Sun Ra: Saturn's celestial guardian

The archival stuff they have been putting out lately is top notch.

A Further Exploration of the Many Sun Ra Albums on BandcampBy Piotr Orlov · February 25, 2021

Edited by snobb - 25 Feb 2021 at 2:10pm

Anyone ever see this movie with Sun Ra??



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NwNtxFH6IjU


Edited by Sean Trane - 14 Jul 2013 at 4:23am

I will also bump this.

It seems like the work of Sun Ra will never stop. Just got Cosmo Earth Fantasy and Continuation and they are long down the line of "fresh" Sun Ra work that is being released.

Art Yard/ReR is going a great job keeping his legacy alive (though I should say Continuation is on a different label I've never heard of).

I have to run through some of the recommendations here.  I've heard a few songs, but don't know what albums they were from.  I was at a large music store today, and they had at least 10 different Sun Ra albums.  I couldn't choose, so I'll do some research. 

Space is the Place DVD (well the first couple of parts, the rest is on the tube)

darkshade wrote: @ Katje I haven't written a lot of reviews yet, so they do not reflect my overall tastes; but I enjoyed the Jazz In Silhouette album, though I should throw it on again just to be sure

Well, you do realize I'd have to ignore you for the rest of eternity if you don't 

Seriously, if you do, try Angels and Demons at Play. 'tis a great album. Further more something inside of me is thinking Sleeping Beauty is a good recommendation. I'd warn off any heavy lifting while listening to that one. As the titled aptly describes, it offers a small slice of beauty and warmth (slowly building in momentum), sometimes missing from its more abstract brethren. An aforementioned work, a little more funky and fusion-ish aka Lanquidity is kind of hard to ignore especially as a starting point. For his 60's works, The Magic City is a popular one from which one can work backwards or forwards depending on taste and inclination.  

Cannonball With Hat wrote: I wanted to start this thread but I couldn't think of a good opening post.

Ha ha... either could I, but decided to bludgeon way through some brief inanities to get the ball rolling. Need to get those videos up where his talkin' 'bout his philosophy, no man has spoken with such gravity on the Saturnic spirituality! Oh, and I fully agree with the rest of your post which I've so sadly neglected to quote. 

His Arkestra are going to be playing at a Jazz festival near me in June, so (I couldn't think of another word to describe my excitement) excited. 

@ Katje

I haven't written a lot of reviews yet, so they do not reflect my overall tastes; but I enjoyed the Jazz In Silhouette album, though I should throw it on again just to be sure 

darkshade wrote: I only have Jazz In Silhouette but Ive heard Atlantis before (but only once, like 3 years ago...). What's a good one to get?

Did you like these? Something from a similar era as Jazz in Silhouette is Angels and Demons at play. I've not got a gauge of many peoples taste here yet; probably should look at your reviews before posting. He has a pretty broad discography, so it is sometimes hard what to recommend, especially if one isn't too keen on more avant-garde kinds of jazz. 

Noak2 wrote: I should love him more than I actually do. The only really brilliant album of his that I've heard s far i Concert for the Comet Kohoutek.

For me my interest in Sun Ra is build upon the consistency of his vision. If I'm being honest with myself (which I'm often not ) there are not many standout masterpieces within the breath of his work like other jazz greats (if, indeed he is considered as such) like Coltrane, Davis, Mingus, et cetera. He had a quite definite vision on what he saw to be creation and built-up a group of people (his Arkestra in many forms) with like minded thoughts, so in this way it was collective being (if were to look at it from a spiritual slant), and in the process of these continuous experiments they managed to release of string of top-notch albums over 30 odd years which stayed true to their modes of thought. While this is not my doctrine upon anyone I've always approached a Sun Ra album a little differently than I would most artist.  

js wrote: Atlantis is really bizarre, I like it a lot, but its unique to say the least.

That it is, especially the titled track. I think it incited next doors cat to malt, or maybe it was just a coincidence...  

Katje wrote: Pekka wrote: Hit me with some newbie recommendations, I've never heard any of his stuff but I'm interested. Considering your avvy I'd hit up Lanquidity ('78), fusion-ish with some killer funky breaks. Checkout the track 'where pathways meet' for a primer (I assume it will be on youtube - which I cannot access).