Sun-Ra

[bonesetter]

What's yer favorite?

I like the film/docu which was on telly. All about his band communing and being seriously focused

...and Space is the Place, but I only have 3 CD's so am looking for more recommendations...

Cheers

 

[Erinanton]

My favourite is Seductive Fantasy - not sure how available it is now

Closely followed by - Live in London 1990 - but I'm biased as I was there.

 

[bonesetter]

It's Lanquidity and Solo Piano Recital I have.

The piano one is great (well, and so is the Lanquidity...)

 

[jackbarron]

I went to the London gig at Brixton Academy as well. Wish I'd interviewed him.

Jack

 

[Dick Bowman]

I think memories of Sun Ra are becoming slightly tarnished by the endless releases of lateish live performances (and if you weren't there, you really haven't got the half of it). Found the Fletcher Henderson reminiscences quite tedious.

My preferences take me back to the mid-late 1960s experimental period, such as the title side of "The Magic City". But there's lots of good stuff over the years - various versions of "Shadow World", especially when Clifford Jarvis was around - and Ra's solo Moog tracks.

One good thing to do is get a copy of Robert Campbell's "Earthly Recordings" book (Cadence, ISBN 1-881993-26-4) which will give a good idea of the scope of Ra's captured career.

And don't forget that the Arkestra lives on, these days under the leadership of Marshall Allen - it's always good to support living artists.

 

[Bill Colledge]

The heliocetric worlds vol 1&2 from the mid 1960s take some beating.

 

[Engels]

I played "Jazz in Silhouette" (1958) on CD yesterday which is a brilliant record and difficult to date for the unfamiliar listener. Also have a vinyl compilation "Out There A Minute" of late 60s stuff, "Live In London 1990" EP box set and vinyl "A Night In East Berlin" (1986).

All good stuff

 

[Anex]

The heliocetric worlds vol 1&2 from the mid 1960s take some beating.

Yes, and Disco 3000. Heliocentric 3 is OK too, but not as good as 1 & 2.

 

[Klyde]

Early seventies live stuff ("It's After the End of the World") where he experiments with early Moog synthesizers. I'm weird, I know ;-)

 

[Space is the Place]

I only have one Sun Ra album, The Magic City, I find his music so funny!
When i first listened to the The Magic City i thought i want this played at my funeral! I can imagine people looking round at each other thinking wtf, while some people would be unable to stifle their laughter.
I think that's it you either get it or you don't, there's something quite deep and primal about the music too, I think Bjork described it as "music Children would make" not in the context that it was simple far far from it, but in the context that you had to be in some other place (which he was!) to make music that surprising and inventive, remarkable!