Sun Ra - The Summer of '76

Our good friend, Roberto T sent the following concert review and personal photographs of the Arkestra's 1976 visit to Antibes.  It occurred to me that we have some pretty amazing material recorded while Sun Ra and the Arkestra toured Europe during the Summer of '76 and I thought it would be nice to see it all gathered together under a single post.

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Montreux Jazz Festival

From Transparency 0172 DVD:  Sun Ra Volume 3

Live at Montreux
Recorded July 9, 1976
Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland

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The excellent Live at Montreux set from 1976 was released on vinyl by both Saturn and Inner City before disappearing from print for many years. In 2003, the set was reissued by both Universe/Akarma and P-Vine. A full 20-member Arkestra (plus dancers) turns in a typically freewheeling set. From "Take the 'A' Train" (featuring a killer solo from Marshall Allen), to the gospel-influenced "El Is a Sound of Joy," to the almost exotica "Lights on a Satellite," to the free and raucous "Gods of the Thunder Realm," and on to "We Travel the Spaceways," the Arkestra covers as much musical territory in this set as anyone would expect from a live Sun Ra show. This is considered to be another classic in a vast discography. [Completists take note: the Universe edition inexplicably fades out the last four minutes of "On Sound Infinity Spheres," which are present on the P-Vine edition.] 

AMG Review by Sean Westergaard

A short video recorded the following day in Pescara, Italy
July 10, 1976

Cosmos
Recorded August 1976
Paris, France

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First issued in France on Cobra COB 37001, Cosmos, in 1976.  Also issued shortly thereafter on Musicdistribution 600005 and Inner City IC 1020.  All tracks reissued in France on Buda 82479 [CD] in 1991; unfortunately, Bunn's electric bass is mixed too loud on this reissue.  Information from the album jacket.  The band had to be reduced in size because of the smallness of the studio (Vincent Chancey).  According to Buzelin and Hardy's 1979 discography, the Arkestra recorded an (unissued) album's worth of Duke Ellington tunes the same day.  Abdullah, however, says this report is incorrect.

233. [200] Sun Ra
COSMOS

Sun Ra (Rocksichord); Ahmed Abdullah (tp); Craig Harris (tb); Vincent Chancey (Fr hn); Marshall Allen (as, fl); Danny Davis (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); Eloe Omoe (bcl, fl); James Jacson (fl, bsn); R. Anthony Bunn (cb); Larry Bright (d).

Studio Hautefeuille, Paris, August 1976

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.