Sun Ra - Live at Praxis '84

This 2CD set documents an amazing Sun Ra Arkestra performance in all their mid-80s splendor. The sound quality is a bit dodgy in places but overall is quite good (especially compared to most other live Sun Ra albums.) At this point in his long, varied, and mysterious career, Sunny was presenting epic-length concerts melding all his influences into one big beautiful musical happening. There are the classic "space jazz" free-form jams with high-register reed pyrotechnics and synthesizer explorations. There are the inevitable hypnotic (and danceable!) "Space Chants". The loose blues jams. Even a gorgeous and tender (yet edgy?) Sun Ra piano solo of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." You'll be movin' your feet to the romping, tribal "Nuclear War". There's more: a lightning speed jam on "Big John's Special" ...Respectful interpretations of "Satin Doll" and "Days of Wine and Roses"...Fun and games with "Mack the Knife"...a lovely "untitled improvisation"... folks, if it's Sun Ra it's here at its best.

Initially released as a 3-album set, the performance was recorded on February 27, 1984, at the Orpheus Theatre, in Athens, Greece.  There is only one brass player - Ronnie Brown (trumpet) - with the saxophones of Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and Danny Ray Thompson being prominently featured in the free jazz, funk and swing.  A healthy dose of standards - Mack the Knife, Over the Rainbow, Satin Doll, Day of Wine and Roses - keeps the focus on Sun Ra's vision of the continuum of music. This is an outstanding 2-CD set to delve into the mid-1980s version of the Arkestra and the incredible journey they delivered to the audience on the world stage.

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409. [305]  The Sun Ra Arkestra

Live at Praxis'84 Vol. I / II / III

Sun Ra (p, org, syn, voc); Ronnie Brown (tp, flg, tambourine); Marshall Allen (as, cl, fl, ob, kora, EVI, perc); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl, cacl, fl, EVI, perc); John Gilmore (ts, cl, timb, EVI, voc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, as, fl, bgo, EVI); James Jacson (bsn, fl, ob, Inf-d, EVI, voc); Rollo Radford (standup eb); Matthew Brown (cga); Don Mumford (d, perc); Salah Ragab (cga, perc); Myriam Broche (dance); Greg Pratt (dance).

Orpheus Theater, Athens, Greece,
February 27, 1984

          *Praxis CM 108, Golden Years GY05
untitled improvisation [Inf-d, bcl]
Discipline 27-II /
Children of the Sun (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
Nuclear War (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
unidentified blues (Ra)
Fate In a Pleasant Mood (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
Yeah, Man! (Sissle-Henderson)
Space Is the Place / We Travel the Spaceways (Ra) /
Outer Spaceways Incorporated (Ra) /
Next Stop Mars (Ra) [SR, ens voc]

          *Praxis CM 109, Golden Years GY05
untitled improvisation [kora]
untitled improvisation [EVIs]
Discipline 27 (Ra)

          *Praxis CM 109, Golden Years GY06
Mack the Knife (Brecht-Weill-Blitzstein) [JJ, SR voc]
Cocktails for Two (Coslow-Johnston) [p, Allen, as only]
Over the Rainbow (Harburg-Arlen) [p only]
Satin Doll (Ellington-Strayhorn)

          *Praxis CM 110, Golden Years GY06
Big John's Special (H. Henderson)
Carefree [Egyptian Fantasy] (Ra)
Dahys of Wine and Roses (Mancini)
Theme of the Stargazers (Ra) /
The Satellites Are Spinning (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
They'll Come Back (Ra) [JT voc]
Enlightenment (Dotson-Ra) [JT, JG voc]
Strange Mathematics, Rhythmic Equations (RA)
[SR, ens voc]

Praxis CM 108, Live at Praxis'84 Vol. I, was issued in 1984.  Praxis CM 109, Live at Praxis'84 Vol. II, came out in 1985, and CM 110, Live at Praxis'84 Vol. III appeared in 1986.  Praxis was a Greek label run by Kostas Yiannoulopoulos.  The concert has been reissued as a double CD: Live at Praxis '84, Golden Years 05/06.  (Golden Years is an offshoot of Leo Records.)  Date, Location and personnel from the album jackets. There are no track titles on the LPs; titles were supplied by rlc.  According to Hartmut Geerken, the concert also featured an elaborate light show.

Although this is the first known recording of "Mack the Knife," Vladimir Simosko reports a similar performance of the number in New York City in 1981.  There is some question about the correct title of "Egyptian Fantasy" (which was so labeled on the elemental/t.e.c. release from 1990).  The piece was announced as "Carefree" on a number of occasions and that title is used by Michael Ray's Cosmic Krewe, which continues to play the piece.  Thanks to ct for pointing this out. 

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

The Sun Ra Arkestra - Live at Praxis '84 (CD)
Golden Years GY05/06
Thanks to Paul W for sharing!

1.  Untitled Improvisation 1   4:24
2.  Discipline 27-II / Children of the Sun   4:56
3.  Nuclear War   4:32
4.  Unidentified Blues   5:27
5.  Fate in a Pleasant Mood   9:31
6.  Yeah, Man!   2:52
7.  Space is the Place/ We Travel the Spaceways/Outer Spaceways Incorporated/Next Stop Mars   4:57
8.  Untitled Improvisation 2   4:25
9.  Untitled Improvisation 3   7:34
10. Discipline 27   8:22
11. Mack the Knife   8:08
12. Cocktails for Two   4:25
13. Somewhere Over the Rainbow   4:05
14. Satin Doll   6:39
15. Big John's Special   3:55
16. Carefree (Egyptian Fantasy)   9:42
17. Days of Wine and Roses   6:10
18. Theme of the Stargazers/The Satellite are Spinning   8:53
19. They'll Come Back   1:46
20. Enlightenment / Strange Mathematics / Rhythmic Equations   7:08

-FLAC-

RS1 + RS2

HF1 + HF2

or

-320-

RS

HF

The Sun Ra Arkestra - Live at Praxis '84 (LP)
Vinyl Lovers 2010 Reissue

1.   Improvisation for the Children of the Sun   9:13
2.   Unidentified Blues   5:26
3.   Fate in a Pleasant Mood   6:15
4.   Yeah Man!   2:52
5.   Space is the Place/We Travel the Spaceways/Outer Spaceways Incorporated/Next Stop Mars   4:46
6.   Improvisation to the Discipline 27   20:12
7.   Cocktails for Two   4:14
8.   Somewhere over the Rainbow   3:52
9.   Big John's Special   3:44
10.  Carefree (Egyptian Fantasy)   9:30
11.  Satin Doll   6:37
12.  Days of Wine and Roses   6:06
13.  Mack the Knife   7:57

-FLAC-

RS1 + RS2

HF1 + HF2

or

-320-

RS

HF