The Latest News from Neptune - a Sun Ra thread

avecigrec

avecigrec

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I've been thinking about starting a Sun Ra thread here for awhile because I do love me some Sun Ra and would love to share that love with more people so if you're a superfan, casual fan or simply curious, this will hopefully be the place for you!

First transmission:

The official Sun Ra bandcamp page put up an expanded edition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow this morning. I'm headed in for a listen after I hit post here.
Enjoy!

Sun Ra & His Arkestra - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Beyond Saturn edition)

 
I learned about this magazine far too late to pick up a physical copy, sadly, but have been enjoying making my way through the digital version of this over the past month or so:

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[edited for aesthetics]
 
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So happy this thread was made. He's the most unusual of 'jazz' musicians and I always love hearing his music.

On a side note, I thoroughly recommend Vinyl Freak: Love Letters to a Dying Medium. While the majority of it consists of mini-reviews of free/avant-garde albums, there is a section at the end which tells the story of how he came into possession of a wealth of Sun Ra artefacts by having free reign of Ra's managers/promoters house after he passed away. It was really a dream find for any music fan and the story really does keep you hooked. Special editions of the book also include a 7" flexi of previously unreleased Sun Ra music.
 
Selaws said:
So happy this thread was made. He's the most unusual of 'jazz' musicians and I always love hearing his music.

On a side note, I thoroughly recommend Vinyl Freak: Love Letters to a Dying Medium. While the majority of it consists of mini-reviews of free/avant-garde albums, there is a section at the end which tells the story of how he came into possession of a wealth of Sun Ra artefacts by having free reign of Ra's managers/promoters house after he passed away. It was really a dream find for any music fan and the story really does keep you hooked. Special editions of the book also include a 7" flexi of previously unreleased Sun Ra music.
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I'd already been curious about that book, now I'm sold. And seeing that I've already read nearly every available book about Sun Ra outright, this is a perfect tangential/adjacent tome to seek out.

Thanks for the recommendation @Selaws - you've had an incredibly positive impact on my reading list the past few weeks!
 
avecigrec said:
I'd already been curious about that book, now I'm sold. And seeing that I've already read nearly every available book about Sun Ra outright, this is a perfect tangential/adjacent tome to seek out.

Thanks for the recommendation @Selaws - you've had an incredibly positive impact on my reading list the past few weeks!
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Hope you enjoy it! Just remember that it's more of a book of reviews with the Sun Ra add on rather than the other way around. The main meat of the book is good as well, but the Ra story at the end is the bit I remember and really a great story.

Sweet, glad to hear it. I tend to get through books quite rapidly and really enjoy music books with an emphasis on jazz. I have just started one (after finishing the behemoth 'Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original') called 'Rhythm-a-ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the '80s' by Gary Giddins which seems like it will be a good read. Its essentially a collection of articles that were published in the Village Voice during the 80's, so it gives you a real in the moment look at how the 'new' jazz was being critiqued.
 
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Not sure if anybody else here has this one. I've eyed it up for a decent while, read some good reviews on Discogs and found a wickedly cheap price from a UK seller. It's a grey market/bootleg/whatever situation, which is pretty common with a lot of Sun Ra releases but the original albums collected here (New Steps and Other Voices, Other Blues - both originally 2LP, but collected and resequenced here across 3 LPs) are wickedly expensive for original pressings, whilst also being some of my absolute favourite Sun Ra recordings around (I love the Arkestra, but this Quartet situation is an absolute delight). This set saved me about $500, or more, easily. If the original albums ever receive an official reissue I'll be one of the first in line to pick them up but, for the meanwhile, I can't recommend this set enough if your personal morals don't disclude you from picking up such a thing.
 
Also, I'm very curious to see everybody's Sun Ra collection, should you be inclined to share!

I've got a couple of albums in the mail yet and eventually want to put a full collection shot together with all my books and albums but, for now, I've built a collage because I'm still enjoying the novelty of the collage-making site a bunch of folks on here use. This image represents my current collection, including what's in the mail, listed in the chronology of the original vinyl release regardless of which reissue I have (though with whichever cover matches mine, in the cases where there are different versions):

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*The Saxophone a 3LP Impulse! Records compilation does not actually feature Sun Ra himself but does feature John Gilmore playing with McCoy Tyner, so I've included it here as Arkestra adjacent.

**Salah Ragab & Cairo Jazz Band's Egypt Strut is also included as Sun Ra adjacent - as the Cairo Jazz Band's existence is intertwined with Sun Ra's, and there is a tribute to him on the album.
 
I had a shipping notification this morning for the Sun Ra Lanquidity box set from Strut. Supposedly a 2 day aim so hopefully I will get it by the weekend.
 
Selaws said:
I had a shipping notification this morning for the Sun Ra Lanquidity box set from Strut. Supposedly a 2 day aim so hopefully I will get it by the weekend.
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That's very exciting. I wound up ordering from Popmarket because it was the cheapest option I could find, so hopefully they'll get their stock by next week and then it'll probably take two weeks to get from them to me. But I know it'll be worth the wait!
 
avecigrec said:
View attachment 102654

Not sure if anybody else here has this one. I've eyed it up for a decent while, read some good reviews on Discogs and found a wickedly cheap price from a UK seller. It's a grey market/bootleg/whatever situation, which is pretty common with a lot of Sun Ra releases but the original albums collected here (New Steps and Other Voices, Other Blues - both originally 2LP, but collected and resequenced here across 3 LPs) are wickedly expensive for original pressings, whilst also being some of my absolute favourite Sun Ra recordings around (I love the Arkestra, but this Quartet situation is an absolute delight). This set saved me about $500, or more, easily. If the original albums ever receive an official reissue I'll be one of the first in line to pick them up but, for the meanwhile, I can't recommend this set enough if your personal morals don't disclude you from picking up such a thing.
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The Horos. These are some really great sessions and I would have thought Aldo Sinesio's label would have been reissued by now but I think these gray markets are all we will ever have.
 
I was doing some digging through Juno's upcoming releases last night and came across a clear vinyl version of Super Sonic Jazz being shortly (next month according to Red Eye records). Looking into it further it's apparently limited to 500 numbered copies, seems only to be available through UK/European outlet, and being put out by Destination Moon, but based on the catalogue numbers doesn't seem to be this Destination Moon and I can't really find much more information. I suspect as is often the case that it's another grey market situation (Looks like they're also doing Kind of Blue, Rufus Thomas, Martin Denny, Francoise Hardy releases), but figured I'd drop it in here in case anybody's interested, or able to garner more information on this pressing.

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Juno / Red Eye / Soundohm / Phonica

I already have a copy of Super Sonic Jazz so I don't imagine this being something I need, but I'm certainly curious to know more...
 
Hey @Selaws

Have you had a chance to dig deeply into your Lanquidity set yet?
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
I'm still waiting for a shipping notification on mine.
 
avecigrec said:
Hey @Selaws

Have you had a chance to dig deeply into your Lanquidity set yet?
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
I'm still waiting for a shipping notification on mine.
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I haven't yet annoyingly. I wanted to put aside a full weekend evening to properly listen and read the liner notes. Looks like it will be next weekend but I will let you know how it sounds. Is your copy coming direct from Strut in the UK?
 
Selaws said:
I haven't yet annoyingly. I wanted to put aside a full weekend evening to properly listen and read the liner notes. Looks like it will be next weekend but I will let you know how it sounds. Is your copy coming direct from Strut in the UK?
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Mine is coming from Popmarket, as it was the cheapest by a fair amount, but has August 6th listed for release date - which I only just now went back and checked.
 
An expanded edition of Sleeping Beauty just hit the Official Sun Ra Bandcamp page.

This version contains all three tracks from the original release plus three songs recorded at the same sessions that found their way onto the Rounder Release Strange Celestial Road and two new previously unreleased recordings from Michael D. Anderson's Sun Ra Music Archive.

Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra - Sleeping Beauty (Expanded)

 
Poetry in Portuguese with Arkestral accompaniment!

BRANDÃO / Sun Ra Arkestra - Outros Espaço



Recorded in 2019 and featuring Arkestra members Danny Thompson (RIP) on baritone sax and bongo, Elson Nascimento on 'surdo' (tom drum), Knoel Scott on tenor and soprano, with the giant Marshall Allen at the front, on alto sax and synth, leading the collective, conducting the stream of consciousness.
 
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