The Latest News from Neptune - a Sun Ra thread

Dave_o0o_ said:
I also love big band music and the textures and contrasts it can generate. This is an album by a Canadian/Egyptian experimental large ensemble led by guitarist/oud player Sam Shalabi called Land of Kush - Monogamy. There are many parallels with Sun Ra Arkestra, 23 musicians playing conventional and unusual instruments, psychedelic textures, soulful female vocals, rhythmic complexity, extended techniques and just plain good grooves. Great band IMO and worth checking out for fans of Sunny 🙂
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I meant to come back to this post, and have been meaning to actually go back and listen to the album. I did a show with Sam a decade or so ago in Montreal and in addition to being a great performer he was an absolutely wonderful person. The man who ran the series the show was part of just passed away last year and I was thinking of that night a lot through the fall...
 
NoTrend said:
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Euro: Sun Ra Live in Roma 1980 3xLP Box Set – Holidays Records

Sun Ra – Live in Roma 1980 (3LP Box + Book, golden vinyl) – Soundohm

US...I would assume Stranded soon?

Another instant buy...

* 100 copies on golden vinyl, deluxe edition 3LP Box, silver print on deluxe Fedrigoni Ultra Black paper, released with the full approval of the Sun Ra Estate * The venerable Holidays, having already had an incredible 2023, returns with their final offering of the year and what might just be their most ambitions release to date, Sun Ra’s “Live in Rome 1980”, an astounding 3xLP vinyl box set that captures the Arkestra immersed in one of their greatest live gigs laid to tape. A perfect snapshot of why this band was so incredible, moving from furious free jazz fire into joyous June Tyson led / collectively chanted, off kilter big band swing, that includes the highly celebrated “Astro Black”, “Mr. Mystery”, “Romance of Two Planets”, “Space Is the Place”, “We Travel the Spaceways”, and “Calling Planet Earth”, as well as striking renditions of the Horace Henderson penned Benny Goodman number “Big John’s Special”, Fletcher Henderson’s “Yeah Man!”, and Django Reinhardt's "Limehouse Blues”, it's a true mind melter, issued in a very limited edition of 400 copies on black vinyl and 100 copies on golden wax, both complete with a 24-page booklet loaded with stunning photos, that's absolutely essential for any fan of Ra / the Arkestra, and free and spiritual jazz at large.


Since their founding during the early years of the new millennium, the Italian imprint, Holidays Records, has stood at the vanguard of forward thinking sound, building a carefully curated catalog of release that collectively build context and conversation across numerous avenues of exploration - contemporary and historical sitting side by side - within the wider field of experimental and improvised music, via stellar LPs by Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble, Jean-Yves Bosseur, James Rushford, Delivery Health, Henning Christiansen, Four Horsemen, Maria Monti, and whole lot more. With every subsequent release, Holidays has seemed to manage to up their game, and this is unquestionably the case with their latest, Sun Ra’s “Live in Rome 1980”, capturing the Arkestra in incredible form and arguably the label’s most ambitious endeavour to date. Issued as an astounding 3xLP vinyl box set, with a 24-page booklet loaded with stunning photos, in a very limited edition of 400 copies, it encounters Ra’s legendary band entering their fourth decade of activity (1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s) in a rollicking storm of spiritual jazz, free improvisation, heavy grooves, and their defining take on Afrofuturism. Simply put, it’s hard to think of a better live recording of the Arkestra than this.

Born Herman Poole Blount in Alabama during 1914, Sun Ra first emerged on the Chicago jazz scene during the late 1940s. One of the great avant-garde composers of his generation - leading the way on piano, organ, and (eventually) synthesizer - beginning in the mid-1950s and lasting until his death in 1993, led the Arkestra, a band through which a near countless number of important artists passed and collaborated with, and many remained for the duration of their careers, notably Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and June Tyson. Known for their wild costumes and theatrics, Ra’s eccentric image and claims that he was from Saturn was deeply political, imagining an alternate social order, history, and future for African Americans that rests as a pioneering force in the Afro-Futurist movement.

While Sun Ra and his Arkestra can best be located within the broader movements of avant-garde jazz of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s - particularly as innovators of free and spiritual jazz in their evolving forms - the composer was notoriously hard to pin down on creative terms. He was a visionary titan whose work traversed nearly half of the 20th Century, continuously pushing the idiom of jazz at every turn, ingesting and incorporating the entire history African American music - the blues, R&B, soul, gospel, ragtime, hot jazz, swing, bebop, free jazz, and fusion, etc. - into his work, without any division or hierarchy, producing roughly 100 full lengths bear his name, beginning with 1957’s “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol.1”, and stretching well beyond his death in 1993. Despite how much was captured and released, remarkably, rare and previously unheard recordings continue to emerge and amaze into the present day, notably Holidays’ latest, “Live in Rome 1980”, capturing the Arkestra in incredible form at the dawn of a new decade.

Recorded live at Teatro Giulio Cesare on March 28, 1980, comprising an astounding 27 compositions, including the highly celebrated “Astro Black”, “Mr. Mystery”, “Romance of Two Planets”, “Space Is the Place”, “We Travel the Spaceways”, and “Calling Planet Earth”, over the collections of six vinyl sides. High among the greatest live gigs by the Arkestra captured on tape, carefully mastered by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio, “Live in Rome 1980” is a near perfect snapshot of the band’s versatility and range, including many of their most notably and famous songs, as well as striking renditions of the Horace Henderson penned Benny Goodman number “Big John’s Special”, Fletcher Henderson’s “Yeah Man!”, and Django Reinhardt's "Limehouse Blues”, displaying Ra’s willingness to address and rework the entire, diverse history of jazz in a single go.

Heard in its totality, perhaps what makes “Live in Rome 1980” most striking is the way in which the concert plays out. Roughly the first half encounters the band locked in some of the most out-there, free jazz fire that can be imagined, weaving a startling sense of interplay and furious energy into a brilliant tapestry of writhing sonority, the likes of which were only really achieved by this band. The second half, with only moments of exception that return to the furious energy of the first, is a very different affair, easy toward the vocal standards, led by June Tyson’s vocals and the joyous collective chanting of the band, for which they have become so widely celebrated, threading the sounds of off kilter big band swing with heavy grooves and imagines of outer space.

Absolutely engrossing and creatively enthralling from the first sounding to the last, “Live in Rome 1980” is Sun Ra and his Arkestra at their absolute best, exiting one of their most productive and prolific decades - the 1970s - and entering the 80s like a well oiled machine. Holidays has done the world a great service with this incredible 3xLP box. Absolutely essential for any fan of Ra / the Arkestra, and free and spiritual jazz at large. Truly amazing stuff!

Recorded live at Teatro Giulio Cesare on March 28, 1980. Sun Ra: Piano, Keyboards, Vocals. Noel Scott: Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Percussion. Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Flute, Oboe. Danny Ray Thompson: Baritone Saxophone, Flute. Chris Henderson, Eric “Samurai” Walker: Drums. Kenny Williams: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Percussion. John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion. Michael Ray: Trumpet. June Tyson: Vocals. Mastered by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio. Lacquer cut by Daniel Krieger at SST, Frankfurt am Main. All pictures by Paolo Ferraresi (Milano, Teatro Orfeo, March 26, 1980). All compositions by Sun Ra © Enterplanetary Koncepts (BMI) except where otherwise stated. Holidays Records 2023. Released under license from Sun Ra LLC.
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My copy of this is FINALLY on the way! The last thing I'd ordered to reach a free shipping threshold got delayed and finally came in.
 
avecigrec said:
HOLY FUCK! YES!!!


Also, this answers one of the questions I emailed Red Hot to ask yesterday! :ROFLMAO:
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TRACKLISTING

1. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
Kronos Quartet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jacob Garchik

2. Maji
Jlin, Kronos Quartet

3. Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie
Laraaji, Kronos Quartet

4. Images
Steven Bernstein, Sex Mob, Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen, Kronos Quartet

5. The Furthest Out Things
Nicole Lizée, Kronos Quartet

6. Phenomenon
Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen

7. Black Body Radiance
Zachary James Watkins, Kronos Quartet

8. Blood Running High
RP Boo, Armand Hammer

9. The Wuz
Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen

10. Secrets of the Sun
700 Bliss (Moor Mother, DJ Haram)

11. Love in Outerspace
Trey Spruance, Secret Chiefs 3, Kronos Quartet

12. Three Seasons in the Tempestuous Twelve-Inch Planet
evicshen

13. Kiss Yo' Ass Goodbye
Terry Riley, Sara Miyamoto, Kronos Quartet
 
Dead C said:
TRACKLISTING

1. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
Kronos Quartet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jacob Garchik

2. Maji
Jlin, Kronos Quartet

3. Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie
Laraaji, Kronos Quartet

4. Images
Steven Bernstein, Sex Mob, Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen, Kronos Quartet

5. The Furthest Out Things
Nicole Lizée, Kronos Quartet

6. Phenomenon
Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen

7. Black Body Radiance
Zachary James Watkins, Kronos Quartet

8. Blood Running High
RP Boo, Armand Hammer

9. The Wuz
Laurie Anderson, Marshall Allen

10. Secrets of the Sun
700 Bliss (Moor Mother, DJ Haram)

11. Love in Outerspace
Trey Spruance, Secret Chiefs 3, Kronos Quartet

12. Three Seasons in the Tempestuous Twelve-Inch Planet
evicshen

13. Kiss Yo' Ass Goodbye
Terry Riley, Sara Miyamoto, Kronos Quartet
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That is some SEXY SHIT right there!

Red Hot has been absolutely killing it with this series. And I love how quickly they keep pumping them out!!
 
For those in Euro or may have a SoundOhm free shipping account, they have the RSD Sun Ra Euro only record up. I gripped this along with some Kaoru Abe reissues (free shipping to the USA rules, haha)

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Sun Ra ‎– Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC
SoundOhm: Sun Ra, Arkestra – Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC (2LP) – Soundohm

Introducing a musical treasure from the enigmatic Sun Ra's expansive discography, Strut Records proudly presents "Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC”. This extraordinary album unveils previously unreleased recordings from the year 1986 for the very first time, showcasing a unique chapter in the Sun Ra catalogue, officially released for Record Store Day 2024. Introducing the inaugural release of "lost" sessions from 1986, where Sun Ra encountered the OVC.

These remarkable recordings were, until now, confined to two tracks exclusively available on VHS videos. These recordings have undergone a meticulous process of full remastering, executed by Joe Lizzi and Peter Beckmann, directly from the original reel-to-reel tapes. Features remarkable, previously unheard versions of Ra classics ‘Calling Planet Earth’, ‘Sunset On The Nile’ and ‘Theme From The Stargazers’. Featuring captivating images sourced from Sun Ra and Bill Sebastian's videos. Additionally, the RSD release includes comprehensive sleeve notes and an in-depth interview with Bill Sebastian, providing valuable insights into this extraordinary moment in time.
 
NoTrend said:
For those in Euro or may have a SoundOhm free shipping account, they have the RSD Sun Ra Euro only record up. I gripped this along with some Kaoru Abe reissues (free shipping to the USA rules, haha)

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Sun Ra ‎– Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC
SoundOhm: Sun Ra, Arkestra – Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC (2LP) – Soundohm

Introducing a musical treasure from the enigmatic Sun Ra's expansive discography, Strut Records proudly presents "Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC”. This extraordinary album unveils previously unreleased recordings from the year 1986 for the very first time, showcasing a unique chapter in the Sun Ra catalogue, officially released for Record Store Day 2024. Introducing the inaugural release of "lost" sessions from 1986, where Sun Ra encountered the OVC.

These remarkable recordings were, until now, confined to two tracks exclusively available on VHS videos. These recordings have undergone a meticulous process of full remastering, executed by Joe Lizzi and Peter Beckmann, directly from the original reel-to-reel tapes. Features remarkable, previously unheard versions of Ra classics ‘Calling Planet Earth’, ‘Sunset On The Nile’ and ‘Theme From The Stargazers’. Featuring captivating images sourced from Sun Ra and Bill Sebastian's videos. Additionally, the RSD release includes comprehensive sleeve notes and an in-depth interview with Bill Sebastian, providing valuable insights into this extraordinary moment in time.
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More details on the Kaoru Abe reissues please and where to get in US? Thanks!
 
Biscuit said:
More details on the Kaoru Abe reissues please and where to get in US? Thanks!
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Its a cd reissue of 解体的交感 (with Masayuki Takayanagi). There was a vinyl reissue, but that goes anywhere from 150-200. I'll probably get that at some point, but for 21 bucks, this is a fine option. Plus it's a Jinya Disc reissue, so Takayanagi estate is handling it.

edit for US: I'm in the US but I pay a yearly membership to soundohm for free shipping and 10% off everything. Not sure when/where US distro would be for it Masayuki Takayanagi, Kaoru Abe – Real Jazz – Soundohm
 
Biscuit said:
I recall getting this in a tape trade taken from a vinyl rip and it sounded ok, not great. The Verve CD reissue seemed better as I recall, worth tracking down.
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Following up on this - about Walt Dickerson “Impressions of a Patch of Blue” (with Sun Ra on piano) — I returned the shitty sounding vinyl and bought the Verve CD you recommended, and it’s a night/day difference. The cd has 4.7 rating on Discogs with 23 people weighing in, and I’d say it’s worthy of that rating. Sounds very good. The copy of the vinyl I received must have had really bad groove wear bc it looked pristine and sounded terrible.
 
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