. Adventure-Equation .: September 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - The Invisible Shield (1974)

Most of The Invisible Shield was reissued on the 1201Music label and divided between the CDs Janus and Standards. Two tracks, however, "State Street" and "Time After Time 1" were not reissued and are only found on this 1974 LP.

Saturn LP 529, The Invisible Shield, was first issued in 1974. At various times, it has also been titled A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow volume 2, Janus, and Satellites are Outerspace... (the last is a Saturn re-pressing from Blast First, available in 1989 and 1990). The band was identified as "Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra." There are many hybrid pressings in which this Side A replaces the original Side B of Saturn 539, What's New?

97. [84] Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra

The Invisible Shield

Sun Ra (p.); Walter Miller (tp); Al Evans (flg); Ali Hassan (tb); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Pat Patrick (bars); Michael White (vln); Ronnie Boykins (b); Clifford Jarvis (d).

Choreographers Workshop,
NYC, late 1962

State Street (Ra)

This track appeared on Side A (matrix 144000A, 14400A on some labels) which has also appeared as side B on most copies of What's New? The violinist has been mistakenly identified as Stuff Smith; Richard Wilkinson says Michael White. Al Evans identified on then label as soloist; Boykins, Miller, and Jarvis also mentioned on the label. Date given by Saturn merely as "'60s."

102. [89] Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

The Invisible Shield

Sun Ra (p.); Walter Miller (tp); John Gilmore (ts); Ronnie Boykins (b); Clifford Jarvis (d).

Time after Time 1 (Cahn-Styne)
Time after Time 2 (cahn-Styne) [no ts]
Easy to Love (Porter)
Sunnyside Up (DeSylva-Brown)

According to [Julian] Vein, a batch of tracks including "Sometimes I'm Happy" (from another session) and "Time after Time" through "But Not for Me" were sold to Black Lion in 1971 but not issued at that time.

102a. Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Sun Ra (p.); John Gilmore (ts); Ronnie Boykins (b); Lex Humphries (d).

Choreographers Workshop, NYC,
late 1962 or early 1963

Sometimes I'm Happy (Caesar-Youmans)

Careful listening to this track indicates that the drummer is not Clifford Jarvis as previously thought (Jarvis had a heavy and characteristic emphasis on the bass drum at this point in his career, and it is absent on this track). The drummer appears to be Lex Humphries…

Invisible Shield - Side B

165. [147] Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra

The Invisible Shield

Sun Ra (p.); Marshall Allen (fl); Danny Davis (acl); prob. Ronnie Boykins (b); John Gilmore (perc); poss. Pat Patrick (perc).

Variety Recording Studio, NYC,
1968-1970

Island in the Sun (Ra)

The date for this session is not firm. The Saturn jacket merely says "1970s" and gives Philadelphia as the location. The instrumentation is also compatible with a 1968-1969 date. This composition is also known as "Islands in Space," and has been recorded under that name by Michael Ray and the Cosmic Krewe.

166. [148] Sun Ra (org, Mini-Moog, syn); Marshall Allen (as); poss. Danny Davis (as); Danny Ray Thompson (libf); prob. Clifford Jarvis (d).

Live recording, 1970

The Invisible Shield (Ra)

This one can be more confidently dated because of the synthesizer.

167. [149] Sun Ra (Clavinet or gong -- intro only; dir); John Gilmore (ts, bells); Danny Davis (as, perc); Marshall Allen (picc, perc); poss. Robert Cummings (bcl, perc); Ronnie Boykins (b); Art Jenkins (voc, space voice); Tommy Hunter (perc, reverb); prob. Pat Patrick (bgo, perc).

Choreographers Workshop, NYC, 1963/
Sun Studios, NYC, 1967-1968

Janus (Ra)

1970 was given as the date for all three tracks by Tilman Stahl (and it is listed on the labels of some copies of The Invisible Shield. We have recently obtained indisputable evidence that "Janus" was done earlier.

In fact, careful listening to the CD remastering of "Janus" indicates two recordings from different dates that were spliced together by Ra later on. The 35 seconds of loud low banging sounds that open the piece were produced by Ra on his Hohner Clavinet or perhaps on a gong (with deliberately distorted recording); the recording location was the Sun Studios, New York City, and the probable date 1967-1968. The main body of "Janus" (over 6 minutes of music) were recorded in Sunny's psychedelic year, 1963.

"Island in the Sun," "The Invisible Shield," and "Janus" were sold to Alan Bates of Black Lion in December 1971, along with two tracks, "Velvet" and "Joy," which stem from an early 1968 concert. Black Lion never released them (Julian Vein). They were first issued (without "Velvet" and "Joy") as Side B of the LP The Invisible Shield, Saturn LP 529 or 144000/144000B, which was initially released in 1974 (some labels misrender the matrix number as 14400. Urs Berger's copy has yellow Philadelphia labels on both sides (with a 1973 date) and was sold in white porthole sleeves, but many other varieties exist.

These tracks also appear on a hybrid Invisible Shield on which Side A is replaced by 14200B from Space Probe.

Still another hybrid Invisible Shield carries 144000B as Side A and 143000B (from Outer Spaceways Incorporated) as Side B. Urs Berger's copy has bluish labels from Philadelphia (with a 1973 release date) on both sides and was sold in a plain white porthole sleeve. This hybrid was sold at concerts in Britain in 1990 and 1991; copies had a blue-purple Chicago-style El Saturn label and a plain white sleeve.

The complete package that was sold to Alan Bates was finally brought together in October 1999 as Janus, 1201 Music CD 90122.
from The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Remarks that Art Jenkins made when "Janus" was played over radio station WKCR-FM, New York City, on April 17, 1987 - Sun Ra had challenged Jenkins to "sing about Africa." Among other things Jenkins said, "So after several rehearsals, we were ready... This time, my spirit took me back to Africa. And it was like in a dreamworld sense, but I was back in an African village, with African musicians, singers, and dancers. It was like, 'It's your time to sing.' One singer moves to the next singer, and so forth, just like the (universal) voice moves."

The Invisible Shield

1. State Street   3:45
2. Sometimes I'm Happy   6:42
3. Time after Time 1   2:18
4. Time after Time 2   3:30
5. Easy to Love   3:27
6. Sunnyside Up   3:36

7. Island in the Sun   5:41
8. The Invisible Shield   5:37
9. Janus   7:09

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Many Thanks to Marc E of Philly for his LP rip and to I-) for his patience & clean-up capabilities!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sun Ra - Fate in a Pleasant Mood / When Sun Comes Out (1960s)

When Sun Comes Out is truly a landmark record in Ra’s discography: it was the first New York recording to be released on Ra’s own El Saturn label and it contains some of Tommy Hunter’s first stereo recordings made at the Choreographer’s Workshop – quite technologically advanced accomplishments for a shoestring operation in 1963. Some years later, Sun Ra deposited a manuscript with the Library of Congress entitled, “When Sun Comes Out,” which contains a fairly detailed score for most the tracks on the album assembled into a kind of suite. Clearly, Ra considered this an important work – although it is impossible to tell from the score whether it was produced before or after the recording. As with many aspects of Sun Ra’s work, this document poses at least as many questions as it answers.

“Circe” opens the album with ominous, irregular strikes of a gong – loud and soft, ringing and choked, fast and slow. Bells and hand drums enter with a stuttering rhythm while a mysterious singer named Theda Barbara vocalizes wordlessly (and somewhat melodramatically) with a big, warbling vibrato. The mostly pentatonic melody is fully notated in the score with alternating measures of 5/4 and 9/4 over the gong’s droning G. Subsequently, the bells, gong, and hand drums coalesce into a steady rhythm before suddenly fading out. “The Nile” sets out with gently rolling percussion with Ra and Boykins engaging contrasting three-note ostinato patterns to support a beautiful, Arabic-sounding flute melody scored for Marshall Allen. Allen takes considerable liberties with the melody as it goes along, but always hits specified targets, indicating that the score might predate the recording. “Brazilian Sun” features suitably Latin-sounding hand drums and claves with Boykins holding down a circular riff on bass. Ra stabs out parallel chords to spell out a tense, unresolved melody. The sunny percussion contrasts with the tonally shiftless piano to create a definite atmospheric tension – a bit of spiritual unease despoiling the fantasy of tropical paradise perhaps?

The version of “We Travel the Spaceways” heard here is a bit more aggressive than on the eponymous LP (found on Evidence ECD 22038) – and it is also recorded in stereo. Teddy Nance and Bernard Pettaway sit in on trombones, giving the tune a darker, more menacing tone. After the opening space chant, the increasingly dissonant interplay between Gilmore’s energetic tenor solo and Ra’s percussive piano gives this rendition a decidedly avant garde feel. Ra slides in some dreamy celeste during the vocal sections, demonstrating his uniquely orchestral approach to keyboard accompaniment. “Calling Planet Earth” benefits as well from the more spacious stereo recording. A fully notated vocal ensemble urgently intones the title until Pat Patrick enters with some coruscating baritone saxophone which is reinforced by Ra’s furious two-handed piano attack. Adding to the tumultuous assault, both Lex Humphries and John Gilmore are pounding away on drums. Yes, John Gilmore on trap drums! And Ra sounds more like Cecil Taylor than Cecil himself did in 1963! This is some wild stuff!

(Continue reading at NuVoid's Sun Ra Sundays)

Fate in a Pleasant Mood, recorded in 1960, finds the Arkestra at the very end of their Chicago days. The tunes still have that '50s Arkestra sound (great horn arrangements, prominent tympani), although there is an increasing use of dissonance and the arrangements are more spare, thanks to a dwindling Arkestra. Ra sticks to piano on these tracks, with excellent flute contributions from Marshall Allen and some fine trumpet as well, mostly courtesy of Phil Cohran. Gilmore shines on "Ankhnaton" and "Distant Stars." Most of the tunes still have strong ties to bop and swing, although "Space Mates" and "Kingdom of Thunder" point the way to a percussion-led sound that would be further explored after the band relocated to New York.

When Sun Comes Out is one of the first recordings after the Arkestra relocated to New York City late in 1961. This change of location also marked a change in overall sound. The New York period saw Ra focusing far more on percussion backdrops as opposed to horn arrangements (virtually everyone on the album gets a percussion credit), and everything from the percussion to the horn solos to Ra's piano playing took a more aggressive stance. John Gilmore's tenor solo on "Calling Planet Earth" throws the bop rule book out the window, and he is heard developing a more extended vocabulary of skronks and squeals. This track exemplifies the change in sound and focus from the Chicago days to the legendary days at the Composers' Workshop, where much of the Arkestra's '60s output was recorded. The band had use of the space throughout the day, and drummer Tommy "Bugs" Hunter was recruited to record the band more often than drumming. A steady rehearsal space and the ability to record Arkestra rehearsals surely helped lead Sun Ra down this more experimental path. When Sun Comes Out is a first glimpse into an era that would culminate in some of the Arkestra's most renowned recordings.

Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out is a pairing of two early-'60s Saturn LPs that catch the Arkestra in an interesting transitional phase. Fate in a Pleasant Mood is one of the final recordings from the Chicago phase, while When Sun Comes Out is one of the first recordings made after the band relocated to New York. The Chicago period had Ra forging a personal sound using elements of swing and bop, with stellar horn arrangements and propulsive timpani drums. By the time they settled in New York, the swing and bop elements had fallen by the wayside and the percussive elements figured more prominently, with solos taking a more outside tack. Sun Ra and John Gilmore, in particular, play much more aggressively, with Gilmore really expanding his vocabulary. While it's not as musically cohesive as other Evidence two-fers, Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out does a nice job of summarizing the Arkestra's first major stylistic shift. This makes it an important document for collectors and, in providing a look at two early phases of the Arkestra, it also gives the Sun Ra novice a guidepost to these two distinct periods.
AMG Reviews by Sean Westergaard

Relevent entries from Campbell / Trent

Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra
Fate in a Pleasant Mood / When Sun Comes Out
Evidence ECD22068-2 [CD] 1993

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Friday, September 21, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - When Spaceships Appear (1985)

Someone once commented on Ra's knack for finding the true voice of electric keyboards. You get a big dose of that here. Lots of people play synths like pianos and hope they sound like violins. Sun Ra, on the other hand, would reach into the guts of the thing and pull out the scornful beast lurking there. Followed, of course, by a loping piano blues.

via

359. [270] Sun Ra

Ra to the Rescue /
When Spaceships Appear

Sun Ra (p, syn, voc); unidentified (tp -1); Marshall Allen (as, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb, voc); prob. Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl, perc); Hayes Burnett (b); Samarai Celestial [Eric Walker] (d); unidentified (perc); June Tyson (voc).

Squat Theatre, NYC, 1982

          Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 1) (Ra) [syn only]
          Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 2) (Ra) [ts, b only]
          Fate in a Pleasant Mood (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
         When Lights Are Dark (Ra)
          They Plan to Leave (Ra) [SR, ens voc] -1
          Back Alley Blues (Ra)

Saturn IX/1983-220, Ra to the Rescue, was issued in 1983 (mastered September 12, 1983, according to the Variety Recording Studio log). Some pressings carry a Philadelphia Saturn label; others have a blank white label on a extraordinarily thick vinyl LP and were pressed in England by Recommended. Location Michael Shore and Greg Drusdow.

Approximate date from Shore. Personnel identified by rlc. Muted trumpets can faintly be heard in the accompaniment to "They Plan to Leave." Drusdow says this material came from a single six-hour concert, but Samarai Celestial believes that it may have been recorded at more than one Squat Theatre concert by Tommy Hunter. Craig Haynes says that in 1981 and 1982, the Arkestra played well over 10 gigs a year at the Squat Theatre: "It was our home base. When we weren't working, we were at the Squat." In other words, precise dating will be difficult!

Several titles from this album were surreptitiously reissued on Saturn Sun Ra 101485, an album released in 1985 and variously known as When Spaceships Appear, Cosmo-Party Blues, and Children of the Sun. "When Spaceships Appear" is really "Ra to the Rescue Chapter 1"; "Fragile Emotions Blues" is really "Back Alley Blues"; and "Space Shuttle" is really "Ra to the Rescue Chapter 2." "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" and "They Plan to Leave" were reissued on this LP without a change in title.
from Campbell / Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

They Plan to Leave

Ra to the Rescue is a live set recorded at the Squat Theater in New York in 1982. It's quite well recorded, although some of the tracks are faded or edited somewhat abruptly. "Ra to the Rescue (Chapter 1)" is an insane solo synthesizer workout that has Ra in full sci-fi mode. He does things with a synthesizer that you never would have thought possible. For Chapter 2, it's Marshall Allen's turn, doing things you never thought possible with an alto saxophone. Then the album shifts gears into a very nice arrangement of "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" that leaves out the lyrics, but has nice "la-la-la" vocals and hand claps. The second side of the album heads in a blues direction. "When Lights Are Dark" is a very swinging basic blues, with just bass and drum accompaniment. "They Plan to Leave" starts with a bluesy piano intro, then June Tyson and John Gilmore singing. Ra switches to synth, then takes the vocal lead while Tyson and Gilmore continue in the background. "They Plan to put the White House on the moon, soon! and the Kremlin on a satellite!" This is another great Arkestra vocal track. "Back Alley Blues" closes the set with a fantastic gospel-blues stomper. Ra to the Rescue may be tough to find, but it's well-worth seeking out for fans.

AMG Review by Sean Westergaard

417. [310] Sun Ra

When Spaceships Appear

James Jacson (Inf-d).

Live, 1984 or 1985

Drummerlistics (Jacson)

418. [311] Sun Ra (voc); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts); Eloe Omoe (cacl); unidentified (b); unidentified (d); June Tyson (voc).

Live, 1984 or 1985

[Discipline 27-II/]
Children of the Sun (Ra)

419. [312] Sun Ra (p.); unidentified (tp); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts); unidentified (b); unidentified (d).

Live, 1984 or 1985

Cosmo-Party Blues (Ra)

Saturn Sun Ra 101485 was released in 1985. It has gone under the titles When Spaceships Appear, Children of the Sun, and Cosmo-Party Blues. Jeffrey Little also reports the title Aura. The provenance of these tracks is unusually obscure; they seem to be odds and ends from various concerts taped by Arkestra members. The rest of the album consists of recycled material from Ra to the Rescue (see above). Personnel identified by rlc.
from Campbell / Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

MANY Thanks once again to Vinylust for offering a FLAC rip of his treasured LP.

(green covers pictured)

When Spaceships Appear

1. When Spaceships Appear (Ra to the Rescue Chapter 1)   5:44
2. Fragile Emotions Blues (Back Alley Blues)   3:58
3. Drummerlistics   2:53
4. Children of the Sun   5:01
5. Cosmo-Party Blues   4:53
6. Space Shuttle (Ra to the Rescue chapter 2)   4:59
7. Fate in a Pleasant Mood   9:22
8. They Plan to Leave   5:53

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RS
HF

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RS
HF

You can find Ra to the Rescue here

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hanging out with the man from Saturn

I stumbled across this great blog entry; some great pics and the story gets better after the jump.

Hanging out with the man from Saturn

Several people have asked me to tell the story of my encounters with Sun Ra.

Over a span of about six or seven years, I caught Sun Ra and his Arkestra in Boston at least eleven times. While that’s not a lot by Deadhead standards, it’s probably more than I’ve seen any other musician live, with the exception of the great khyal singer Bhimsen Joshi.

To an alienated, jazz-obsessed teenager in Boston’s western suburbs, the knowledge that there was a bandleading madman who claimed to be from outer space was incredibly welcome. My high school library maintained subscriptions to a wide variety of periodicals — the usual suspects (Time, Newsweek, Life), some slightly more unconventional choices (The New Yorker, Ms.), and a few that were pretty bizarre. Of these last, there were three that made a huge impression on me: The Village Voice (where I first read about conceptual art, Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman), Source: Music of the Avant-Garde (where I first heard of Cornelius Cardew, Christo, Steve Reich and Alvin Lucier), and Downbeat (where I kept up to date on all the latest jazz happenings, and where I first learned of the existence of Sun Ra).

It was during my junior year in high school that I found out Sun Ra and the Arkestra would be performing for a solid week of gigs at Paul’s Mall in downtown Boston. Of course I was completely ineligible to go and spend hours in a jazz bar; I was fifteen. But I went anyway, and got to the club at least an hour before showtime. I was the first audience member to arrive, and somehow managed to talk my way through the bouncer. I’d brought my camera, a noisy Miranda SLR loaded with Tri-X black & white film which I “pushed” to ASA 1600 (wow! archaic darkroom talk!).

The first night I took pictures; two or three rolls’ worth. The following day I developed them at school (and went into Boston to hear the Arkestra again), and the day after that I printed them and took a sheaf of prints into Paul’s Mall, where I showed them to the musicians. Sun Ra was pleased, and autographed one of the photographs with a ball-point pen: “Space Age Greetings from Sun Ra,” with the date. Alas, the ink has faded on the photograph and can no longer be read.

The band was promoting their releases on Impulse!, particularly “Space is the Place.” There was quite a bit of that material presented at Paul’s Mall. Some elements were the same from night to night; they always played “Shadow World,” and there was always some sort of extended synthesizer solo from Sun Ra. And there was a lot of great soloing. Having the entire band crowded onto the tiny stage at Paul’s Mall was a triumph of space management.

After that? Not much Sun Ra for a few years, although I continued to buy records and had quite a good collection by the time I moved into Somerville to share an apartment with two friends in 1977. Which was the year that Sun Ra’s Arkestra played the Cyclorama, a huge circular hall in Boston’s South End that was a superb venue for their brand of outer-space theater.

I persuaded about four or five of my hippie friends to come, and we bought tickets for the second of two sets. Which was the right thing to do: the first set lasted two hours. The second set lasted four, and concluded in the wee hours of the morning with a massive drumming session that featured a number of dancers and a fire-eater who blew huge spheres of flame into the air while the band roared and pounded. One of my roommates had ingested a powerful psychoactive substance which was at the peak of its influence at this point; I turned to look at him and was rewarded by a facial expression: mouth gaping in amazement, eyes wide open with pupils the size of quarters.

I didn’t meet Sun Ra that time. We went home, completely blown away.

Ahhh, but the next time Sun Ra came to town, I was ready.

(Continue reading at Warren Senders' blog)

Monday, September 17, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Cosmo Sun Connection (1985)

Recorded in concert in the U.S. in 1984 (no other details given), this rather odd entry in the Sun Ra discography came about when the musician, unable to deliver pressings of Saturn Records albums that the Recommended label had already paid for, instead gave the company a master tape. Nothing could be said to be a typical Sun Ra show, yet this does cover the range you could probably expect to hear had you attended one of his big-band gigs at the time. "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" is a joy, a jovial, hummable, swinging number with playful synthesizer swoops and faint vocal scats. Nothing else on the disc is nearly as accessible, as the synthesizer soon takes over proceedings with a Frankensteinian vengeance; the title track, in fact, is something that Hollywood horror film producers would probably reject as too creepy. Don't wait expectantly for the out-there synth jams to end and the band to return to more ingratiating tunes; the CD is only 31 minutes long.

AMG Review by Richie Unterberger

Saturn/Recommended SRRRD 1, Cosmo-Sun Connection, was released in 1985. The LP was issued by the British label Recommended via an agreement with Saturn (after Recommended had paid in advance for Saturn pressings that did not materialize, the master tape was offered in compensation). Marshall Allen told Marcel-Franck Simon in June 1985 that the LP was made "sometime last year." Personnel identified by rlc; the lineup doesn't match any of the Arkestra's European tours from 1984, which argues for an American concert.

420. [313] Sun Ra and the Arkestra

Sun Ra (p, syn, org); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl); Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl); poss. Rollo Radford (standup eb); unidentified (d); poss. Atakatune (cga).

Live in the USA, 1984

Cosmo-Sun Connection was released in 1997 on CD as RER SR1. The personnel list on that reissue (the same as we have listed here, except that "bs" for Danny Thompson was mistakenly interpreted as "bass"; we guess that's a reason to use "bars" instead!) was taken from the first edition of this discography.

from Campbell / Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Cosmo Sun Connection (1985)
ReR SR1 [CD] (1997)

Fate in a Pleasant Mood   12:09
Cosmo Journey Blues   6:14
Cosmo Sun Connection   3:46
Cosmonaut Astronaut Rendezvous   3:30
As Space Ships Approach   2:36
Pharaoh's Den   2:59

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RS
HF

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RS
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"Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Recommended imported a great number of Saturn Records to Europe. The Arkestra would press them up to order and then I'd collect when I was in New York. We always paid in advance to cover their pressing costs. Then came an occasion when there was nothing to collect; the Arkestra had urgently needed money and ours had been there - so they had spent it. I could hardly be angry - keeping the Arkestra afloat was a miracle at the best of times - but Recommended was also poor and such a loss was not really sustainable for us. In the spirit of generous compromise, Sun Ra gave us, in lieu of the unpressed LPs, the Cosmo Sun Connection mastertape, which we released in a small edition in 1985. This is the first time that this legendary recording has been widely available."

Thursday, September 13, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Sound Mirror (1978)

This Saturn rarity features a side long Sun Ra declamation spoken over The Mayan Temples. Not to be missed! Thanks again to our friend, Paul W. for his lossless LP rip.

Saturn LP 19782, Sound Mirror, was released in 1978. Some copies are titled Live in Philadelphia '78. The title track takes up all of Side A. Personnel from Tilman Stahl with corrections by rlc. "The Sound Mirror" is a recitation accompanied by the theme known as "The Mayan Temples." The brand name of Sonny Blount's first wire recorder, which he purchased in the mid-1930's, was Sound Mirror. "Jazzisticology" and "Of Other Tomorrows," from one or more live concerts in Italy, were part of the same sessions that produced Media Dream (also released under the title Saturn Research). The exact locations of the concerts are not known.

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

Sun Ra on SNL performing a medley that includes The Sound Mirror

Sound Mirror
(Live in Philadelphia '78)
Saturn 19782

Side A:
The Sound Mirror (The Mayan Temples) (Ra)

Sun Ra (recitation); Marshall Allen (fl); John Gilmore (perc); Danny Ray Thompson (bars); Ben Henderson [Jaribu Shahid] (b); Luqman Ali (d); James Jacson (Inf-d).

prob Variety Recording Studio, NYC, 1978

Side B:
Jazzisticology (Ra)
Of Other Tomorrows Never Known (Ra)

Sun Ra (Crumar Mainman, keyb, org, p); Michael Ray (tp); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Luqman Ali (d). Live in Italy, January 1978

Sound Mirror (Live in Philadelphia '78)

1. The sound mirror - The Mayan temples (14:09)

2. Jazzisticology (4:09)

3. Of other tomorrows never known (8:00)

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or

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RS
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via
Sun Ra Arkive

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

El Saturn Bank

via

Include Me Out

Monday, September 10, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Holiday for Soul Dance (rec. 1960, rel. 1970)

This collection is somewhat of an oddity in that there are no original compositions from Sun Ra. That said, cornet player Phil Cohran contributes "Dorothy's Dance." As the album initially surfaced in the early '70s, many presumed the recordings reflected Ra's concurrent combo and sound, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Scholars have since placed 1960 or 1961 as a closer estimation of when these sides were documented, using the rare inclusion of Ricky Murry (vocals) as sonic evidence, coupled with the fact that the effort was cut prior to the band's relocation to New York City from Chicago at the beginning of the decade. The primary (and most notable) Arkestra centered on Ra, Marshall Allen (alto sax), John Gilmore (tenor sax), Phil Cohran (cornet), Ronnie Boykins (bass), and Jon Hardy (drums). The bounty of pop standards and memorable melodies showcase Ra's spectacularly intricate and often underappreciated arrangements. The spry take of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" is rephrased to spotlight the soloists' remarkable improvisational skills behind tight support from the compact and swinging rhythm section. Boykins and Hardy's brooding introduction to "Day by Day" immediately suggests the uneasy and inquisitive score that has been completely overhauled to express Ra's newly adopted sense of the avant-garde as well as his free jazz leanings. Seemingly disparate tunes and time signatures fuse into a free-wheeling affair that contains all the flair of Sun Ra with much of the same romantic charm of more familiar readings, such as Jo Stafford's (vocals) hit version. "Holiday for Strings" can also be recommended because of the highly stylized rendering. Rather than the mile-a-minute staccato "plinking" that often identifies the piece, Ra gives it a cool post-bop workout that discerns it for those otherwise unfamiliar with the song. "Early Autumn" is interesting from the perspective of the dearth of singers that Ra accompanied. Murry's robust voice proves a bit overwhelming, as if he might break into an operatic vocalization at any moment. Arguably the most memorable selection on Holiday for Soul Dance is the gorgeous take of "I Loves You, Porgy," incorporating a languid swing that gently drives the backbeat, ably supporting the scintillating adaptation.

AMG Review by Lindsay Planer

Dorothy's Dance (Cohran)

72. [61] Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra

Fate in a Pleasant Mood /
Holiday for Soul Dance /
Angels and Demons at Play /
We Travel the Spaceways /
Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus
(Interstellar Low Ways) /
The Singles

Sun Ra (bells, perc, p -2); Phil Cohran (cnt -4), perc, voc); Nate Pryor (tb, bells -5); John Gilmore (ts -6; perc, voc); Marshall Allen (as -8, fl -9, bells, voc); Ronnie Boykins (b, voc); John Hardy (d, perc, gong).

RCA Studios, Chicago,
around June 17, 1960

But Not for Me (Gershwin) -2, 4, 6, 8
Day by Day (Cahn-Stordahl-Weston) -2, 4, 5, 6, 8
Holiday for Strings (Rose-Gallo) -2, 5
Dorothy's Dance (Cohran) -2, 4, 6, 8
I Loves You Porgy
(Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward) -2, 4, 6, 9
Body and Soul (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton) -2, 6
Keep Your Sunny Side Up (DeSylva-Brown) -2, 4, 6, 8

(Plus MANY MORE not included on Holiday for Soul Dance)

According to Phil Cohran, this session was an all-day marathon at which 30 to 40 tunes were recorded. All tracks were identified by Cohran as coming from this session or have a similar ambiance to those he identified. Cohran places this session at Hall Recording Co. (but see below). Cohran has said that he copyrighted "Dorothy's Dance" "within a week" after the session; "Dorothy's Dance" was registered on June 24, 1960. Sun Ra followed Cohran to the Library of Congress with a suite (consisting of "Space Loneliness," "Fate in a Pleasant Mood," "Lights on a Satellite," and "State Street") on July 8, and "The Blue Set" on July 21 (James Wolf).

Alton Abraham says that the studio at Hall Recording Co. was too small for the Arkestra and that he normally used it for mastering only. This was the smallest Arkestra to make a studio recording during the Chicago period; however, Abraham's suggestion that the session was done at RCA Studios does seem more plausible. The actual recording order is unknown, except that "Velvet" was the last track of the day. Personnel courtesy of Phil Cohran; the drummer, Jon Hardy, was not mentioned on any of the Saturn record jackets, though his name appears in the 1967 catalog in connection with We Travel the Spaceways.

Further confirmation of the common origin of many of these tracks is provided by a Saturn test pressing found in a Montréal record store by François Lamarche. The test pressing was made at Sheldon Recording Studios (aka the Chess studios in Chicago) and titled simply, Music of the Future by Sun Ra Arkestra. Side A contained "Space Mates," "But Not for Me," and "The Others in There [sic] World." Side B had "Lights on the [sic] Satellite," "Day by Day," "Ankhnaton," and "Holiday for Strings." The pressing contains Alton Abraham's old address at 4115 South Drexel -- and gives a Montréal address and phone number for Sun Ra. It was therefore cut in the summer or early fall of 1961. However, Saturn did not actually issue any LPs from this session until 1965, and when they began to appear, the tracks had been redistributed.

At least 22 tracks from this date were issued, on two Saturn singles and five different LPs.
Saturn ESR 508, Holiday for Soul Dance, was released in 1970, credited to "Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra." The album was reissued on Evidence 22011 [CD] in 1992.

[the above entry in Campbell/Trent's The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed. has been truncated to include only info pertinent to Holiday for Soul Dance - yotte]

74. [63] Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra

Holiday for Soul Dance

Sun Ra (p.); Marshall Allen (as, fl); John Gilmore (ts); Ronnie Boykins (b); Jon Hardy (d); Ricky Murray (voc).

Wonder Inn, Chicago,
around July 30, 1960

Early Autumn (Herman-Mercer-Burns)

Ricky Murray does not remember the June studio session and suggests that this track was made at the Wonder Inn (at 75th and Cottage Grove). A brief item in the Chicago Defender mentions "a special added attraction" at the Wonder Inn for July 30, 1960: Sun Ra and his "recording band."

This track was initially released in 1970 on Saturn ESR 508, Holiday for Soul Dance, and reissued in 1992 on Evidence 2201 [CD]. Though Murray is listed as the vocalist, the personnel listing on the Saturn jacket is otherwise completely wrong, giving a 14-piece ensemble from around 1969!

from Campbell/Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra
Holiday for Soul Dance

(Saturn reissue LP rip)

1. But Not For Me (Gershwin)   4:09
2. Day By Day (Cahn-Sordahl-Weston)   3:39
3. Holiday For Strings (Rose-Gallo)   4:08
4. Dorothy's Dance (Cohran)   3:14

5. Early Autumn (Vocal by R. Murray) (Herman-Mercer-Burns)   4:51
6. I Loves You Porgy (Gershwin-Gershwin-Heyward)   3:34
7. Body And Soul (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton)   5:58
8. Keep Your Sunny Side Up (DeSylva-Brown)   2:12

LP
-FLAC-
RS
HF

-320-
RS
HF

Or for those who prefer a CD rip...

Holiday for Soul Dance
(Evidence CD rip)

1. But Not For Me   4:11
2. Day By Day   3:40
3. Holiday For Strings   4:09
4. Dorothy's Dance   3:19
5. Early Autumn   4:53
6. I Loves You, Porgy   3:35
7. Body And Soul   6:00
8. Keep Your Sunny Side Up   2:12

CD
-FLAC-
RS
HF

-320-
RS
HF

I-) found these scans of an original LP online somewhere. If you look closely, you'll see that the back cover seems to be decorated with black cut-outs glued to the jacket. I wonder if it may be the original from which the Saturn Reissue LP cover was made. Thanks for sharing, I-) !

Friday, September 7, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra w/Symphony Orchestra - Pleiades (1993)

In October 1990, Sun Ra and the Arkestra traveled to France to perform a concert with an orchestral accompaniment.

The October trip was a short one -- just the Orléans and London concerts. According to Ahmed Abdullah and Jothan Callins, the Arkestra completed no fewer than seven trips to Europe in 1990 (March, April, May, June, July, August, and October).

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

In John Szwed's Sun Ra biography, "Space Is The Place," he describes the events leading up to the Orléans concert:

The Théâtre-Carré Saint-Vincent event in Orléans, France, was billed as a "Jazz Symphonique" concert, and Sun Ra had nineteen classical musicians made available to him to add to the sixteen musicians he was bringing, which already included two violins and a cello. He threw himself into the project and brought a computer to help him produce the instruments' parts. But once they reached Paris, Sun Ra confided to Jothan Callins that he didn't have the arrangements ready for the larger ensemble. And though he didn't ask for help, he seemed distraught, his hands shaking. So for the next fifty hours Callins worked with Sun Ra on the parts, transcribing and Xeroxing day and night, even adding his own composition, "Alabama," to the list, and then when the night of the performance came, Callins conducted the Arkestra for Sonny. "When I finished he thanked me for it. It was the first time I'd ever heard him thank anyone for anything."

Planet Earth Day

About two years before, Sun Ra had bought June Tyson a violin, and she had been teaching herself to play and slowly working herself into performances. But when she seated herself in the violin section for a rehearsal in Paris, it was obvious to the classical players that she was not a trained musician. When she began to read another violinist's music, he pulled the music stand away from her, saying it was "his music." After another violinist did the same thing, she went out and bought a huge pile of music -- standards, transcriptions of Thelonious Monk tunes, some Miles Davis -- and when she returned at the next rehearsal she piled all of it in front of her on a music stand and announced to the string players that this was "her music."

For this performance and the upcoming Hackney Empire engagement in London Sun Ra also added Talvin Singh on tablas. When Singh went to meet Sun Ra where he was staying (at a private residence outside Paris) to discuss his part, the house was filled with burning frankincense and myrrh. Asked about rehearsing with the group, Sun Ra told him there was no need for it, just sit close to him and watch. "He never told me what to play; just actions, hand signals, orchestrating the whole vibe with his aura. The energy was amazing. I knew exactly what to play: I couldn't jam all over the music, and I had thought it was going to be like that."

Szwed, Space Is The Place, pp. 371-372

Leo LR-210/211, Pleiades, was released in 1993 on CD. The poster for this "Jazz Symphonique" concert is reproduced on the tray copy for this CD, but the liners incorrectly give Paris as the location. Other information from the liner notes. According to John Szwed, Jothan Callins conducted the chamber orchestra and wrote the arrangements for seven of the pieces (not "Blue Lou" or "Prelude N. 7"). "Planet Earth Day" was used by Sun Ra as another title for "Mythic 1." Leo mislabeled the track, which was usually titled "Carefree" or "Egyptian Fantasy." According to Urs Berger, the unissued track can be heard on a cassette tape of this concert circulated by Danny Ray Thompson.

From The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra 2nd ed.

(Does anyone have a copy of the above mentioned Danny Ray Thompson cassette to share?!!)

692. [452] Sun Ra and his Arkestra with Symphony Orchestra

Pleiades

Le Sony'r Ra [Sun Ra] (p, syn, voc); Michael Ray (tp, voc); Jothan Callins (tp, cond. arr); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as, fl, ob, picc); John Gilmore (ts, cl, timb, voc); Noël Scottt (as, cacl); Charles Davis (bars); James Jacson (ob, bsn, Inf-d); India Cooke (vln); Stephen "Kash" Killion (clo); John Ore (b); Clifford Barbaro (d); Eric C. "Buster" Smith (d); Elson Dos Santos Nascimento (surdo grande, perc); Talvin Singh (tabla, voc); June Tyson (voc, vln). The Symphony Orchestra (players unidentified); 3 vln; 1 b; 3 fl; 2 as; 1 ts; 1 Eng hn; 1 bsn; 3 tp; 1 tb; 1 Fr hn; 1 tymp; 1 perc.

Théâtre-Carré Saint-Vincent, Orléans, France, October 27, 1990

Pleiades disc 1

1. Pleiades 15:47

2. Mythic 1 16:35

3. Friendly Galaxy 17:44

Pleiades disc 2

1. Sun Procession 13:03

2. Lights on a Satellite 6:27

3. Love in Outer Space 6:55

4. Planet Earth Day 10:00

5. Mythic 2 7:55

6. Blue Lou 5:30

7. Prelude in A Major Op. 28, N. 7 7:50

-FLAC-

RS1 + RS2 linked files

HF1 + HF2 linked files

-320-
RS
HF

Monday, September 3, 2012

2nd Chance: Sun Ra - Hidden Fire 1 & 2 (1988)

The two Hidden Fire albums are the last new Saturn releases (some items from the 70s and 80s were re-pressed by Blast First and were sold at concerts till 1992). These two LPs are extremely confusing. They were initially issued without labels. Labeled copies sometimes have the wrong volume numbers. Labels do not give track titles, either.

557. [374] Sun Ra

Hidden Fire 1/2

Sun Ra (syn, org, voc); Michael Ray (tp); Ahmed Abdullah (tp); Tyrone Hill (tb); Marshall Allen (as); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Danny Ray Thompson (bars); Kenny Williams (bars); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl, cacl); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Billy Bang (vln); Owen Brown Jr. (vln); June Tyson (vln, voc); Art Jenkins (voc, space voice); John Ore (b); poss. Luqman Ali (d); Buster Smith (d); poss. Pharaoh Abdullah [Thomas Thaddeus] (perc).

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 29, 1988

unidentified improvisation Saturn Sun Ra 12988II
unidentified blues
unidentified title [AJ voc] Saturn Sun Ra 12988B
unidentified title AJ voc]

Saturn Sun Ra 13188III/12988II, Hidden Fire 1, was released on LP in 1988, as was Saturn Sun Ra 13088A/12988B, Hidden Fire 2. Location from Greg Drusdow; personnel rlc and Drusdow. Some copies are labeled Hidden Fire 3/4, but this is identical to Hidden Fire 1; Side A or "volume 3" has the matrix number 13188III, and Side B or "volume 4" has the matrix number 12988II (thanks to Bob Rusch for this information).

unidentified blues

558. [375] Sun Ra

Hidden Fire 2/
A Night in East Berlin -- My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9

same personnel

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 30, 1988

My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9 [AJ voc] Saturn Sun Ra 13088A, Leo LR-149 [CD]

Saturn 13088A/12988B, Hidden Fire 2, was released in 1988. Location and personnel as above. There were no track titles on the Hidden Fire LPs. ct believes that this piece opened one of the band's sets at the Knitting Factory that night.

This same track (which took up one side of Hidden Fire 2) resurfaced on a tape sold to Leo Records; there the title was given as "My Brothers the Wind and Sun #9," and the provenance was incorrectly given as a concert in Europe in 1990. Leo reissued this track in May 1995 as part of the reorganized CD LR 149, A Night in East Berlin.

559. [376] Sun Ra and his Cosmo/Love Arts Space Arkestra

Hidden Fire 1

Sun Ra (syn, org, voc); Michael Ray (tp, voc); Ahmed Abdullah (tp, voc); Tyrone Hill (tb, voc); Marshall Allen (as, ob, fl, perc); John Gilmore (ts, timb); Eloe Omoe (as, bcl); Kenny Williams (bars); James Jacson (bsn, Inf-d); Bruce Edwards (eg); Owen Brown Jr. (vln); unidentified (vln); John Ore (b); Buster Smith (d); poss. Luqman Ali (d); Art Jenkins (voc, space voice); June Tyson (voc).

The Knitting Factory, NYC,
January 31, 1988

Lecture (Ra) audience tape

unidentified title (Ra) [syn riff and ens; van solos and duet; AJ voc; freak out ens; ob, syn, bcl, bowed b, AJ voc; syn, ens riffs; sax theme statement; Ray, tp; sax theme; falsetto ts; syn, AJ voc]

Retrospect (Ra) /
This World is Not My Home (Ra) [SR voc] Saturn Sun Ra 13188III
Easy to Love (Porter) audience tape
Days of Wine and Roses (Mancini)
Chloe (Moret-Kahn)
Sunset on the Nile (Ra) [SR, ens voc]
Face the Music (Ra) /
Do Not Stand in My Way (Ra) [SR declamation, ens voc]

The entire afternoon lecture (35 min.) and concert (85 min.) are preserved on an audience tape, according to Charles Blass. The long piece that opens the musical portion is otherwise unknown from Ra recordings; it may be "The Cosmic Coordinator," a composition of legendary difficulty that John Gilmore referred to in interviews.

Saturn 13188III/12988II, Hidden Fire 1 (or Hidden Fire 3/4) was released in 1988. Titles ct and rlc; personnel Blass and ct. The violin solo on "Days of Wine and Roses" sounds like Billy Bang, but Blass (who was at the concert) is positive that Bang was not present.

The two Hidden Fires are the last new Saturn releases (some items from the '70s and '80s were repressed by Blast First in 1989 and were sold at concerts without labels. Labeled copies sometimes have the wrong volume numbers, and the labels do not give track titles. Copies were sold by the band's roadies under misleading titles as well.

from Campbell/Trent The Earthly Recordings 2nd ed.

Hidden Fire 1

1. Track No. 01 - Retrospect - This World Is Not My Home 14:58

2. Track No. 02 - Untitled Improvisation 9:29

3. Track No. 03 - Untitled Blues 7:46

Hidden Fire 2

4. Track No. 01 - unknown title 18:11

5. Track No. 02 - unknown title 9:42

6. Track No. 03 - unknown title 14:01

-FLAC-
RS1 + RS2 (linked files)
HF1 + HF2 (linked files)

-320-

LP Rip & Scans courtesy of Paul W.