Sun Ra - VPRO Broadcast 1971.11.11 Delft, Netherlands

 

The Arkestra appeared at the Technische Hogeschool, Nieuwe Aula in Delft, on November 11, 1971. The state-run radio station recorded the concert and broadcast it on November 14. According to Campbell and Trent, portions of this concert were also televised on Dutch TV on November 17, but the tape no longer exists in the VPRO archive (p.176). The audio recordings do exist, however, and, fortunately for us fans, the entire three-hour concert was re-broadcast in 2001. The sound quality is exceptionally good and it’s a wonderful performance to boot.

The first set starts off with glistening vibraphone arpeggios over roiling drums, each of the various percussion instruments nicely captured in a wide stereo image. After a brief pause, the Arkestra blasts into an explosive space chord that sets up a long electronic keyboard extravaganza, punctuated by intermittent ensemble freakouts. This is certainly an intense way to begin a concert! After about nine minutes, Ra launches into the bouncy vamping of “Enlightenment.” This is a note-perfect rendition with everyone crystal clear in the mix, including the descending counter-melodies on flutes and trumpet and the multi-voiced chorus that accompanies June Tyson’s melodic crooning. “Love in Outer Space” predictably follows, but this time it’s taken at a more relaxed tempo than usual, settling into a sultry, slinky groove for almost twelve sensuous minutes, relentlessly driven forward by William Morrow’s doubling of Pat Patrick’s electric bass line on vibes. Not much happens musically until Ra enters to state the theme a few times on a wheezy electric organ at the end -- but that’s OK.

Sonny then signals the space-chant, “Space is the Place,” which is full of soulful group vocalizations over the mellow groove. Until, that is, the saxophones enter with some dissonant squealing and the rhythm starts to disintegrate, with the vocalists going crazy with ecstatic wailing about “outer space” etc. Rather than wearing out its welcome, all this nonsense quickly subsides to give way to a series of solos and various ensemble sections including Ra’s “mad-scientist” organ, some saxophone duels, raging horn battles, and pounding kettle drums. Another unknown number in the “Discipline” series emerges from the ashes, where richly orchestrated horn parts wander through a thicket of chords while rubato drums rumble around underneath. A beautiful trumpet solo follows (probably Kwami Hadi) accompanied by some spacey vibraphone, which gets a nice response from the audience. Morrow then takes over with Ra joining in on marimba, while drums beat randomly and ominously. Out of the ether, June Tyson enters with a brief declamation: “Out of every nation they shall rise, with an invitation of the Sun to journey to the outer darkness, to the outer heavens of the intergalactic dawn!” Then the ensemble enters with a reprise or coda to the “Discipline” piece. As the work concludes, Eloe Omoe adds his wild bass clarinet scribbling which prods the ensemble into some full-blown skronky free-jazz, led by John Gilmore’s indomitable tenor saxophone.

June Tyson interrupts the mayhem with the declamatory “We’ll Wait for You” which is ticklingly echoed by the ensemble voices. Another wave of high-energy group improv follows, featuring Art Jenkins's ghostly “space voice” and another long segment of vibes and marimba noodling. Sonny then takes a rare turn on solo acoustic piano, interspersing luscious ballad chords with furious avant-garde attacks, later rhapsodically hinting around the “Theme of the Stargazers,” which is taken up by Tyson and Gilmore in perfect unison. This gives rise to a long, quiet, very spacey improvisation with vocalized horns and gently tapping marimba and percussion. At times, an eerie, “Strange Strings” --like atmosphere arises only to move in other, equally compelling musical territory. Finally, Gilmore steps up with an anguished saxophone cry and takes over with a typically mind-blowing solo, which is greeted with wild applause. Wow.
An early version of “Discipline 27” follows right behind. Campbell and Trent point out that these early performances are “pre-mitotic; [they] combine[] a riff from the later ‘27’ and one from the later ’27-II’ along with a counter-theme for the saxes that was not used in later versions at all” (p.177). Not surprisingly, the ensemble sounds a bit tentative on the interlocking horn parts, and the rhythm section never quite attains the stately grace the work requires. Hadi ventures first with an uncharacteristically modest but tasteful solo while Morrow provides some rather aimless filling on vibes, mostly making for a not quite satisfying performance of this otherwise languid and dreamy composition. As the piece tapers off, the chorus enters with an a cappella rendition of “Outer Spaceways, Incorporated,” ending the set with delirious chanting and clapping while the Arkestra parades off the stage.

(continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)

 To Nature's God

184. [161]  Sun Ra's Intergalactic Research Arkestra

Sun Ra (2 Mini-Moog syns, org, p, voc); Kwame Hadi (tp, perc); Akh Tal Ebah [Doug E. Williams] (tp, flg, voc, dance); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); Larry Northington (as, cga, perc); Istar Sundance (as); John Gilmore (ts, d, perc, voc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Pat Patrick (bars, fl, eb, perc); Hakim Rahim (bars, as, fl); Eloe Omoe (bcl, perc); Al Batin Nur [Augustus Browning Jr.] (Eng hn); James Jacson (fl, ob, Inf-d); Clifford Jarvis (d); Lex Humphries (d); Tommy Hunter (d, as); Nimrod Hunt (hand drums, perc); William Morrow (vib); Roger Aralamon Hazoumé (balafon, dance); June Tyson (voc, dance); Malik Ramadin (voc, tymp); Art Jenkins (space voice, voc, cga, perc); Wisteria el Moondew [Judith Holton] (dance); Cheryl Banks (dance); Kevin Massey (dance); Kenneth Alexander (dance); Richard Wilkinson (light show).

Aula van de T.H., Delft Netherlands,
November 11, 1971

Date and personnel from Gezinus Wolters in Jazz Wereld.  Wolters refers to Ra's Rocksichord (shish can be heard o the Paris tape) as an electric piano.  Recorded by the Dutch network VPRO and broadcast on radio on 11/14.  Portions broadcast on Dutch TV on 11/17/71.  (However, the videotape is not in the VPRO archive.)

Chase says that the Arkestra performed in West Germany during this tour; date and places are not known.  The Paris concert was originally intended to be the last date o the tour (Wilkinson). 

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

 Sun Ra's Intergalactic Research Arkestra
1971.11.11 Delft, Netherlands

1.  Ra Solo / Enlightenment   11:49
2.  Love In Outer Space   11:44
3.  Space is the Place   8:31
4.  The Cosmic-Bypass   13:38
5.  In Some Far Place (we'll wait for you) / The Theme of the Stargazers   14:02
6.  Sun Ra's Intergalactic Research Arkestra, 1971.11.11, Delft-06   7:23
7.  Discipline 27   7:12
8.  Outer Spaceways Incorporated   5:28
9.  They'll Come Back   8:01
10. Discipline ??   18:15
11. Intergalactic Research / Ra Solo   18:42
12. Satellites are Spinning   10:26
13. Watusi   13:54
14. To Nature's God   8:52
15. The Shadow World / Sometimes the Universe Speaks / Ra Solo   27:06
16. Second Stop is Jupiter / Prepare for the Journey to Other Worlds   13:14

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Here is another 1971 performance.  This one was recorded on October 12 in Stockholm and is presented with with Many Thanks to Zyxirion for originally sharing this with us via Solar Flares.

1971.10.12 Stockholm Drameten Oper House FM

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ESP Sun Ra Radio Tribute - 14 hrs in 6 Parts

After receiving a few requests from interested readers to re-up portions of this series, I decided that featuring the entire collection of webcasts in one post would help to bring some attention to this marvelous historical narrative.  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.  In this unprecedented audio documentary, The Good Doctor 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 I Roam the Cosmos (if you missed these, rectify!).  There are plenty more incredible rarities peppered throughout these broadcasts.  If you are interested in reviewing the playlist for each segment, please click the 'part #' below each stream to be whisked away to the original post where you will find newly refreshed download options.  Each post features the original master tape offered in both FLAC and 320k mp3 as well as an mp3 audio stream of the show.

If listening to the entire transmission in one sitting doesn't suit your schedule, please consider bookmarking this page so that you can easily return for future listens.  Or if you happen to have 14 hours to spare... click & enjoy!

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

ESP Sun Ra Radio Tribute - 14 hrs in 6 Parts

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5


Part 6

Sun Ra - It's After The End Of The World (1970)

 
Recorded live at the Donaueschingen Music and Berlin Festivals in 1970, this gem ideally captures Sun Ra and His Intergalactic (Research) Arkestra at its most otherworldly self. Individual and collective sounds reach for ears at times beyond human comprehension. The 21-member Arkestra is anchored by its leader captaining keyboards of various frequencies of inter-planetary communication and fresh audible sensations—from his Farfisa organ, “roc-si-chord,” “spacemaster,” Mini- Moog synthesizer, Hohner clavinet and electra, to acoustic piano. Soundscapes vary from Twilight Zone-ish scores (the Moog-heavy “Out in Space”) to African ritualistic percussive escapades (“Watusi”).

Ceremoniously opening with June Tyson’s heavily breathed words spoken as if serenaded from a tropical bird—“dream,” “blackness,” and lastly “a world” swirl into the rumbling and gathering of percussion, brass, and reeds. Flutes, oboe, and a modified bassoon (with a French horn mouthpiece!) performed by Leroy Taylor (aka Elo Omoe) create a modern classical orchestral atmosphere before the swinging beats of drums and trumpet-like scorching alto sax lines carry the momentum elsewhere.

A bass-driven piano introduces dozens of different meters performed on drums and percussion instruments of all shapes and sizes over the Egyptian march of “Watusi.” A near twenty-minute suite culminates in the closing “Duos,” featuring the avant alto sax vocabulary of Marshall Allen and Danny Davis followed by the burly baritone dialogue of Pat Patrick and Danny Thompson. One of the singular and unfortunate drawbacks are several abridged versions either subtly fading into segments or, as with “Duos,” more abruptly. Nonetheless, such a recording as this offers the next best thing to but a sampling of what it must have been like to experience the path that Ra offered his listeners in a live concert, perhaps the most uninhibited platform for his musical message.
from All About Jazz

172. [153]  Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra

It's After the End of the World / Black Myth / Out in Space

Sun Ra (Farfisa org, Hohner Clavinet, p, Rocksichord, Spacemaster org, Mini-Moog syn, Hohner Electra, voc); Kwame Hadi [Lamont F. McClamb] (tp, perc); Akh Tal Ebah [Douglas E. Williams] (tp, sp-mell); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, picc, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, acl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, perc, voc); Absholom Ben Shlomo [Virgil C. Pumphrey] (as, cl, fl); Danny Ray Thompson (as, bars, libf, fl, perc); Pat Patrick (bars, ts, as, cl, bcl, fl, eb, perc); Augustus Browning Jr. [Al Batin Nur] (Eng hn); Alan Silva (vln, vla, clo, b); Alejandro Blake Fearon [Alex Blake] (b); Lex Humphries (d); James Jacson (large drum, perc, ob, fl); Nimrod Hunt (hand drums); Roger Aralamon Hazoumé (dance, fire eating, balafon, African perc); Math Samba (dance, perc); Gloristeena Knight [Ife Tayo] (dance, perc); June Tyson (voc, dance); Richard Wilkinson (light show). 

Stadhalle, Donaueschingen,
West Germany,
October 17, 1970

Black Forest Myth (Ra) /
Friendly Galaxy No. 2 (Ra)
Journey Through the Outer Darkness [Duos] (Ra)
Strange Worlds (Ra) [JT, SR voc]
Black Myth (Ra) [JT voc]
It's After the End of the World (Ra) [JT voc]
I'll Wait for You (Ra) [SR, JT, ens voc]

This performance was part of the Donaueschingen Tage für Neue Musik.  The concert reportedly lasted three hours; 47 minutes were broadcast over the SWF radio network in West Germany, and only these items survive.  Some tracks then appeared in 1971 on German MPS 2120748, It's After the End of the World.  This LP was also issued on MPS CRM 748, CTM 748, 654482, and in the United States on MPS BASF 21589.  Excerpts also on the second album of Monkey MY 40014.

In September 1998 all surviving material was released on the first CD of a two-CD set on Motor Music 557 656, under the title Black Myth / Out in Space.  "Black Forest Myth" and "Friendly Galaxy No. 2" are separately titled on Motor Music, instead of being conflated into one title as they were on the MPS LP.

What Hartumut Geerken (in the Motor Music notes) calls "Journey Through the Outer Darkness" was edited down to the opening five minutes (duos by Allen and Davis and by Patrick and Thompson) for the MPS release; the excerpt was titled "Duos."

What is called "Strange Worlds" on the Motor Music CD is divided into two tracks called "Strange Dreams" and "Strange Worlds" on the MPS LP.  Around 30 seconds of dialogue were edited out of the MPS issues.

Personnel from the MPS album jacket, supplemented by Victor Schonfield's program book for the London concert on the same tour.  The Neptunian libflecto is referred to in the semi-English-language MPS album notes as a "fagot" (German for bassoon), and Danny Thompson is not credited with playing it; instead, Eloe Omoe is credited with playing oboe and bassoon.  Omoe can be seen playing the libflecto Cent And du Jazz.  It appears that both he and Thompson played the libflecto on this tour.  (Thompson's baritone sax was not mentioned by MPS despite his participation in the second of the two "Duos.")  Thanks to Julian Vein and Hartmut Geerken for information about the radio broadcast.



174. [154]  Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra

It's After the End of the World /
Black Myth / Out in Space

same personnel.

Kongresshalle, West Berlin,
West Germany, November 7, 1970

Out in Space (Ra) [JT voc]
Discipline Series (Ra)
Walkin' on the Moon (Ra) [JT voc]
Outer Space Where I Came From (Ra) [SR recitation]
Watusa [Watusi, Egyptian March] (Pitts-Sherrill; arr. Ra)
Myth vs. Reality (Ra) [SR, JT voc]
Theme of the Stargazers (Ra) [JG, JT voc]
Space Chant Medley:
Second Stop is Jupiter (Ra) /
Why Go to the Moon? (Ra) [JT, ens voc]
We Travel the Spaceways (Ra) [ens voc]

The Arkestra's appearance was part of the Berlin Jazz Festival, and a radio broadcast was done at the time.  Some tracks were subsequently issued in 1971 on German MPS 2120748, It's After the End of the World -- which also appeared (depending on the country) as MPS CRM 748, MPS CTM 748, MPA 654482, and (in the United States) on MPS BASF 21589.

All that remains from the concert (nearly 80 minutes out of two hours) was issued in September 1998 on the second CD of Motor Music 557 656, a two-CD set titled Black Myth / Out in Space.  (See the notes from the Motor Music set by Hartmut Geerken.)

Despite its resemblance to slow, somber, through-composed numbers like "Discipline 15," the unidentified Ra composition from this concert cannot actually be from the Discipline series; according to James Jacson and Tommy  Hunter, Ra didn't start writing the Discipline pieces until early 1971.

Editing on the German radio broadcast, and even more elaborate editing on the MPS issue, makes comparisons with the Motor Music release tougher than they should be.  ("Watusi, Egyptian March" was included on the MPS LP and the Motor Music CD, but not used on the broadcast.)

Part of "Out in Space" was broadcast on German radio, about 25 minutes in all; the uncut Motor Music CD edition runs to 37:45.  The broadcast version omits everything before June Tyson's vocal and edits out various sections of Omoe's solo, some ensembles, and the closing piano improvisation.  To confuse matters, excerpts from "Out in Space" were incorporated in the MPS LP version of "Myth vs. Reality."

The MPS LP includes three items bundled together into a suite: "The Myth Science Approach: Myth vs. Reality / Angelic Proclamation / Out in Space."  The entire LP tracks lasts 18:22.  It consists of an edited first section of the Motor Music CD version of "Myth vs. Reality," with about 14 minutes of the middle section of "Out in Space" spliced onto the end of it!  The Motor Music CD contains the most complete, unedited "Myth vs. Reality," lasting 14:33.

Geerken lists each planet mentioned in "Why Go to the Moon?" as though it were the topic of a separate chant (then "Saturn" is mistakenly equated with the 1956 composition!).  But "Why Go to the Moon?" normally mentioned all of these other planets, concluding with "Why not go to Pluto, too?"  So the superfluous titles that appear in the notes to the Motor Music release are omitted here.

At this time, James Jacson was playing a single-headed drum made from an Indian double-headed drum shell.  The Motor Music notes incorrectly identify this as the "Lightning drum" (in its full nominal splendor, the Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lightning with Thunder Drum), which Jacson would not build for another few months.

from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra

It's After The End Of The World - Live at The Donaueschingen and Berlin Festivals

MPS BASF Stereo 20748 (1972)
Universe UV 070 (2003 reissue)

1. Strange Dreams / Strange Worlds / Black Myth / It's After The End Of The World   14:29
2. Black Forest Myth   9:15
3. Watusi, egyptian march   2:41
4. Myth Versus Reality (The Myth-Science Approach) / Angelic Proclamation / Out in Space   18:07
5. Duos   4:35

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If you are interested in the expanded release Black Myth /Out in Space,  check the comments in this 2011 post for new links. I would also encourage you to read the insightful reviews of Black Myth and Out in Space on the always fantastic Sun Ra Sundays.

Sun Ra - Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vol. 2 (1971)

While Sun Ra was struggling to find an audience stateside, Willis Conover had enlisted Sonny (amongst others) into Uncle Sam’s Cold War cultural army, broadcasting the Arkestra’s records regularly on Voice of America and, by 1970, Europe had become a more welcoming environment for American jazz musicians than their native country. Conover and his wife had been instrumental in securing Sonny’s Carnegie Hall debut in 1968 and had been urging him to travel to Europe ever since. When they offered to arrange for the Arkestra to appear at the prestigious Fondation Maeght in the south of France for three concerts in August 1970, Ra eagerly accepted.

The only problem was: how does Sun Ra, a being from the planet Saturn, go about obtaining a passport? Szwed describes the impossible scene:

When they filled out the forms at the passport office in New York City, the clerk at the desk said to Sun Ra, “Sir, you’re going to have to give us better information that this. We need your parents’ names, your birth date…” [Dancer] Verta Mae Grosvenor recalled that Sun Ra said, “‘That *is* the correct information.’ After a few minutes, the clerk went back to speak with her supervisor. The supervisor was no-nonsense, but after talking to Sun Ra she said, ‘Sir, why don’t you come back in a few hours.’ When we came back there was another person there and he knew about it, and he said, ‘We’ll just give you the passport.’ It just got so out that they just gave it to him!”

That passport gained talismanic force over the years, and musicians shook their heads when they saw it. Talvin Singh, an English tabla player, said: “His philosophy was that either you be part of the society or you don’t. And he wasn’t part of it. He created his own. I mean, I actually saw his passport and there was some weird shit on it. It had some different stuff.” (p.278)

Passport in hand, Ra and a nineteen-member Arkestra traveled to St. Paul de Vence and performed three concerts on August 3, 4, and 5, 1970. The Fondation Maeght is one of the finest small museums in the world and, with its focus on blue-chip modernism, Ra’s appearance in such a venue indicated a certain acceptance into the privileged domain of the European avant garde. The concerts were professionally recorded for broadcast by the state-sponsored radio station and portions were later released on LP as Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volumes 1 and 2 by the French Shandar label in 1971. These records have been widely bootlegged ever since and my CDs on the Italian Universe label are probably “gray market” bootlegs as well, but they sound fine and are sumptuously packaged in heavyweight, gatefold mini-LP sleeves. As of this writing, they remain in print and are well worth seeking out.

Campbell (p.162) insists that Volume 2 comes from the August 3rd concert (Volume 1 is from August 5th) and having no reason to disagree, we will begin with Volume 2. Campbell also lists a number of tracks contained on the original radio broadcast and an audience tape, but I have not heard this material. Again, Szwed provides a vivid description of Sun Ra’s outrageous presentation and the decidedly mixed reaction it generated:

The audience had little or no knowledge of Sun Ra’s music, since his records
weren’t widely distributed in France, and when they arrived they saw the Arkestra spread out before them like elaborate décor: musicians in red tunics, seated in a forest of instruments on stage, dancers in red dresses. On a screen behind them was projected a sky full of stars, then planets, children in Harlem, Indians on hunting trips, and newsreel footage of protests; a ball of “magic fire” rose slowly up to the ceiling; saxophonists began to battle like Samurai, then came together like brothers; and in the still center of it all, Sun Ra sat behind the Moog, creating the sounds of gales, storms, and waves crashing. From the very first note, an agitated woman stood up and cried out, “What is this?” Afterwards, she came up and insisted on seeing the written music. Europeans seemed to want to know whether there was music behind what they were hearing, as if it would assure them that this was rational activity, and Sonny was always happy to show them the scores. A man once blurted out that his “five-year-old daughter could play that!” Sun Ra readily agreed: “She could play it, but could she write it?” (p.279)

 Friendly Galaxy No. 2

The album opens with “Friendly Galaxy No.2,” a fascinating piece only tangentially related to the first “Friendly Galaxy,” which originally appeared on Secrets of the Sun in 1965. After a burbling organ introduction, the composition moves to a choir of flutes improvising over Ra’s languid piano, Alan Silva’s whining cello, and with a simple but rhythmically insistent trumpet motif recurring throughout. Meanwhile, the rest of the band establishes an exotic space-groove on bass, drums, tympani, and hand percussion. The effect is otherworldly and quite mesmerizing. In an interview with Jazz magazine in November 1970, Sun Ra described how he tailored this piece to the unique qualities of the venue:

One of the things which most impressed listeners at the Fondation Maeght is the passage for six flutes ad lib, six flutes playing in harmony. I could say improvising in harmony. I’m inspired by it to do something else which would be totally different. I believe it’s a musical idea which would be totally different. I believe it’s a new way of using flutes. It’s at once both very melodic and harmonious and at the same time so distant, as if the music was heard in the distance through a sort of mist. It’s so “out of this world.”

Curious thing, the flutes had never played this passage with the piano, but because of the peculiar acoustics in the room I knew that it would be absolutely necessary that I play at the same time because the flutes would be bothered by an echo that the audience fortunately wouldn’t hear at all. So above this the trumpets entered in, played a sort of ad lib riff because this light echo didn’t allow them to understand the rhythm. (quoted in Szwed pp.279-280)

“Friendly Galaxy No.2” would be performed several times over the next couple of years only to disappear from the repertoire. Too bad as it is truly a unique work, with the massed flutes and brass technique demonstrating Ra’s audacious genius at orchestration. “Spontaneous Simplicity” follows (out of sequence, according to Campbell) and although this version doesn’t devolve into the kind of proto-No Wave skronk heard on the Electric Circus tape from 1968, this a fine performance with the massive ensemble sections sounding particularly powerful and precise. After the opening statement, Sun Ra leads the way with a buzzing Rocksichord solo as the rest of the Arkestra picks up percussion instruments to buoy the hypnotic, one-note bassline. The music grooves along for a delirious eleven minutes, ending to some genuinely enthusiastic applause.

(Continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sunday)

169. [151]  Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume II

Sun Ra (p, Hohner Clavinet, Rocksichord, Farfisa org, Mini-Moog syn, voc); Kwame Hadi (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp, cnt); Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc, ob, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, d, voc); Robert Cummings (bcl, perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, libf); Absholom Ben Shlomo [Virgil Pumphrey] (cl, fl, as); Pat Patrick (bars, bcl, as, ts, fl, cl, perc); James Jacson (cl, fl, ob, bsn, perc); Alan Silva (b, clo, vln); Rashid Salim IV [William Brister] (vib, d); Nimrod Hunt [Carl S. Malone] (hand drums); John Goldsmith (d, tymp); Lex Humphries (d, perc); June Tyson (dance, voc); Gloristeena Knight [Ife Tayo] (dance, voc); Verta Grosvenor (space goddess, dance, voc).

Fondation Maeght, St. Paul de Vence,
France, August 3, 1970

unidentified title
Enlightenment (Dotson-Ra) [JG, JT voc]
Spontaneous Simplicity (Ra)
Outer Spaceways Incorporated (Ra) [SR voc]
Friendly Galaxy No. 2 (Ra)
Watusi (Pitts-Sherrill)
Nothing Is (Ra) [ens voc]
We Travel the Spaceways (Ra) [ens voc]
The World of Lightning (Ra)
Black Myth (Ra) [JT voc]:
   The Shadows Took Shape
   This Strange World
   Journey Through the Outer Darkness
Sky (Ra)
Ra Ra Ra (Ra) [ens voc]

Shandar SR 10.003, Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume II, was released in 1971.  There was a limited-edition German bootleg reissue (Fondation Maeght Nights Volume II) in 1992 on Jazz View COD 007 [CD].  Personnel from the Shandar Jacket; Thompson is credited with playing "bassoon," meaning the Neptunian Libflecto.  Jacson presumably played an unmodified bassoon.  Shandar 83505 (1970s) included "The World of the Lightning," "Black Myth," and "Sky."  Thanks to Vlad Simosko for a tape of the French radio broadcast and to Julian Vein for information about the audience tape. The Fondation Maeght appearance was not part of a tour; the Arkestra's first European tour began in October.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume II
Universe (Comet Records) UV 081 (CD) (2003)

1. Friendly Galaxy Number 2   8:47
2. Spontaneous Simplicity   10:51
3. The World Of The Lightening   6:55
4. Black Myth   8:37
5. Sky   2:04

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Sun Ra - Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vol. 1 (1971)

Nuits de la Fondation Maeght, Vol 1 ranks among the best of the Arkestra's live recordings.  Though there are a few very nice shorter pieces with vocals ("Enlightenment," "The Stargazers"), this is mostly given over to long-form free improvisations.  "The Cosmic Explorer" is mostly a solo feature for Sun Ra on various then-new keyboards.  His efforts make even the excursions on the solo half of My Brother the Wind Vol.2 sound tame.  A great extended sax solo on "Shadow World" also helps place this on the more aggressive and challenging end of Sun Ra's musical continuum.  In all, a wonderful set, especially for the converted, and a compelling reminder of how this group of musicians managed to make music that was fundamentally different than what anyone else has done before or since.

rateyourmusic review

Recorded at the third and final concert on August 5, 1970, Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume 1 was originally released on the French Shandar label in 1971. Often bootlegged, it was also legitimately reissued on 12-inch 45RPM LP by the British label, Recommended Records, in 1981. (My copy sounds superb, but it’s plain black sleeve omits all relevant discographical information!) This CD issue on the Italian Universe label from 2005 is probably a “grey-market” bootleg as well, but it sounds fine and is packaged in a deluxe mini-gatefold LP sleeve. As of this writing, these Universe editions are in print and readily available.

The album opens with a spirited performance of “Enlightenment,” a composition co-written with trumpeter Hobart Dotson which dates all the way back to 1958’s Jazz in Silhouette. But by 1969, Sun Ra had abandoned Dotson’s counter-melodies and added typically Saturnalian lyrics. Here, Ra sets up the bouncy vamp on organ for John Gilmore and June Tyson, who chant in a call and response fashion, imploring humanity to join the Arkestra on its cosmic space voyage:

The Sound of Joy is Enlightenment
Space, Fire, Truth is Enlightenment
Space Fire
Sometimes it's Music
Strange Mathematics
Rhythmic Equations
The Sound of Thought is Enlightenment
The Magic Light of Tomorrow
Backwards are those of Sadness
Forward and Onward Are those of Gladness
Enlightenment Is my Tomorrow
It has no planes of Sorrow
Hereby, my Invitation
I do invite you be of my Space World
This Song is Sound of Enlightenment
The Fiery Truth of Enlightenment
Vibrations come from the Space World
Is of the Cosmic Starry Dimension
Enlightenment is my Tomorrow
It has no planes of Sorrow
Hereby, our Invitation
We do invite you to be of our Space World.

This infectious little ditty elicits some enthusiastic applause and, not surprisingly, “Enlightenment” would become a fixture of the live repertoire in coming years. Then, after a quick piano introduction, Gilmore and Tyson sing “The Star Gazers” in a lovely unison melody:

This is the Theme of the Star Gazers
Star Gazers in the Sky
This is the Theme of the Star Gazers
Star Gazers in the Sky
This is the Song of Tomorrow’s World
Of Cosmic Paradise.

After that plaintive vocal statement, Sonny launches into a gorgeous ad lib piano solo while small percussion instruments tinkle and clatter and Alan Silva provides some complementary figures on bass. Gradually, Ra builds up the intensity with cascading waves of chords and then bringing it back down to a gentle, quiet ending — until a crashing chord signals the beginning of the notorious “Shadow World.” Right off, it is obvious that the band is a well-oiled machine: the insanely complex, hocketed melodies are performed flawlessly, setting the stage for Gilmore’s utterly hair-raising solo on tenor saxophone, complete with a squealing and wailing a cappella cadenza. Ra then takes over with a skittering, swirling organ solo until cueing the horns for a huge, pulsating space chord. The braying and howling horns eventually subside, leaving Ra to sketch out the dramatic chord sequence on organ to end. This is a truly stunning performance of one of Ra’s most significant compositions and must be heard to be believed!

(Continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)


Nuits de la Fondation Maeght, Vol. 1 (1970) is the first of two releases capturing Sun Ra and the Arkestra at Saint Paul de Vence, Côte d'Azur, France, in August of 1970, on what was their first European excursion. As a rule, free and avant-garde jazz are a decidedly acquired taste. However, for discerning palettes, these installments present the aggregate at their absolute pinnacle in terms of performance and inspiration. The four works included here offer a wide variety of styles and approaches, proving that the combo were far more multifaceted and involved than often given credit for. "Enlightenment" is a suitable opener, featuring a vocal duet between June Tyson (vocals) and John Gilmore (tenor sax/drums/vocals). This ambles subtly into another brief lyric on "The Star Gazers," followed by an inventive and elaborate piano solo from Ra. The bandleader is clearly enthused throughout, translating in what is perceived as even quicker and more potent inflections. These continue during a full-ensemble reading of "Shadow World," which is given a worthy workout. The flurry and fury in Marshall Allen's alto sax are countered with more of Ra's highly intricate assertions. One of the most inspired keyboard performances from Ra is the appropriately titled "Cosmic Explorer." There are moments that vacillate from terrifying to sublime as the artist methodically investigates the sounds, carefully constructing his progressive arrangements. Much like the Arkestra presentation, Ra's solos are complex, more than making up for any lack of structure with a motivated performance. Enthusiasts should note that both volumes of Nuits de la Fondation Maeght were issued on CD from an excellent quality tape (read: non-vinyl) source on Comet Records in 2003.

AMG review by Lindsay Planer

 170. [152]  Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume I

Sun Ra (p, Hohner Clavinet, Rocksichord, Farfisa org, Mini-Moog syn, voc); Kwame Hadi (tp); Akh Tal Ebah (tp, cnt); Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc, ob, perc); Danny Davis (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, d, voc); Robert Cummings (bcl, perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, libf); Absholom Ben Shlomo [Virgil Pumphrey] (cl, fl, as); Pat Patrick (bars, bcl, as, ts, fl, cl, perc); James Jacson (cl, fl, ob, bsn, perc); Alan Silva (b, clo, vln); Rashid Salim IV [William Brister] (vib, d); Nimrod Hunt [Carl S. Malone] (hand drums); John Goldsmith (d, tymp); Lex Humphries (d, perc); June Tyson (dance, voc); Gloristeena Knight [Ife Tayo] (dance, voc); Verta Grosvenor (space goddess, dance, voc).

Fondation Maeght, St. Paul de Vence,
France, August 5, 1970

Enlightenment (Dotson-Ra) [JG, JT voc]
The Stargazers (Ra)
Shadow World (Ra)
The Cosmic Explorer (Ra)
Friendly Galaxy (Ra)   [audience tape]

Shandar 10.011, Nuits de la Fondation Maeght volume 1, was released in 1971.  "Enlightenment" was misspelled "Enlightment."  All tracks were reissued in 1981 on Recommended RR 11 (a 12" 45-rpm LP) and were bootlegged in 1992 on Jazz View COD 006 [CD].  Shandar 83505 (issued in the mid-'70s) included "The Cosmic Explorer."  Information about the audience tape from Julian Vein.
from Campbell / Trent  The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume I
Recommended Records RR eleven (12" 45-rpm LP) (1981)

1. A1 Enlightment   2:57
2. A2 The Star Gazers   3:09
3. A3 Shadow World   13:32
4. B1 The Cosmic Explorer   20:01

-FLAC-

RS

HF
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or

-320-

RS

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Sun Ra
Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Volume I
Universe (Comet Records) UV080 (CD) (2003)

1. Enlightment   2:57
2. The Star Gazers   3:08
3. Shadow World   13:26
4. The Cosmic Explorer   19:40

-FLAC-

RS

HF
FF

or

-320-

RS

HF
FF