loud group jams. As a fan I think they are interesting and belong to his omniverse, however, as an educator/podcast maker – sharing my love for music with others - I think they contribute less to his greatness."

"There's criticism too. Some people say it's wrong to leave out the noisy, free jazz "chaos parts", since as a listener you need that physical/psychological anxiety to really appreciate the tracks that appear after that noise. Only then you can really appreciate the emerging beauty, crawling out of the chaos and opening up your brain cells. I don't agree. I don't think it is necessary to consider each album a conceptual unity (that's why I never mention in the tracklist from which album a specific track was taken). I do not consider his albums "conceptual unities", however, his total oeuvre forms a unity. I think Ra gives us the freedom to create omniverses ourselves. He shows and sheds light on possible routes – consequently, we have to map our own routes and territories."

There are other folks who think you are not allowed to squeeze Ra into a "Greatest Hits" format. I agree. I never did. That's why I made 10 mixtapes!!! And they are not greatest hits, they are "new albums” – personal interpretations of Ra.  Anyway, no one made Sun Ra mixes before, so why shouldn't I give it try? Or better: I had to. The most beautiful thing is, this music is much more than an oeuvre, the guy represents the music of the 20th century. I consider him a genius."

Sun Ra - ESP Radio presented by The Good Doctor part 3

In anticipation and celebration of the imminent release of The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1 (pre-order directly from Transparency [transparency2011@yahoo.com] for an exceptional price)!  The set is expected to ship within the next two weeks and Michael S. seemed very excited about not only the music and narration but also the fit and finish of the book / packaging.  It seems that this will truly be a landmark release for the label and a wonderful opportunity for us to listen as Sun Ra himself guides our tour of his influences and earliest recordings.

Several years ago, Arkestra member and official Sun Ra archivist, Michael D. Anderson "The Good Doctor," enhanced the ESP-Disc website with a 14-hour Sun Ra retrospective.  The Good Doctor, just as what I expect to hear from the forthcoming 14-CD Transparency Release, The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1, presents a timeline of Sun Ra's career featuring both classic releases and unheard nuggets from the Archive.  The tribute is divided into 6 parts, each approximately 2 hours for a total of 14 hours of amazing information and music.  Throughout the broadcasts, Michael D. Anderson relates biographical information about Ra and shares many anecdotes of his time with the Arkestra; I find these are particularly interesting and entertaining.

A few of my favorite moments from these broadcasts have already been featured here.  You might remember Rusty Morgan's "Blame Shame" or the Arkestra's remarkable performances of Universe in Blue and I Roam the Cosmos (if you missed these, rectify!).  There are plenty more incredible rarities peppered throughout these broadcasts so stay tuned as each will be featured here over the next weeks.  Each post will feature the original master tape offered in both FLAC and 320k mp3 as well as an mp3 audio stream of the show.

MANY THANKS to our friend, I-), for sending me these wonderful recordings.

ESP Sun Ra Radio Tribute Part 3

FLAC (pt 1/2)
FLAC (pt 2/2)
(linked files)

or

320

New Links in Comments!

Part 3 setlist

1. The Good Doctor (0:06)

2. Intercosmosis [from "Heliocentric" vol. 3] (16:58)

3. The Good Doctor (0:40)

4. "The tree is wood. Would you like to know?" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music) (0:54)

5. The Good Doctor [says "Nothing Is" was record at St. Laurence University] (0:45)

6. Bernard Stollman speaking on "Nothing Is" (2:11)

7. Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space [from "Nothing Is"] (11:18)

8. "The beauty of music" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music) (0:08)

9. The Shadow World [from "Nothing Is"] (4:31)

10. Theme of the Stargazers [from "Nothing Is"] (1:48)

11. Outer Spaceways Incorporated [from "Nothing Is"] (0:31)

12. Next Stop Mars [from "Nothing Is"] (0:33)

13. Sun Ra speaking about John Gilmore (2:32)

14. Dancing Shadows [from "Nothing Is"] (9:43)

15. Imagination [from "Nothing Is"] (0:43)

16. Second Stop is Jupiter [from "Nothing Is"] (1:10)

17. "Jupiter is a wonderful planet" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: "Space is the Place" and "Black Myth") (1:31)

18. Exotic Forest [from "Nothing Is"] (9:43)

19. Planes of Nature (Sun Ra recitation of poem) (0:43)

20. Velvet [from "Nothing Is"/bonus track] (7:18)

21. "If the truth about truth is a bad truth..." (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music) [same as disc 9, track 5] (2:38)

22. Outer Nothingness [from "Nothing Is"/bonus track] (15:43)

23. We Travel the Spaceways [from "Nothing Is"/bonus track] (1:29)

24. Sun Ra speaking about music (5:18)

25. The Wind Speaks (Syracuse University, 1966) [from "Spaceways" CD] (9:02)

26. The Good Doctor (0:43)

27. ?? synth, perc piece [please identify] (4:30)

28. The Good Doctor (0:08)

29. ESP Sampler commercial [note: this was repeated at beginning of file 4; not included here] (0:53)

Sun Ra - NOLA Playground 5-5-89 (video)

I hope you enjoy this a trio of video clips of Sun Ra and the Arkestra from 05-05-89 at
Couvent Elementary School in New Orleans.

According to Campbell/Trent, there is a 45 minute audience video of this performance.  Anyone care to share?

Heigh Ho

Whistle While You Work

Space Is The Place

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 1989

615. [409]  Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra

Sun Ra (ep, voc); Michael Ray (tp, voc, acrobatics); Cecil Brooks (tp); Tyrone HIll (tb, voc); Marshall Allen (as, cowbell, voc); Noël Scott (as, backflips, voc); unidentified (ts, perc); Carl LeBlanc (eg); Philip Watkins (b); Buster Smith (d); Elson Nascimento (surdo grande, perc); unidentified (bgo, perc).

On the playground,
Marie C. Couvent Elementary School,
New Orleans, LA, May 5, 1989

This concert is preserved on a 50-minute audience tape; it includes the entire opening improvisation but misses part of "Blue Lou" and all of the concluding space chants.  A 45-minute audience video runs from the end of the opening number through the end of the concert.  Date and location from Ralph Pleshar.  Tunes identified by ct.  Personnel identified from the video; the list given in the first edition was seriously incorrect.  Kenneth Ellzey says:  "Playing tenor was a musician I do not know, and he was the only one not in the red choir robes worn by the Arkestra at that time.  I assumed he was a local sitting in for John Gilmore, possibly even auditioning.

The May 5 concert was an impromptu satellite event for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (whose site at the fairgrounds was too muddy to use on that day).  On May 7 the Arkestra performed at the main festival site (Ellzey).  By that time, several regular band members who were absent on May 5 had rejoined the Arkestra.

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.  Campbell/Trent

Thanks to I-) for posting info at the Saturn List!

HUGE Thanks to telekinetica for posting the vids on YouTube.

Here is part (45 min.) of a previous Arkestral performance at the Jazz and Heritage Festival on May 6, 1979.  Thanks to Nikos & BK for this Solar Flares (August 13th) offering:

 FLAC


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Sun Ra - Spaceways (1966) - Calling Planet Earth Box CD 2

This record certainly has a tortured discographical history! In December, 1971, Sun Ra sold a cache of tapes to the Black Lion label so as to pay the Arkestra’s traveling expenses from Denmark to Egypt. Sadly, much of this music was never released. In 1974, El Saturn released this album as Outer Spaceways Incorporated (143000A+B) – although it was sometimes entitled A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol.3. Inexplicably, some of this music also appeared on numerous hybrid pressings of later Saturn albums such as Primitone and Invisible Shield among others. Finally, in 1998, the German DA Music label released a three-CD box set entitled Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 7612), containing some (but not all) the Black Lion holdings, wherein this album is stupidly re-titled Spaceways. I say stupidly because another disc in this otherwise fine box set is inanely titled Outer Spaceways Incorporated, making an already confusing discography needlessly opaque. This is the kind of thing that makes Campbell and Trent’s Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra so absolutely necessary!

In any event, Spaceways (or whatever you want to call it) is a great companion piece to the classic Nothing Is. Most of the music appears to have been recorded around 1966, given the presence of the trombonist Teddy Nance (who died in 1967) and Ra’s distinctive piano/Clavioline combo. Recorded in stereo, it offers remarkably good sound quality for the period. The first track, “Prelude and Shadow-Light World” (originally titled “Chromatic Shadows” on the El Saturn LP), opens with a long, dramatic piano introduction which prepares the way for the ensemble chant, “Sun Ra and His Band from Outer Space.” Then comes the notorious “Shadow World,” which is marked by a slightly more relaxed tempo than usual and a honking, wailing bari sax solo from Pat Patrick. Ra takes a solo turn before giving way to burbling percussion. Finally, Ra conjures up a mammoth space chord to bring things to a close. The second track, “The Wind Speaks,” appears to be from the same concert and is another beautiful Ra ballad featuring a choir of flutes and piccolo. Eventually, Boykins takes a solo turn with the bow and Ra enters to duet on the electric Clavioline. Ra then returns to the piano for some frenetic variations on the theme before an elegiac, full ensemble re-statement. This composition was later re-titled “Somebody Else’s World” after acquiring lyrics. 

(Continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)

127. [112]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Outer Spaceways Incorporated /
Primitone /
Spaceways

Sun Ra (p, Clavioline, gong); Teddy Nance (tb); Bernard Pettaway (tb); Marshall Allen (as, ob, fl, picc, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, perc); Pat Patrick (bars, fl, bgo); Robert Cummings (bcl, perc); Ronnie Boykins (b); Clifford Jarvis (d); poss. Lex Humphries (d); James Jacson (log drums, fl); Carl Nimrod [Carl S. Malone] (hand drums).

prob. New York City, 1966

          Chromatic Shadows (Ra)
          [incl. Sun Ra and His Band from Outer Space and The Shadow World] [ens voc]
          The Wind Speaks (Ra)
          Outer Spaceways Incorporated (Ra) [ens voc]

These tracks were issued in 1974 on (Philadelphia) Saturn 143000A/B, Outer Spaceways Incorporated.  All tracks from this album were sold to Black Lion in December 1971 but never released on that label (the 1998 CD on Freedom comes from the Black Lion holdings -- see below).  The album has also appeared with a Chicago label and the serial number Saturn LP 530.  sometimes titled A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow volume 3.  The album was derived from three live concerts; all of these probably took place in New York City.  The date is based on stylistic considerations and the fact that Teddy Nance died in 1967.  Mark Webber gives 1967 as the date; Julian Vein says 1967-1968.  Note that "Sun Ra and His Band from Outer Space" opens the concert, instead of closing it, as it did on "Atlantis" and at later performances.  Also there is no organ or Clavinet.  Personnel identified by rlc; Ali Hassan was given as one of the trombonists in the first edition.

This album was completely omitted from discographies before Webber's because Side A (matrix 143000A) of this album frequently replaced the original Side A of My Brother the Wind Volume II on hybrid pressings.  Undoctored copies of Outer Spaceways Incorporated with the original Side B (matrix 143000B) are considerably less common.  "The Wind Speaks" was retitled "Somebody Else's World" after Sun Ra added lyrics.

Also, some copies of The Invisible Shield are hybrids that include 144000B as Side A and 143000B as Side B.  According to Urs Berger, these  hybrids have bluish Philadelphia Saturn labels and a 1973 date, and were sold in plain white porthole sleeves.

There is another distinct hybrid, issued on the Philadelphia Saturn label in the 1970s, that includes 143000A as Side A and 14200A (from Space Probe) as Side B.  It is titled Primitone (thanks to Hartmut Geerken and Urs Berger for information).  It was re-pressed and distributed by Recommended Records in the early 1980s.

Still another hybrid involves 143000B (the side that is much less often encountered on Saturn LPs).  This is a hybrid Invisible Shield that carries 14400B as Side A and 143000B as Side B.  Urs Berger's copy has bluish labels from Philadelphia (with a 1973 date) on both sides and was sold in a plain white  porthole sleeve.  Another pressing of this hybrid was sold at concerts in Britain in 1990 and 1991; copies had a blue-purple Chicago-style El Saturn label and a plain white sleeve.

All tracks from the original Saturn album were reissued in April 1998 as Spaceways (Freedom CD 740147).  This was originally part of a three-CD set titled Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 7612).  On this release the first track was titled "Prelude and Shadow-Light World" (apparently following notations that accompanied the tape that was sold to Black Lion).

128. [112a]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Outer Spaceways Incorporated /
Primitone

Sun Ra (p.); Marshall Allen (voc, perc); Danny Davis (voc, perc); John Gilmore (voc, perc); Pat Patrick (voc, perc); Robert Cummings (voc, perc); Ronnie Boykins (b, voc); Clifford Jarvis (d); poss. Lex Humphries (d); James Jacson (log drums, voc); Carl Nimrod [Carl S. Malone] (hand drums, voc); other Arkestrans may have been present.

prob. New York City, 1966

          We Travel the Spaceways (Ra) [ens voc]

This brief version of "We Travel" was spliced on at the end of "Outer Spaceways Incorporated" on all Saturn releases; it was not separately banded.  Careful listening indicates a similar band lineup to the preceding session, but a different concert -- unless Sun Ra exiled Ronnie Boykins to the opposite end of the stage in the middle of the proceedings.

See the previous session for information about the Saturn releases and their tangled history.  The track was reissued in April 1998 on Spaceways (Freedom CD 741407); this was originally part of a three-CD set titled Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 7612).

145. [128]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

          Outer Spaceways Incorporated

Sun Ra (p.); unidentified (b); poss. Clifford Jarvis (d); poss. Lex Humphries or Robert Barry (d); James Jacson (log drums, voc); Carl Nimrod [Carl S. Malone] (hand drums, voc); June Tyson (voc); Marshall Allen (voc); Danny Davis (voc); John Gilmore (voc); prob. Pat Patrick (voc, bgo); other Arkestrans may have been present.

prob. New York City, 1968

          The Satellites Are Spinning (Ra)

This performance actually consists only of the end of "The Satellites Are Spinning": "We sing this song to / Abolish sorrow" etc.) followed by an unaccompanied piano improvisation.  June Tyson leads the chant; she joined the band around the beginning of 1968.  Careful listening indicates that this number is from a different concert than either of the other two that were used for Saturn 143000A/143000B.  It is not as well recorded as either of the 1966 concerts that were used on the album, and the bassist (contrary to what was said in the first edition) is not Ronnie Boykins.

In April 1998 the original Saturn LP was reissued as Spaceways (Freedom 741047) in a three-CD set called Calling Planet Earth (Freedom 7612).  This track was inanely retitled "We Sing the Song" on the reissue.

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.  Campbell/Trent

Spaceways (Outer Spaceways Incorporated) (Freedom 740147)

1. Prelude And Shadow-Light World   9:21
2. The Wind Speaks   9:13
3. We Sing This Song   5:49
4. Outer Space Incorporated   9:59
5. We Travel The Spaceways   2:27

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Doctor Auratheft (-) Sun Ra Mixtapes Part 4

Bassism in Different Dimensions (Volume 6)

 

Discipline, Dreams and Dimes (Volume 7)

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RS

 

This is the fourth of five posts, each featuring two of  Dr. Auratheft's Sun Ra mixtapes.  Each mix is offered as 128k web stream and is downloadable at Siebe's AAC 320k upgrades (when available).  Clicking the title above each player will link to the appropriate page on Dr. Auratheft's blog.  Enjoy!

For a couple of years DJ, Historian and Philosopher, Siebe Thissen, who is currently the Public Art Director at Centre for The Arts Rotterdam and holds his PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam, hosted a blog that many of you may remember as (-) Dr. Auratheft.  Among his many musical loves, Siebe has a long-time interest (infatuation?) in the music of our favorite Saturnian.  I've enjoyed his Sun Ra mixtures tremendously and with a friend's help was able to collect them all.  I contacted Siebe a couple of months ago and he very generously agreed to comb through his archives and upload 320k upgrades of his original 128k offerings for us to enjoy here at Adventure-Equation.  Incredibly, he even sent an unpublished Ra mixtape for posting here.

Siebe explained that he "started making Ra mixtapes in order to really understand his music as it is not very accessible at first listening. So the tapes are the result of a personal musical-anthropological journey. A lot of people people don't know where to start with Ra. It’s almost impossible to list a ‘best of series’ – you really have got to dig into Ra’s oeuvre.

So I started collecting albums (mainly records borrowed from friends,  CD's and MP3’s found on the web) and started listening carefully to them. Each time I enjoyed a particular track I separated it and stored it in a file. Over the years that file grew (and is still growing) and I started combining selections of tracks into mixtapes. There was an educational aspect: after my discovery of Ra, I wanted to show my circle of friends how amazing and incredible this heritage is and how relevant his music is today.

To update his sound,  I decided not to use the many anarchic-horn-blowing-chaos-tracks. No, I focused on composition instead. And I paid tribute to Ra’s smaller band recordings I like a lot. One of my favorite albums is "God Is More Than Love Ever Can Be" (piano, bass, drums) and I love his piano solo albums. Sun Ra is a mighty composer.

My mixes usually include four ‘Ra styles’: 1) songs, 2) open, slow, free jazz, ‘democratic’ group improvisations, 3) traditionals, 4) piano compositions. So yes, some styles are under represented, like Moog synthesizer improv's and loud group jams. As a fan I think they are interesting and belong to his omniverse, however, as an educator/podcast maker – sharing my love for music with others - I think they contribute less to his greatness."

"There's criticism too. Some people say it's wrong to leave out the noisy, free jazz "chaos parts", since as a listener you need that physical/psychological anxiety to really appreciate the tracks that appear after that noise. Only then you can really appreciate the emerging beauty, crawling out of the chaos and opening up your brain cells. I don't agree. I don't think it is necessary to consider each album a conceptual unity (that's why I never mention in the tracklist from which album a specific track was taken). I do not consider his albums "conceptual unities", however, his total oeuvre forms a unity. I think Ra gives us the freedom to create omniverses ourselves. He shows and sheds light on possible routes – consequently, we have to map our own routes and territories."

There are other folks who think you are not allowed to squeeze Ra into a "Greatest Hits" format. I agree. I never did. That's why I made 10 mixtapes!!! And they are not greatest hits, they are "new albums” – personal interpretations of Ra.  Anyway, no one made Sun Ra mixes before, so why shouldn't I give it try? Or better: I had to. The most beautiful thing is, this music is much more than an oeuvre, the guy represents the music of the 20th century. I consider him a genius."

Like a Universe - Sun Ra Poem as Read by Amiri Baraka

I've recently been working on some posts featuring Ra's poetry and when I heard Amiri Baraka's interview at TTBook regarding This Planet is Doomed including this recitation of Like a Universe I knew it had to be the first in the series.

like a universe

perfect?

if they only knew

what great jokes God has played on

humanity

yes, he's placed me in the midst of them

for vague purpose of vague and

yet so great that I don't know where

it is myself

I don't know where this purpose lies

hidden

what is there?

a soft fire that is burning within me

to let me know

yes, it's there

and my mind searches for it

and my heart searches for it

And I look and I think,

yes, here it is

then it's gone

it's like a mist

then it's like a sunset

it's like a sunrise

it's like a universe

it lies there

and yet I walk among people all long

not knowing

and the people not knowing

and then I think

I say,

what a great joke I am

and then, strangely enough

I look at people sometimes and I hate

them

I look at them and I hate them

I don't wish to destroy them

I don't want to harm them

But I hate them

Because I know that I'm a part of them

that I am here for them

that I belong to them

and that's why I hate them

because you see, if I didn't belong to them

if I wasn't placed here for them

I would be a free spirit

But I can't be free as long as I haven't

served my purpose

I can't be free as long as I give to people

what I have to give to them

yes, I'm more free than most men

I'm more free than most spirits

but yet I am chained

you see, it's a great joke on me, too

then again, I look at people, and I

love them

I love them so very much until I turn

my head in shame

I want to touch them with my fingertips

and erase the frown from their face

I want to touch them with my mind and

erase every care and every sorrow away

I want to touch them with my mind and

open their mind's eye and let them see

the things that I know and feel

I want to do that because I love them

then I look at them, then I hate them

again

I hate them because I love them so much

and I don't know

I don't know where hate begins and love

ends

I don't know how love ends and hate

begins

I don't know any of those things

all I know is

I'm a great joke

I'm the biggest joke that's ever been

played upon the world

and people think

they think that God has no ailment

but I know because I'm a living joke

I'm one that will cause people to scratch

their heads in wonderment

In search of their hollow hearts

and look in their souls and wonder,

Where did he come from? What is he?

Who made him?

You see, I'm such a great joke

until I tickle myself

reading by Amiri Baraka
from
this planet is doomed
the science fiction poetry of SUN RA
Kicks Books (2011) pp 108 - 110

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Sun Ra - ESP Radio presented by The Good Doctor part 2

In anticipation and celebration of the imminent release of The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1 (pre-order directly from Transparency [transparency2011@yahoo.com] for an exceptional price)!  The set is expected to ship within the next two weeks and Michael S. seemed very excited about not only the music and narration but also the fit and finish of the book / packaging.  It seems that this will truly be a landmark release for the label and a wonderful opportunity for us to listen as Sun Ra himself guides our tour of his influences and earliest recordings.

Several years ago, Arkestra member and official Sun Ra archivist, Michael D. Anderson "The Good Doctor," enhanced the ESP-Disc website with a 14-hour Sun Ra retrospective.  The Good Doctor, just as what I expect to hear from the forthcoming 14-CD Transparency Release, The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1, presents a timeline of Sun Ra's career featuring both classic releases and unheard nuggets from the Archive.  The tribute is divided into 6 parts, each approximately 2 hours for a total of 14 hours of amazing information and music.  Throughout the broadcasts, Michael D. Anderson relates biographical information about Ra and shares many anecdotes of his time with the Arkestra; I find these are particularly interesting and entertaining.

A few of my favorite moments from these broadcasts have already been featured here.  You might remember Rusty Morgan's "Blame Shame" or the Arkestra's remarkable performances of Universe in Blue and I Roam the Cosmos (if you missed these, rectify!).  There are plenty more incredible rarities peppered throughout these broadcasts so stay tuned as each will be featured here over the next weeks.  Each post will feature the original master tape offered in both FLAC and 320k mp3 as well as an mp3 audio stream of the show.

MANY THANKS to our friend, I-), for sending me these wonderful recordings.

ESP Sun Ra Radio Tribute Part 2

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Part 2 Setlist

1. "Are you afraid of spaceships? Earth is a spaceship" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: "Neptune") (1:40) [same track as disc 1, track 31, but longer] (1:40)

2. Other Worlds [from "Heliocentric" vol. 1] (4:26)

3. The Cosmos [from "Heliocentric" vol. 1] (7:27)

4. "The time has come, the walrus said" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: "Space is the Place") (1:16)

5. Of Heavenly Things [from "Heliocentric" vol. 1] (5:42)

6. Sun Ra speaking ("This music has been tested all kinds of ways") (6:13)

7. Nebulae [from "Heliocentric" vol. 1] (3:16)

8. Dancing in the Sun [from "Heliocentric" vol. 1] (1:51)

9. The Good Doctor (1:10)

10. Pharaoh Sanders speaking (1:56)

11. Sun Ra speaking about meeting John Coltrane (1:02)

12. Bernard Stollman speaking on "Heliocentric vol. 2" (0:38)

13. The Sun Myth [from "Heliocentric" vol. 2] (18:10)

14. "If you want to land on other planets" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: tp) (0:09)

15. A House of Beauty [from "Heliocentric" vol. 2] (4:50)

16. Sun Ra speaking ("The planet's getting crowded") (6:52)

17. Cosmic Chaos [from "Heliocentric" vol. 2] (15:09)

18. Bernard Stollman speaking on "Heliocentric vol. 3" (0:11)

19. "Earth is no longer in the realm of simplicities" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music) (1:03)

20. The Good Doctor (0:30)

21. "If you see no future on Earth you must leave here" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: Blue Thumb "Space is the Place") (0:25)

22. Bernard Stollman speaking on "Heliocentric vol. 3" [says vol. 3 was recorded same date as vol. 2, 19651116] (0:54)

23. Mythology Metamorphosis [from "Heliocentric" vol. 3] (4:09)

24. Sun Ra speaking (1:27)

25. Heliocentric Worlds [from "Heliocentric" vol. 3] (4:03)

26. Sun Ra speaking, with "Space is the Place" in background; speaks about his band [mentions Tyrone Hill, Ronnie Brown, Samarai] (5:30)

27. World Worlds [from "Heliocentric" vol. 3] (4:59)

28. "I do not fear" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music: "Neptune" and "Discipline 99"?) (2:25)

29. Interplanetary Traveler [from "Heliocentric" vol. 3] (5:01)

30. "If you came from nowhere here" (Sun Ra studio recitation over pre-recorded music) (0:09)