2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Out Beyond the Kingdom Of (1974)

By 1974, the Impulse! deal was starting to bear fruit, with almost a dozen LPs coming out during the course of the year, including several reissues from the old Saturn catalog. In addition, the Saturn label had been resurrected and new releases were being pressed in tiny editions for sale at gigs and at select record stores. Given the fact that all this product was suddenly flooding the marketplace, it is not surprising very few new recordings were made during the year. Much like 1973, 1974 is rather sparsely documented (relatively speaking), but most of what’s there is worth a listen.

In Feburary, shortly before Sonny’s sixtieth birthday, the Arkestra travelled to Mexico for an extended tour at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture—an invitation which dated back to the Fête de l’Humanité fiasco in September 1973, where Sun Ra’s music quelled a near riot and allowed for a triumphant performance of Ballet Folklórico de Mexico. While the musicians were given “plush accommodations,” by the grateful Mexican government, the musician’s union protested and prohibited them from performing—as musicians. The Actors Union interceded and the shows went on as “Sun Ra and His Cosmo Drama.” Szwed writes: “Sun Ra told the band that an earthquake would even the score, and later it was said that the Union’s office building had been leveled [in 1985]” (p.338). The Arkestra stayed in Mexico two or three months, playing two concerts at the Pallacio de Bellas Artes, a two-week stand at the Teatro Hidalgo, as well as concerts at Chapultepec Park (“where they played on a little island while people rowed around them in boats”) (Id.), the University of Mexico, and in front of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacán. The Arkestra also appeared on TV in Mexico City on Siempre en Domingo, “a variety show rather like Ed Sullivan’s” (Campbell & Trent, p.206). According to Francisco “Ali” Mora, a Mexican drummer who joined the band during the tour, concert tapes probably exist (Id.) but no recordings have surfaced to date.

On June 16, the Arkestra performed at Hunter College in New York City and the concert was recorded, possibly by the college itself (the sound quality is remarkably good). Portions were compiled by Ra for release as Out Beyond The Kingdom Of (Saturn 61674) later in the year (although some copies are titled Discipline 99) (Id.). The first thing you notice is the school has provided Sonny with a decent grand piano, and he relishes in the opportunity to tickle the ivories. “Discipline 99” is given a stately, confident reading by the band and features a long piano solo, alternating pretty harmonies with flurries of dissonant tone clusters. The following medley of old standards (an impossibly romantic ballad, “How Am I To Know?” and the up-tempo, “(Keep Your) Sunnyside Up”) allows Ra to show off his inimitable, inside/outside comping skills behind John Gilmore’s big-hearted, languorously swinging tenor solos. “How Am I To Know?” is a thing of rare beauty and the presence of Ronnie Boykins on bass and Clifford Jarvis on trap drums gives new life and humor to the old-fashioned rhythms of “(Keep Your) Sunnyside Up.” Good stuff!—and a harbinger of things to come: a mini-set of jazz standards would increasingly become a fixture of the Arkestra’s live sets as the ‘70s rolled on.

Side two shifts gears, with an emphasis on space chants and ensemble freak-outs and is, frankly, a lot less interesting to my jaded ears. But to be fair, this record must be considered in context, as a historical artifact. An obsessive collector in the year 2011 will have heard these routines many times before, but in 1974, live recordings were scarce. Sonny was shrewdly filling the gap, documenting the Arkestra’s current show for eager fans. Considered in that light, Out Beyond The Kingdom Of was exactly what it needed to be: a souvenir you could take home with you from the Cosmo Drama. As such, side two is fun, with June Tyson and Ankh Tal Ebah at their soulful, hortatory best and Boykins and Jarvis keep things grooving nicely. The highlight is “Cosmos Synthesis,” a wild group improvisation for horns and free-bashing rhythm section which stays heavy longer than usual. But Sun Ra himself is inaudible for most of the side until the very end of “Journey To Saturn,” when some spooky organ chords fade up and fade down.

(continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sunday)

215. [188]  Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra

Out Beyond the Kingdom Of

Sun Ra (p, org, Mini-Moog syn, recitation); Akh Tal Ebah (tp, flg, mell, voc); Kwame Hadi (tp, perc); Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc, ob, perc); Dany Davis (as, fl, acl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, perc, voc); Danny Ray Thompson (brs, fl, libf, perc); Pat Patrick (bars, eb); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d, voc); Ronnie Boykins (b); Clifford Jarvis (d); unidentified (d); June Tyson (voc, dance).

Hunter College, NYC, June 16, 1974

1st set:
unidentified improvisation [freakout ens; d]    audience tape 1
Outer Space (Is Such a Pleasant Place) (Ra)
[JT voc]
Astro Black (Ra) [JT voc]
Tapestry from an Asteroid (Ra) [JT voc]
untitled improvisation [freakout ens; Allen, as]
Discipline 27 (Ra)
untitled improvisation [syn; ens]
Enlightenment (Dotson-Ra) [JG, JT voc]
Love in Outer Space (Ra)
The Satellites Are Spinning (Ra) [JT, ATE, ens voc]
The Shadow World (Ra) [inc]

2nd set:
Solar Ship (Ra)                   
unidentified title [Gilmore, ts,
with p accompaniment; inc]
What Planet Is This? (Ra) [SR, ATE, ens voc]
Discipline 27-II (Ra) [dirge tempo] /
I Roam the Cosmos (Ra) [SR, JT, ens voc]
If You're the Truth, You're a Bad Truth (Ra) /
Right Road, Wrong Direction (Ra) /
Take Me to Your Leader (Ra) /
This Is Not Life (Ra) /
I Use Planets for Stepping Stones (Ra) /
Where'd You Come From? (Ra) /
Immeasurable (Ra) [SR, JT, ens voc] /
Out Beyond the Kingdom Of (Ra)
[SR, JT, ATE declamation;
incl. You've Lost Your Right and
It's After the End of the World]
Cosmos Synthesis (Ra) /
Outer Space Employment Agency (Ra)
[SR, JT, ATE voc] /
Why Go to the Moon? (Ra) [SR, ATE, JT voc] /
Neptune (Ra) [JT, ens voc; inc]
Journey to Saturn (Ra) [JT, ens voc]
Rocket Number Nine (Ra) [ens voc] /
Second Stop is Jupiter (Ra) [ens voc]
Angels and Demons at Play (Boykins-Allen)
[inc]
How Am I to Know? (King-Parker)
(Keep Your) Sunnyside Up (DeSylva-Brown)
unidentified title (Ra)
[bars riff; p; ts; Hadi, tp]
Sun Ra and his Band from Outer Space (Ra)
[ens voc]
closing announcement       

Saturn LP 61674, Out Beyond the Kingdom Of, was released on the Philadelphia label in 1974.  Some copies are titled Discipline 99.  Location courtesy of Glenn Jones.

At least three different Saturn labels were used on Out Beyond the Kingdom Of.  There is a Purplish Chicago Saturn label with a 1974 copyright date; these were sold in a generic "Acropolis" cover (Peter Roberts).  There is a  photocopied Chicago label (black on white) with typed-in titles; on this label, "Outer Space Employment Agency" has been truncated to "Outer Space Em."  These recycled Chicago labels are probably of Philadelphia origin!  In later years the prevailing label was a yellow Philadelphia with titles typed in a script typeface (see Geerken and Hefele's book for photos of the second and third labels).

There is a 95-minute audience tape that includes most of the first set, then (as we now realize) jumps to the end of the second set.  This is referred to as "tape 1" above.  A second audience tape ("tape 2"; this one is 105 minutes long and was obviously taped by a different person) was brought to our attention by Roy Morris after the first edition was published.  It reveals that "Angels and Demons at Play" through "Sun Ra and his Band from Outer Space" come from the end of the second set, not the first set.

"Solar Ship" was the introduction to the second set (it includes the emcee announcing the band's reappearance), but, as it appears only on the Saturn release, our placement of the untitled number and "Discipline 99" immediately after it, at the beginning of the second set, is somewhat conjectural.  They could have been from the end of the first set.  By contrast, the long sequence that begins with "What Planet Is This?" and "Discipline 27-II" is material that was almost always used at the beginning of a set.

Tape 2 shows that "Cosmos Synthesis" was edited on the Saturn release.  Both tapes reveal that "(Keep Your) Sunnyside Up" was faded at the end of John Gilmore's solo (solos by Kwame Hadi, Pat Patrick, Ra on piano, and Ronnie Boykins, plus the final ensemble, were cut, probably because Hadi was off-mike during his solo).  We previously identified the baritone sax soloist on this number as Charles Davis, but the electric bass line on "Angels and Demons" would indicate Pat Patrick.  A long, bowed bass solo on "Discipline 27" is the work of Ronnie Boykins, and Danny Thompson can be heard on the Neptunian libflecto during "The Shadow World."  A second trap drummer is audible on "Angels and Demons."  All unissued titles identified by rlc and ct; personnel rlc and ct.

"Angels and Demons at Play" (an arrangement called "Pre-Egyptian March" at several other points in the first edition) was incorrectly identified in the first edition as "Watusi."  Thanks to Ahmed Abdullah for correcting us.

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra
Out Beyond the Kingdom Of
(Discipline 99)
Saturn 61674 (1974)

1. Discipline 99   12:12
2. How Am I to Know? - Sunnyside Up   9:35
3. Solar Ship   1:50
4. Out Beyond the Kingdom Of ...   4:32
5. Cosmos Synthesis   5:40
6. Outer Space Employment Agency   4:27
7. Journey to Saturn   10:26

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Many Thanks to Paul W for sharing his rip of this rare album.

Sun Ra: Strange Worlds (2005)

Strange Worlds includes all of the music originally recorded between 1967-1970 as released on two separate albums: The Solar Myth Approach, Vol. 1 and The Solar Myth Approach, Vol. 2.

The music presented here is fascinating and often intense.  Check out the excellent Sun Ra Sunday article for a synopsis of both volumes.  Strange Worlds offers a unique track arrangement, successfully blending the two releases into a single album.

One of Sun Ra's more experimental sets (and that's saying something), 1970's The Solar Myth Approach, Vol. 1 is an eclectic set of tapes from sessions that date back to 1967 and include some of Sun Ra's earliest experiments with Moog synthesizers (the clatteringly primitive solo "Scene III, Took 4" sounds like it could have come from the very first time he experimented with the machine) and evidence of his increasing interest in dissonance and repetition. For example, the opening "Spectrum" sets various horn and reed players against each other in such a fashion that they sound woozily out of tune, even though they're playing in the same key; like most of the rest of the album, this piece is built on the most minimal compositional skeleton, with little in the way of melodic development or counterpoint. The pieces are also recorded with typically eccentric instrument groupings; most of the ten-minute "Legend" is an extended duet for trombones, and only the rollicking "They'll Come Back" has a typical small-combo lineup. Those who are into Sun Ra's most non-traditional musical ideas should look no further.

AMG Review by Stewart Mason

Recorded between 1970-1971, The Solar Myth Approach, Vol. 2 is comprised of solo keyboard explorations by Sun Ra, couched in between two free-form workouts by his whole Arkestra. Kicking off the set is the first band workout "The Utter Nots," which, amidst a relentless Afro-percussion backdrop, features a loose mix of fiery and mild statements by most of Ra's main soloists (alto saxophonist Marshall Allan, oboe player James Jackson, tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, et al.). The more frenetic of the two Arkestra features, "Strange Worlds," alternates between full band outbursts and cryptic keyboard and vocal interludes. The high points of the album, though, are Ra's wonderfully strange excursions at the keys. Evoking a child's outer-space play land, Ra produces a dizzying whirl of celestial noises on the Moog synthesizer for "Scene 1, Take 1" while switching the keyboard to harpsichord mode for a hauntingly beautiful meditation of baroque proportions on "Pyramids." The final solo finds Ra running amok over both the piano keyboard and the strings inside, producing a ghostly haze of sound. Balancing out the momentous proceedings are two brief and whimsical numbers, "Ancient Ethiopia" and "Outer Spaceways, Inc.," the last of which includes a pleasant vocal request to join Sun Ra and the Arkestra on a journey to world beyond, an invitation implied throughout the disc.

AMG Review by Steven Cook

Sun Ra and his Solar Myth-Arkestra
Strange Worlds
Atom 2036 (2005) (CDx2)

Disc 1
1.  Ancient Ethiopia   2:49
2.  Pyramids   2:29
3.  Scene 1, Take 1   8:20
4.  Outer Spaceways Incorporated   1:21
5.  Interpretation   7:42
6.  Strange Worlds   8:32
7.  The Utter Nots   11:20

Disc 2
8.  Legend   9:55
9.  Seen 3, Took 4   3:28
10. The Satellites Are Spinning   3:32
11. Realm of Lightening   12:24
12. They'll Come Back   3:50
13. Adventures Of Bugs Hunter   6:38
14. Spectrum   4:59

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2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Song of the Stargazers (1979?)

Song of the Stargazers (Saturn 487 or sometimes 6161) was released in 1979 and is mostly a hodgepodge of various live recordings from the nineteen-seventies. But one track was obviously recorded much earlier, probably in 1967 or 1968, according to Prof. Campbell. Performed in a large, reverberant space in front of a sizable and enthusiastic audience, “Cosmo Dance” is an interesting quasi-modal composition featuring some evocative flute and oboe. Clacking wooden sticks set up a simple, repetitious rhythm with Boykins's bass and Pat Patrick’s “space lute” plucking out a droning three-note groove. Low horns and bowed bass enter with convulsively heaving whole-note fourths while flute and oboe and bass clarinet dance a medieval round. Flute and then oboe embark on expansive, Middle-Eastern sounding solos over the clacking sticks and throbbing bass/space lute, the audience bursting into spirited applause after each. Finally, the low horn/bowed bass whole-note fourths return, repeating several times before ending to more justifiably hearty ovation. Ra himself is not heard playing on this track, but the murky sound quality makes it hard to clearly make out who is doing what. Campbell says Marshall Allen is playing both flute and oboe, but that is impossible since both instruments are heard simultaneously during the ensemble section. So, is it Danny Davis on flute? It certainly sounds like him. There is also some talking barely audible throughout – is that Sun Ra lecturing the crowd or just random audience noise? In any event, this is a beautiful, prototypical Sun Ra composition of the period, perfectly realized by his Arkestra.
from NuVoid's Sun Ra Sunday (July 26, 2009)


135. [229d]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Song of the Stargazers

Marshall Allen (fl, ob); Robert Cummings (bcl); Pat Patrick (space lute); Ronnie Boykins (b); poss. John Gilmore (perc); unidentified (perc).

Live, 1967 or 1968

Cosmo Dance (Ra)

This is a late 1960s number; the bass clarinetist is not Eloe Omoe!  Personnel identified by rlc and Larry Nai.

Saturn LP 487, Song of the Stargazers, was the last new Saturn release on the Chicago label.  It was issued before 1981, most likely in 1979.  Some copies bear the serial number 6161 (NMY).  Mark Webber calls it a "mystery album."

289. [229]  Sun R and his Arkestra

Song of the Stargazers

Sun Ra (p, syn, org); prob. Michael Ray (tp); unidentified (tp); Craig Harris (tb); Tyrone Hill (tb -1); poss Vincent Chancey (Fr hn); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, picc, perc); Danny Davis (as, perc); John Gilmore (ts, perc); Eloe Omoe (bcl); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, perc); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Damon Choice (vib); prob. Dale Williams (eg); poss. Luqman Ali [Edward Skinner] (d); unidentified (d); unidentified (cga); unidentified (sticks).

Live, 1979

The Others in Their World (Ra)
Galactic Synthesis (Ra) -1

…The only known copies of the LP are in Europe: "Maybe Saturn produced it in a very limited edition and they sold it while touring through Europe" (Geerken).  And all known copies are defective; Julien Vein says that the LP may have been mastered on only one stereo channel.

These particular items seem to be from the same live concert, and are similar in sound and conception to the free improvisations on the Soundscape sessions from November 1979.

The first discographical listing came from Tilman Stahl, who apparently took the misleading title "The Others in Their World" (which is not the 1960 composition) and the serial number 6161 to indicate that the album was recorded in Chicago in 1961!  Geerken and Hefele place the album in the late '60s and claim a 1970 release date.  The label, however, is a rather tattered El Saturn that was characteristic of the last Chicago pressings in the late 1970s.

290. [229a]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Song of the Star Gazers

Sun Ra (p.)

Studio recording, unknown date

Somewhere Out (Ra)

This rather unusual solo piano piece could have been recorded anywhere between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s.  No further information is available.

291. [229b]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Song of the Stargazers

Sun Ra (p.); unidentified (eg); unidentified (b); unidentified (perc).

Live, mid-1970s

Distant Stars (Ra)

This fragment from a live concert has a mid-1970s feel to it.  There is no connection with the 1960 or 1961 composition called "Distant Stars."

292. [229c]  Sun Ra and his Arkestra

Song of the Stargazers

poss. Atakatune [Stanley Morgan] (perc, voc); poss. Odun [Russell Branch] (perc, voc); poss. Chiea (perc, voc -1).

Studio recording, prob. 1970s

Duo (Ra)
Seven Points (Ra) -1 [ens voc]

These two numbers feature the same percussionists, playing in a manner that is unusual for Arkestra members.  On "Seven Points" they contribute some vocalizing as well.  "Seven Points" as a title is reminiscent of "The Place of Five Points," which was recorded in 1979.  If the percussionists are in fact Atakatune, Odun, and Chiea, a recording date in 1972 or 1973 is most likely.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Duo

Sun Ra and his Arkestra
Song of the Stargazers
Saturn 487 or 6161 (unknown year, poss. 1979 - 1980)

1. The Others In Their World   10:14
2. Somewhere Out   4:40
3. Distant Stars   1:01
4. Duo   3:04
5. Seven Points   4:49
6. Cosmo Dance   6:31
7. Galactic Synthesis   9:52

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2nd Chance: Sun Ra - St. Louis Blues (Solo Piano vol. 2) (1978)

In 1977 Sun Ra recorded two LPs of solo piano for the enterprising Improvising Artists label.  Of the two, I prefer Solo Piano Volume 2, St Louis Blues IAI373858, reissued on CD.  It is a live recording - a videotape release of the performance has also been available from IAI.  There is real purpose to the music here, from 'Ohosnisixaeht' (the recording venue spelt backwards!), to the closing 'Thoughts On Thoth'.
from Chris Trent's 'Another Shade of Blue'

 On July 3, 1977, Sun Ra shared a bill with Paul Bley at Axis-In-Soho as part of the Newport in New York Festival, which was recorded by Bley’s Improvising Artists label. A portion of Sun Ra’s set was released on LP in 1978 as St. Louis Blues: Solo Piano, Volume 2 (IAI 37.38.58) and reissued on CD in 1993 (IAI 123858) (Campbell & Trent pp.236-237). If Solo Piano, Volume 1 was an introspective studio album, Sun Ra is in an expansive, playful mood in front of a live audience. As Szwed points out in his biography, “Bley was surprised to see that once he was alone on stage, ‘Sonny was a ham who liked to clown and surprise the audience’” (Szwed p.343) and there is a bit of that to be found here.

Ra’s passagework is startlingly virtuosic, displaying an astonishing independence of fingers and hands and extreme sensitivity of touch, although it sometimes comes across a bit empty and showy. “Ohosnisixaeht” is a rhapsodic blues with impressively fleet soloing, but the music wanders rather than gets anywhere. W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” is better, updated with a complex, polytonal arrangement. The simple “Three Little Words,” a 1930s showtune by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar is given an over-the-top reinterpretation that borders on corny, full of melodramatic glissandos and skittering block chords but always returning to that sweet, sweet swing. Side one closes with a short, romantic rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose” that alternates between rubato schmaltz and breezy ragtime.

B1  Sky and Sun

Side two is more interesting, containing three originals that show off Sun Ra’s compositional skills as well as his brilliant keyboard work. “Sky and Sun” is onomatopoeic: drifting chords represent the sky and twinkling figures in the uppermost register represent the sun. This track is really quite evocative and it sounds he could do this sort of stuff all day long. Ra summons up an entire Arkestra on “I Am We Are,” from rumbling bass notes, scraping “strange strings” and  exquisitely voiced harmonies to outrageous, free-jazz scree, with moments of two-fisted aggression a la Cecil Taylor—a tour de force and probably the best thing on the album. “Thoughts On Thoth” ends the album with a slow space groove, articulated with remarkably fluid right-hand flourishes. It’s a brilliant display, but feels a little perfunctory to me.  
Continue Reading at Sun Ra Sundays

Just as his reputation on he synthesizer was growing, Sun Ra began to play more piano again, and in a style that reached back further in jazz tradition than most would have suspected.  But those who had known him for years understood that his origins were in the blues, and assumed that side of his playing: "Sun Ra could play the blues for twenty four hours without repeating a phrase," they claimed.  Though many recognized him as capable of playing bombastically, and of using the piano for color, few thought of him as a major player.  But Paul Bley, one of the two or three leading pianists of free jazz, believed that Sonny was a great piano player, so great that he didn't need a band.  If anything, he felt, the band was a cover for his insecurity.  Early in 1977 Bley convinced Sonny to do a series of piano duo performances with him in New York and Europe and to record for Bley's new audio and video company, Improvising Artists.  In Europe Bley was surprised to see that once he was alone on stage, "Sonny was a ham who liked to clown and surprise the audience -- as at Lake Como, where he shocked them by playing a cake walk!"  On May 20 Sun Ra went into the studio to record Solo Piano, and played a mixture of his own compositions and some unusually conceived standards, such as a very freely played "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child," or "Yesterdays" done in a brisk stride.  On July 3 he was recorded solo (St. Louis Blues) while playing at Axis-in-Soho as part of the Newport Jazz Festival, and again there were surprises: his "St. Louis Blues" aluded to Earl Hines's famous boogie-woogie version and a cheerful little love song like "Three Little Words" got turned into a melodrama.  But there were modest experiments in keyboard resources as well, such as "Sky and Sun," which stayed almost entirely within a small range at the top of the keyboard.

from Szwed - Space Is The Place p. 342-343

248. [204] Sun Ra

Sun Ra (p.).

The Axis-in-SoHo, NYC, July 3, 1977

Ohosinisixaeht (Ra)
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
(trad.)
St. Louis Blues (Handy)
Three Little Words (Kalmar-Ruby)
Honeysuckle Rose (Waller-Razaf)
Sky and Sun (Ra)
I Am We Are I (Ra)
Thoughts on Thoth (Ra)

First Released in 1978 on Improvising Artists Inc. 37.38.58, St. Louis Blues: Solo Piano. All tracks reissued in 1993 on Improvising Artists Inc. 123858 [CD].

IAI V003 is a 40-minute video issued by Improvising Artists, which differs from the LP/CD (replacing "Ohosnisixaeht" with "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child") and has other minor editing differences from the LP and CD, but is basically a document of the same concert.  "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" is a different performance from the one that was made at the previous session.  IAI V003 was available in the late 1970s through early 1980s and was restored to circulation in the 1990s (thanks to Michael Denton for information about the two IAI videos).  The video has also been available from Mastersession (MSN 5017).

This concert was part of the Newport in New York Festival; according to Allan Chase, Sun Ra appeared on a bill with Paul Bley.  According to Fred Conrad, the concert ended with "When There Is No Sun," on which Ra was joined by June Tyson (voc) and John Gilmore (voc).  It is not known whether this piece was recorded.

from Campbell/Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra
St. Louis Blues - Solo Piano (1978)
Improvising Artists Records
IAI 37.38.58 (1978)

1. A1 Ohosnisixaeht   6:06
2. A2 St. Louis Blues   5:17
3. A3 Three Little Words   5:49
4. A4 Honeysuckle Rose   3:30
5. B1 Sky and Sun   6:18
6. B2 I Am We Are I   6:25
7. B3 Thoughts on Thoth   6:41

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St. Louis Blues (Solo Piano vol. 2) CD
IAI 123858-2 (1993)

Ohosnisixaeht     6:09

St. Louis Blues     5:19

Three Little Words    5:56

Honeysuckle Rose    3:44

Sky And Sun    6:20

I Am We Are I    6:27
Thoughts On Thoth    6:41

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2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Universe in Blue (1972)

The Universe in Blue is a fantastic set. The title cut is just a slow blues soloing showcase with Sun Ra's "intergalactic space organ," trumpet (not sure who), John Gilmore's tenor sax, and back to Ra. June Tyson takes center stage for "Blackman", giving a particularly impassioned performance. "In a Blue Mood" (just Ra and Luqman Ali on drums) and "Another Shade of Blue" are just back-to-the-basics blues form for more soloing. Ra sticks to organ for the entire date, and it's just wonderful to hear what the Arkestra does with such a "simple" form. This is a fairly rare, fairly inside date, and fans of Ra and Gilmore's playing will be especially pleased. 

AMG // Sean Westergaard

Released as Saturn ESR 5000 IGB in 1972 (in mono), Universe in Blue was recorded live somewhere on the west coast presumably around August, 1971. However, the greatly reduced Arkestra suggests that it could have been recorded “somewhere on the road” in mid-1972, as they straggled across the country on their way back to Philadelphia for good (see Campbell & Trent pp.172-173). To further confuse the matter, “The Good Doctor” at ESP-disk’ provides a firm date of August 17, 1971 but insists the venue is Slug’s Saloon in New York City (see below). Who knows? In any event, behind the striking, psychedelicized album cover awaits a tasty selection of smoky, blues-based compositions, dominated by Ra’s patented “space-age barbeque” organ.

Sun Ra leads the way on the somnambulant title track, a dreamy, slowly smoldering blues, demonstrating his mastery of the tradition while summoning up swelling and percussive Hammond-like sounds from the otherwise cheesy Farfisa organ. After a blissful five minutes, Kwami Hadi enters on trumpet, only to be rudely cut off by the tape running out. Ouch! Some amount of music is missing, with part two picking up with the rhythm section reaching a low boil, with a sparse horn section offering swinging punctuation to Hadi’s bravura trumpet statements. John Gilmore then takes over with his soulful growl for a chorus or two on tenor sax before Ra returns with a brief, understated solo on organ to end. “Blackman” sets up a moderately rocking groove for June Tyson, who evokes a time when “Pharaoh was sitting on his throne, when the Blackman ruled this land.” Over and over she implores, her voice cracking with emotion, “I hope you understand!” When I hear her sing, I think I do understand.

“In a Blue Mood” is another slow burner featuring more fingerlickin’ good organ from Mr. Ra. Campbell & Trent suggest Alzo Wright is playing cello on this gig (p.172), but I can’t hear him at all. In this instance, Sonny is playing a wandering walking bass with his left hand, soloing all the while with his right. This is a truly superb solo performance by Sun Ra. “Another Shade of Blue” concludes the album with a mid-tempo swing number led by Gilmore’s indomitable tenor. Sonny shifts gears seemingly at random with unexpected key modulations while ad libbed horn riffs pop in and out. Unfazed, Gilmore just keeps things cooking -- and good lord, twelve minutes later, he’s still wailing away like a madman as the track fades out. Dang! Yes folks, it’s yet another incredible John Gilmore solo – what more can I say? It must be heard to be believed.

Continue Reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays

179. [167] Sun Ra and his Blue Universe Arkestra

Universe in Blue

Sun Ra (intergalactic space [Farfisa] org); Kwame Hadi (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp); Marshall Allen (as, ob, picc, fl); Danny Davis (as, acl); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (bars); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); Eloe Omoe (bcl, picc); Alzo Wright (clo); Lex Humphries (d); June Tyson (voc).

Probably live in Californiac. August 1971

Universe in Blue Part I (Ra)
Universe in Blue Part II (Ra)
Blackman (Ra) [JT voc]
In a Blue Mood (Ra)
Another Shade of Blue (Ra)

Saturn LP200, Universe in Blue, was released in 1972.  The matrix number is ESR 5000 IGB.  It was recorded live on the road somewhere.  Most likely it was made on the West Coast in late summer of 1971, when only part of the Arkestra remained in the Bay Area.  (A 1972 date after the Arkestra left Oakland in May remains a possibility.)  Personnel from Saturn jacket.  The two parts of "Universe in Blue" come from a single performance, with an interruption when the tape ran out.

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra and his Blue Universe Arkestra
Universe in Blue (1972)
Saturn ESR 200 (2012 180g reissue)

1. A1 Universe in Blue part I   5:00
2. A2 Universe in Blue part II   8:24
3. B1 Black Man   2:27
4. B2 In a Blue Mood   7:21
5. B3 Another Shade of Blue   11:43

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If you love this, be sure to check out the August 17, 1971 "I Roam The Cosmos" collection culled from Michael D. Anderson's ESP-Disk radio show.

Sun Ra: Live At The Squat Theatre [NYC August 14, 1979]

This rare boutique release of only 99 copies (+8 in an alternate cover) is a joy to hear.  The highlight for me is the solo piano rendition of Love in Outer Space.

Credits (according to Discogs)

    Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Elo Omoe
    Alto Saxophone, Electric Bass – Pat Patrick
    Alto Saxophone, Flute, Percussion – Marshall Allen
    Bass – Hayes Burnett
    Flute – Danny Thompson
    Percussion [Infinity Drum] – James Jackson
    Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – John Gilmore
    Trumpet – Michael Ray
    Vocals – June Tyson

Discogs does not list a drummer.  It sounds like Samarai Celestial to me.
Discogs also lists the recording date as August 24, 1979 but it seems very likely that this is incorrect and the date is actually August 14, 1979 and is taken from the show listed below.

Sun Ra and His Jet Set Omniverse Arkestra
1979-08-14
Squat Theater; New York, NY.
                                        
Soundcheck/Rehearsal:Sun Ra speaks and is looking for a screwdriver
Love In Outer Space (Sun Ra solo piano)
Unidentified Title (Sun Ra solo piano)
Set 1:
Unidentified Title (Sun Ra solo piano)
Unidentified Title (Sun Ra, Gilmore, and traps)
There Will Never Be Another You (excellent rare version, only other version is 12/31/80)
Unidentified Title
Unidentified Title (cut)
Unidentified Blues (beginning cut)
El Is A Sound of Joy (alternate arrangement)
Unidentified Swing (big johns special)
Unidentified Swing
Space Is The Place > (drop out where Sun Ra says "not free")
We Travel The Spaceways >
Outer Spaceways Inc.
Set 2:
Lightning Drum >
When The Sun Comes Out (vocal by June, no other known version!)
When There Is No Sun

Keep Your Sunny Side Up >
Shadow World
                      
(Sounds as though  it was recorded on top of or next to Sun Ra's keyboards.)

Sun Ra and His Jet Set Omniverse Arkestra

Live At The Squat Theatre [NYC August 14, 1979]

1. Love in Outer Space    4:49 

2. Ain't Misbehavin'    8:59 

3. Rhapsody in Blue    9:03 

4. Keep Your Sunny Side Up > The Shadow World 10:58

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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.

amazon reviews

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

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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

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2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Walt Dickerson Quartet - Impressions of A Patch of Blue (1966)

I remember the date was quite a challenge.  I don't think there was any music there to refer to.  Or if there was, we didn't necessarily follow it.  There was an understanding who would begin each piece and who would solo on it, and so forth.  But that was it.  The album was called Impressions of "A Patch of Blue", and that's what they were -- improvisational impressions.

-Bob Cunningham (CD Liner Notes)

A Patch of Blue (Part 2)

Impressions of a Patch of Blue was the second time Walt Dickerson recorded an album of rearranged movie soundtrack pieces, following his interpretations of material from Lawrence of Arabia. Starring Sidney Poitier, A Patch of Blue was about a star-crossed pair of interracial lovers, with the twist that Elizabeth Hartman's character also happened to be blind. More important to jazz fans, though, is that the album marked one of Sun Ra's extremely rare appearances as a sideman, playing both piano and harpsichord. And he turns in a masterful supporting performance behind Dickerson, putting his own indelible stamp on the proceedings without ever overwhelming them. Witness "Bacon and Eggs," where Dickerson repeats a melodic theme for most of the piece while Ra's unorthodox reharmonizations dance about in the background. Ra's harpsichord also provides some otherworldly cascades that seem to spark Dickerson's sense of freedom, particularly on part two of "A Patch of Blue" and "High Hopes." Dickerson's own playing is most evocative on the two parts of "Alone in the Dark"; during the first, he plays frantic, jittery phrases that mimic the speech patterns of panic, and in the second he favors quick, repetitive figures that fade away like echoes or unanswered calls for help. All of that is indicative of the level of imagination with which the project is carried out, which makes it a shame that Dickerson retired from performing for a full decade following its release, leaving Bobby Hutcherson to become the most important modernist vibes player of the latter half of the '60s. Verve's 1999 CD reissue of Impressions of a Patch of Blue was a very limited edition, so don't dawdle in picking this one up.

AMG Review by Steve Huey

120. [104]  Walt Dickerson Quartet

Impressions of A Patch of Blue

Walt Dickerson (vib); Sun Ra (haprsichord -1; p except -3); Bob Cunningham (b); Roger Blank (tymp -2; d).

Studio recording, NYC,
late 1965 or early 1966

A Patch of Blue -- Part 1 (Goldsmith)
A Patch of Blue -- Part 2 (Goldsmith) -1
Bacon and Eggs (Goldsmith)
High Hopes (Goldsmith -2
Alone in the Park -- Part 1 (Goldsmith) -3
Alone in the Park -- Part 2 (Goldsmith) -1
Selina's Fantasy (Goldsmith) -1
Thataway (Goldsmith) -1

Impressions of A Patch of Blue was issued in 1966 on MGM E 4358 (mono, the stereo version is MGM SE 4358).  It was an interpretation of Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for the film A Patch of Blue, not the actual film soundtrack.  Allan Chase points out that the session was produced by Tom Wilson, who arrived at MGM/Verve toward the end of 1965 or the beginning of 1966.  Moreover, the movie was not released till well into December 1965.  Impressions was reissued in August 1999 on CD as Verve 314 599 929 [CD].  Sunny plays harpsichord on four of the eight cuts, not celeste as stated on the original release.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Impressions of A Patch of Blue (CD)
The Walt Dickerson Quartet

1. A Patch of Blue - part 1   1:30
2. A Patch of Blue - part 2   4:38
3. Bacon and Eggs   5:35
4. High Hopes   5:15
5. Alone in the Park - part 1   3:01
6. Alone in the Park - part 2   7:11
7. Selina's Fantasy   4:05
8. Thataway   4:34

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Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson also made an album of duets called Visions.  You can find that Here.

Read a 2007 interview with Walt Dickerson Here.

Below is a rip of my mono LP.  I hadn't thought it worthy of sharing... but if you're curious, I hope you enjoy.

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Again, Many Thanks to I-) for finding some LP scans on the web to share!

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Strange Strings (1967)

  
Recorded NYC 1966-1967 

Strange Strings is one of the most obscure and downright weird recordings in all of Sun Ra’s immense (and weird) discography. By 1966, Ra had acquired a selection of odd stringed instruments – ukuleles, kotos, zithers, etc. – to be played exclusively here by members of the Arkestra. That the musicians did not how to play them was the whole point, it was, according to Ra, “a study in ignorance.” Structurally, the music builds on the kind of conducted-improvisation found on The Magic City (1965) (Evidence CD), but the unfamiliar instruments create a truly otherworldly din. Homemade metallic instruments clatter and thrum while strings are plucked, bowed, struck and scraped; sometimes drums and tympani pound ominously. Thick reverb saturates or, at other times, dries up the acoustic, creating shifting and distorted sonic perspectives. Sounding more like Iannis Xenakis than Fletcher Henderson, this stuff is definitely not for the faint of heart! The bonus track, “Door Squeak” features Sun Ra on, yes, a loudly squeaking door (which actually sounds very much like the MiniMoog, which he would take up years later) while more strange strings chatter in the background. Detailed liner notes by Hal Rammel and super deluxe packaging make this CD a must have for the connoisseur of Sun Ra’s furthest interplanetary journeys.

from NuVoid's Sun Ra Sunday blog

Door Squeak

Strange Strings is a somewhat legendary album from the mid-'60s. "Worlds Approaching" is a great tune, anchored by a bass ostinato and timpani and featuring several fantastic solos, including Marshall Allen on oboe, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, John Gilmore on tenor, and Sun Ra on electric piano. Off and on throughout the tune, Bugs Hunter applies near-lethal doses of reverb, giving the piece a very odd but interesting sound. "Strange Strings" is one of those songs that is likely to inspire some sort of "you call that music?" comment from your grandmother, or even from open-minded friends. It sounds like they raided the local pawnshop for anything with strings on it, then passed them out to the bandmembers. It's difficult to tell if some of these instruments have been prepared in some way, or if they're simply being played by untutored hands. There are also lots of drums and some viola playing from Ronnie Boykins that is also treated heavily with reverb. Despite the cacophony, there is a definite ebb and flow to the piece and what seem like different movements or themes. Whatever you think of the music contained, there's no denying that it produced some of the most remarkable sounds of the mid-'60s. If you don't like "out," stay clear of this one. [Atavistic reissued the album in 2009.]

AMG Review by Sean Westergaard

Click to enlarge

123. [109] Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra

Sun Ra (Wurlitzer ep, perc); Ali Hassan (tb); Marshall Allen (as, ob); Danny Davis (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (bars, fl); Robert Cummings (bcl); Ronnie Boykins (b); Clifford Jarvis (d, tymp); James Jacson (log drum, perc).

Rehearsal, New York City, around 1966

Worlds Approaching (Ra)

Poor recording quality indicates a different session from the rest of the Strange Strings album.  This session could have been made a year or two earlier than the rest of the album.

Worlds Approaching

124. [110] Marshall Allen (strings); Danny Davis (strings); John Gilmore (strings); Pat Patrick (strings); Robert Cummings (strings); Ali Hassan (strings); Carl Nimrod (strings, perc); Ronnie Boykins (b, vla, dutar); Sun Ra (lightning drum, tymp); James Jacson (log drums); Clifford Jarvis (tymp, perc); Art Jenkins [Thlan Aldridge] (strings, space voice).

Rehearsal, New York City, late 1966

Strange Strings (Ra)
Strange Strings (Ra) (cont.)

Thoth Intergalactic KH-5472, Strange Strings, was issued in 1967 (it is described by Tam Fiori in the January 1968 issue of Jazz and Pop).  It also circulated under the catalog number 502.  "Strange Strings" begins as the second track on Side A ("featuring vocal by Arthur Jenkins"), and the continuation ("featuring lightning drum") fills all of Side B.  Some previous discographies give 1964 as the recording date, but John Gilmore places it after Nothing Is.

What were the strings?  Gilmore described his as "a little Japanese instrument"; in a Melody Maker article, Fiofori refers to "Chinese lutes, moon-guitars, mandolin, bass, koto."  In 1966 photos of a rehearsal in the Sun Studios (by Val Wilmer, in Omniverse Sun Ra), Boykins is shown playing a dutar, a bowed lute used in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (thanks to Ralph Pleshar for background on the dutar), as well as a more Oriental instrument.  Hartmut Geerken points out that none of the strings were actually electric, though they were closely miked and in some cases subjected to reverb (Carl Nimrod was incorrectly credited with "electric strings").  Geerken identifies one of Ra's "sun harps" as a Ukrainian bandura (it is shown on the cover of Holiday for Soul Dance); it is possible that one of the other Arkestra members played the bandura on this date.

On the jacket Jenkins is billed as "Thlan Aldridge," but according to articles in Jazz Wereld, August and October 1968, he and Aldridge are one and the same.  Indeed, the Carnegie Hall program for April 12-13, 1968, lists "Art Jenkins (= Thlan Aldridge)."

from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed

 Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra

Strange Strings

1.  Worlds Approaching   10:17

2.  Strange Strings   12:48

3.  Strange Strange   20:24

4.  Door Squeak   10:29

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Strange Strings (180g LP Reissue)

1. Worlds Approaching   10:10
2. Strings Strange   12:27

3. Strange Strange   19:58

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