Strut / Art Yard
Sleeve Notes
It’s been ten years now since I started working with Sun Ra’s music through my company Art Yard and 100 years this year, 2014, since Sun Ra’s arrival. A suitable time then to celebrate his amazing work in collaboration with Marshall Allen, Director of The Sun Ra Arkestra, and present a collection of some previously unreleased and extended stereo master recordings that have never been pressed on vinyl or CD before, all with the help of heirs and successors of Sun Ra himself and the many people I work with who are involved in ongoing research into Sun Ra’s repertoire.
This release enabled me to visit “Pharaoh’s Den”, the Sun Ra house in German Town, Philadelphia, for the first time. Battling blizzards and cancelled trains, I was eventually able to film Marshall talking about Ra and his work and improvising on various instruments for several precious hours. I had time to conduct further interviews with Arkestra mainstays Knoel Scott, Michael Ray and Danny Ray Thompson.
The transcribed Marshall Allen interview is reproduced here. Soon after writing it out, disaster struck. Upon returning to Berlin, I discovered that I had lost a large section of the filmed interviews. The Arkestra’s discussions about the esoteric side to their music and the magic and ritual of Sun Ra’s performances will have to remain a mystery as a result. Maybe Sun Ra had a hand in it: “I have many names; some call me Mr. Ra, others call me Mr. Re. You can call me Mr. Mystery.” Despite this setback, you can find the final edited film on the Strut youtube channel.
One of the missions important to Sun Ra was to get his music out into the world. His music is for everyone, not just the few who can afford to buy hugely rare and expensive original Saturn pressings. I asked John Gilmore about the collectors’ frenzy for Ra originals in 1994 when he was leading the Arkestra. He said, “Peter, that’s elitism.” So, with that, my endeavours continue to give a wider platform to the recordings of Sun Ra, Music Of The 21st Century.
Thank you to all the folks that support this work. Especially, thanks to Marshall Allen who is one of the wisest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.
“Love and life interested me so that I dared to knock on the door of the cosmos”. Sun Ra
Peter Dennett, Art Yard, May 2014
Long-time members of the Sun Ra Arkestra Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, Michael Ray and Knoel Scott reflect on the life and influence of Sun Ra in a rare new interview with Art Yard’s Peter Dennett. Includes footage of the fabled Sun Ra house in Germantown, Philadelphia.
‘In The Orbit Of Ra’ celebrates one of the most legendary creative minds in jazz music, Sun Ra. Compiled by the current leader of Ra’s band the Arkestra, Marshall Allen, and mastered from the original reel to reel tapes, the music of Sun Ra has never sounded better.
You Tube Link : Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra – In The Orbit of Ra
Marshall Allen Interview March 2013.
PD: Marshall, who was Sun Ra?
MA: A master, a scholar, a teacher, a friend. Sun Ra’s mission was to open the minds of musicians and people to the Space Age and therefore the Space Age is here to stay. There’s no place to run away so “face the music”. He wrote songs about some of the things he was talking about to open peoples’ minds up to creating things and other worlds in the universe.
PD: When did you first meet Sun Ra?
MA: It was in Chicago. I had been in Europe for seven years or so – I must have been in my thirties. I came back to Chicago and I was playing with small groups for two or three years.
I did stay a couple of years in the Conservatoire in Paris before that. I was running around with James Moody and all them people, just hanging around. I wasn’t playing too much but I got to meet all the bands that came in like Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas. I’m talking about 1949. And prior to that, I was in a military band: the 17th Special Service – that was the last one I was in. In the 201st Army Division, we played the VE Day parade and after that we went to Paris in ‘49. We were attached to different armies playing dances, military music, we would play it all for the different soldiers in the field who would come back from the front and for the prisoners-of-war. So that was my job, for the morale of the soldiers.
I met Sun Ra about 1957, somewhere about that. By the time I found out about his band, it was the ‘50s but he had started things and was rehearsing every day. He had a big band with different musicians. I went up there to try and get into the band and that’s where I met everyone.
I had been working at the Revere Camera Company. They made camera lenses and polished them, they also made tape recorders. I polished filters for the big cameras there. Around the corner, about a block from there, was a music store that sold records and I was buying a lot of records then. So, every time I got off from work I would go by the store and go buy a record of somebody or some band or whatever I like. So I went there one day and Jo Segal was at the shop – he said, “I got something for you, I know you’re into something different.” It was a demo with a lot of musicians on it and Sun Ra’s on there. Well, I took the record, I went home, listened to the whole thing and I kept going back to Sun Ra. I said to myself, “that’s kinda something. There’s something in it that’s refreshing.” I couldn’t stop playing it. I stayed up half the night playing that song over and over.
The next day I went to work and went by the record store and told the guy I wanted to buy the record, so he said, “well, he only lives up in your neighbourhood on the South side. He’s about six blocks from where you live. He’s in the ballroom where he rehearses every night, early evening.” He said, “you can go – he’s always looking for new talent.” So I said, “Oh yeah?” I had a friend of mind, a drummer called Billy Mitchell and we both went over to Sun Ra’s rehearsal. We came in with our horns and the band was rehearsing some stuff and he was sitting there at a table writing music. We sat there and said, “we want to be in the band” and Sun Ra started talking about the Space Age, the Bible, ancient Egypt, all these things. I said, “What’s this got to do with the music?!” He just talked his philosophy and said his poems and continued talking about the Space Age. We waited for him to say, “what you saying, when you gonna come and play?” But he never did.
Then, about an hour or a couple of hours after that, he gets up and says, “Well, I have to eat” and he cut rehearsal. He says, “I’m going over to the restaurant by the club around the corner.” We followed him around there and sat with him for the rest of the evening and he kept on sitting there and eating. And then he just sat there! So I said, “what you waiting for? What’s happening?”
The band next door was playing and he was waiting on them to take a break and come over to the restaurant so we could talk to them. I still sat there and it’s nearly 12 o’clock and the next thing you know it was 4 o’clock in the morning and all the guys came out of the club and walked over to the restaurant, Sun Ra was still sitting there. We left with him so it became an all night thing. Finally, I got to work the next day.
Then most of Sun Ra’s band migrated to New York. I stayed in Chicago for about ten years, then we went up to Montreal later for a month or so and stopped in New York on our way home. A taxi cab hit our car and it ended up so we couldn’t use it. We said that we’ll wait ‘til we get the car fixed up so we stayed and it took so long waiting for the insurance to fix the car, man! We had to get a gig so we went down to the Village to play in the coffee houses for a meal and to get some money. In New York, some of the band left and had to go back home so Ronnie Boykins, Sun Ra, John Gilmore and I were left there. Eventually, we began to gather some musicians and make a bigger, larger band. We found “Bugs” Hunter to play drums and I think we met Pat Patrick there too so that’s when we began to build the band, get some gigs and get some recordings going with Bernard Stollmann. We stayed there in New York almost ten years. We got kinda stuck there so we never got back home.
And, after all those years in New York, it was getting kinda wild there. You know how New York life was at that time. Then Sun Ra wanted a bigger place and we had to get out of our place on 3rd Street. My father had two or three houses so he said to come down and move in – he had this house on Morton Street. I had to fix it up a little bit but the band then came down and they liked it for rehearsing ‘cos it was quiet. Sun Ra needed a place to rehearse 24 hours a day and I told my father to give it to Sun Ra, so he sold it to him for a dollar. That’s how Sun Ra got the house in Philadelphia.
PD: How did you adapt your avant garde saxophone style?
MA: Sun Ra wanted to hear all kinda sounds, electronic sounds before electronics were popular with sound. In the ‘50s, we had to duplicate electronic sounds on a conventional instrument. We didn’t have money to buy electronic instruments see, we had to take what we had and create the sounds. It was the same way with the saxophone, it was very simple to create a sound you’d hear. You would do whatever you have to do with the saxophone to create sounds like electronic sounds.
P.D: How did Sun Ra get what he wanted from the musicians in the Arkestra. How did he communicate his ideas?
M.A: He would show us how to play his music in particular ways – attack, phrasing, and how to express his music. He wanted precise discipline. He’d teach us how to do things and never made it difficult ‘cos he stayed on it – he knew what he wanted and what it should sound like. Those who understood it played it, and those who didn’t would get an accompanying part or another line. You weren’t left out ‘cos he tailor-made his music. If you were good at playing this song, well, you would play lead and all those who were good at playing secondary parts or different movements would play those parts. Then you put it all together and you found you had movements and counterpoints and all that In the music. Each individual would have something to do and he’d know each person, their limits and their potential. We always got close to what he wanted. However, if you didn’t do what you supposed to do he would have you in “jail”. His “jail” was that you do all the work and you couldn’t go nowhere. There was always a lot of work to do so he would have you writing out music and doing everything. He would be constantly preaching and teaching – just like with kids, you were restricted. But while you were grounded, you kept being given something to do, to learn and have some discipline. That’s what it was – a jail of discipline, so you had to do as you were told before you could be promoted.
PD: How do you fill your role as the Director of the Arkestra now?
MA: I have to do what I’ve learned, just like everybody else, what I feel and what I do, I have to put that in there too. If you’re running a business, you don’t do the same thing as another person – you have to innovate and bring in new ideas and a whole bunch of new rules so that’s the way it is. Most of the band know the basic rules of what they have to do and I put mine in there on top of it. Some things have changed from the way Sun Ra did it and the way I do it.
PD: For you, what have been your peak moments and achievements?
I wanted to write as many tunes as I could while I was in that band, so I did that for two, three, four, five, six years – I was just writing tunes and finding Sun Ra’s music, trying to keep it together. I have written close to 100 tunes through the years. There’s no time limit. I write every time I get a tune and put it in the book. Some tunes I haven’t played in 15 years, 20 years out of my songbook. Every now and then, I pull one of them out and make an arrangement on it. I played an old tune called ‘Keep On Steppin’’ the other night and another that I hadn’t played since 1999. I called that ‘Boma’ ‘cos the rhythm was strong. It’s a kind of highlife tune named after a river in the Congo.
P.D: You co-wrote ‘Angels And Demons At Play’. On all the albums that included one of your compositions, did you ever get a writing credit?
M.A: No, all of those were credited in Sun Ra’s name.
P.D: What would you like to say to all the new generation now discovering Sun Ra’s music for the first time?
M.A: The Space Age is here to stay in the 21st Century. They’re doing all things “young people” in the age of computers and they can learn fast, fast, fast. So, you have to follow the leader in order to hear all the things you ain’t heard before. Today, you hear all this stuff when you turn the computer on but it wasn’t like that in the old days. You had to create all these different sounds on whatever instrument you played and you needed discipline too in order to make it do what you wanted it to do. We didn’t have no electronic instruments, we only had conventional rhythm and horns and we had to create the sounds that we wanted to hear and put it in the mixer, produce it using the Sun Ra way of playing. Sun Ra had a unique way of writing intervals. He’ d make melodies with “leaping intervals” like 1, 5 /1, 6 /1, 7 like that, rather then 1, 3 /1, 2 /1, 4. We didn’t have sounds like we have them now. During the early years in the ‘50s and ‘60s he created sounds for the keyboard piano at The University Of Davis, California and they would electronically transfer them. So, when you pressed a keyboard key, you would hear all kinda sounds. You wanted a dog barking, you pressed a button. You look around now and it’s been years of building and preparing for the 21st Century.
Sun Ra came to bring a message, just like the old prophets always brought you a message. Whether you believe it or not, whether it sounds crazy or not, as time goes by you find out that some of the prophets you hear were prophesying things. Not everything was 100% but a lot of those things came true, you see. The Space Age is here. He was getting us prepared for the future. In the ‘50s, Sun Ra said the music’s not for today, it’s for the 21st Century.
Digital Download link: Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and his Arkestra In The Orbit Of Ra: STRUT109CD : In The Orbit of Ra
CD 1
1. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – SOMEWHERE IN SPACE 3.01 Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘Interstellar Low Ways’ (LP-203). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 14 1960. P 1965 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Chimes, Gong
Phil Cohran – Cornet
Marshall Allen – Alto Saxophone, Flute
Pat Patrick: Alto Saxophone, Bells, Claves
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Jon L. Hardy: Drums
2. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – THE LADY WITH THE GOLDEN STOCKINGS (a.k.a. THE GOLDEN LADY) 7.43
Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘The Nubians Of Plutonia’ (406). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in Chicago, 1958-1959. P 1960 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Lucious Randolph: Trumpet
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Percussion
James Spaulding: Alto Saxophone
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Pat Patrick: Baritone Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Robert Barry: Drums, Percussion
3. SUN RA AND HIS ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA – SOMEBODY ELSE’S WORLD 3.59 Originally released on the Saturn Research LP ‘My Brother The Wind II’ a.k.a. ’Somebody Else’s Idea’ (ESR 523). Composed and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in New York, 1969. P 1971 Saturn Research. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Intergalactic Organ
Kwame Hadi: Trumpet
Akh Tal Ebah: Trumpet, Mellophone
Marshall Allen: Flute, Alto Saxophone
Danny Davis: Alto Saxophone, Alto Clarinet, Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Pat Patrick: Baritone Saxophone
Danny Ray Thompson: Baritone Saxophone, Flute
James Jacson: Oboe, Percussion
Alejandro Blake: Bass
Clifford Jarvis: Drums
Lex Humphries: Drums
Nimrod Hunt: Hand Drums
William Brister: Percussion
Robert Cummings: Percussion
June Tyson: Vocals
Ensemble Vocal by Arkestra members
4. SUN RA – SPONTANEOUS SIMPLICITY 7.54 Originally released on the Black Lion Records LP ‘Pictures Of Infinity’ (BL-106). Written by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Alan Bates. Recorded in New York City, 1968. P 1968 Black Lion Records. Licensed courtesy of DA Music / Deutsche Austrophon GmbH & Co. KG
Sun Ra: Piano
Marshall Allen: Flute
Danny Davis: Alto Saxophone, Flute
Pat Patrick: Percussion
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
John Gilmore: Drums
Nimrod Hunt: Hand Drums
James Jackson: Log Drums
Clifford Jarvis: Drums
5. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – PLUTONIAN NIGHTS 4.20 Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘The Nubians Of Plutonia’ (406). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in Chicago, 1958-1959. P 1960 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Lucious Randolph: Trumpet
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Percussion
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Pat Patrick: Baritone Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Robert Barry: Drums, Percussion
6. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – ANGELS AND DEMONS AT PLAY 2.51 Originally released on the Saturn Records LP ‘Angels And Demons At Play’ (SR 9956-2-O/P). Written by Marshall Allen and Ronald Boykins. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded at Hall Recording Company, Chicago, late 1960. P 1965 Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Gong, Space Harp
Phil Cohran: Percussion
Marshall Allen: Flute
John Gilmore: Percussion
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Jon Hardy: Drums, Percussion, Gong
7. SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – ISLAND IN THE SUN (Extended version) 10.20 Edited version originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘The Invisible Shield’ (LP 529). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded at Variety Recording Studio, New York, between 1968 and 1970. P 1974 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano
Marshall Allen: Flute
Danny Davis: Alto Clarinet
Ben Henderson: Bass
John Gilmore: Percussion
Pat Patrick: Percussion
8. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – ROCKET NUMBER NINE TAKE OFF FOR THE PLANET VENUS 6.18
Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘Interstellar Low Ways’ (LP-203). Written and arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 14th 1960. P 1965 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Chimes, Gong, Vocals
Phil Cohran: Cornet, Vocals
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Vocals
Pat Patrick: Alto Saxophone, Bells, Claves, Vocals
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
Ronnie Boykins: Bass, Vocals
9. SUN RA & HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – SOLAR DIFFERENTIALS 6.20 Originally released on the Saturn Research LP ‘Secrets Of The Sun’ (GH 9954 E/F). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded by Tommy Hunter at the Choreographers’ Workshop, New York 1962. P 1965 Saturn Research. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Gong
John Gilmore: Space Bird Sounds
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Tommy Hunter: Space Bird Sounds, Reverb
C. Scoby Stroman: Drums
Art Jenkins: Space Voice
CD 2
1. SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – ASTRO BLACK 10.51 Originally released on the Impulse LP ‘Astro Black’ (AS-9255). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded in early 1972. P 1973 Impulse. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC.
Sun Ra: Moog Synthesizer, Space Organ, Electro-Vibraphone
Akh Tal Ebah: Trumpet, Mellophone
Kwami Hadi (Lamont McClamb): Trumpet
Charles Stephens: Trombone
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Oboe
Danny Davis: Alto Saxophone, Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Danny Thompson: Baritone Saxophone, Bongos
Pat Patrick: Mistro-Clarinet
Eloe Omoe: Bass Clarinet
Alzo Wright: Violin, Viola
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Tommy Hunter: Drums
Atakatune (Stanley Morgan): Conga
Odun (Russell Branch): Conga
Chica: Conga
June Tyson: Lead Vocals
Ruth Wright: Backing Vocals
Cheryl Banks: Backing Vocals
Judith Holten: Backing Vocals
2. SUN RA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC INFINITY ARKESTRA – HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATEST NEWS FROM NEPTUNE 5.51
Originally released on the Saturn LP ‚Discipline 27-11’ (538). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, 19th October 1972. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC.
Sun Ra: Piano, Farfisa Organ, Mini Moog, Rocksichord, Vocal (Space Voices)
Akh Tal Ebah: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Space Mellophone, (Space Voices)
Kwami Hadi [Lamont McClamb]: Trumpet, Percussion
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Flute, Percussion
Danny Davis: Alto Saxophone, Flute, Alto Clarinet, Percussion
Larry Northington: Alto Saxophone, Conga, Percussion.
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Drum, Vocal (Space Voices)
Pat Patrick: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Flute, Electric Bass, Vocal (Space Voices)
Danny Ray Thompson: Baritone Saxophone, Flute, Libflecto, Percussion, Vocal (Space Voices)
Elo Omoe: Bass Clarinet, Flute, Percussion
Lex Humphries: Drums, Percussion
Robert Underwood (Aye Aton): Drums
Harry Richards: Drums, Percussion
Alzo Wright: Drums, Percussion
Atakatune (Stanley Morgan): Conga, Percussion
Odun (Russell Branch): Conga, Percussion
June Tyson,: Vocals (Space Voices)
Ruth Wright: Vocals (Space Voices)
Cheryl Banks: Vocals (Space Voices)
Judith Holton: Vocals (Space Voices)
3. SUN RA – DANCE OF THE COSMO-ALIENS (Live In Milan, 1978) 11.00 Originally released on the Saturn Gemini LP ‘Disco 3000’ (CMIJ 78). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded in the Teatro Ciak, Milan, 23rd January 1978. P 1978 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Art Yard Ltd
Sun Ra: Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Drum Programming
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Drums, Vocals
Michael Ray: Trumpet, Vocals
Luqman Ali: Drums, Vocals
4. SUN RA – TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON ME (Live In Rome, 1977) 3.37 Previously unreleased. Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded live in Rome, 1977. P 2014 Art Yard Ltd. Licensed courtesy of Art Yard Ltd
Sun Ra: Vocals, Piano
5. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – PLANET EARTH 4.55 Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth’ (LP 207). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in Chicago, 1957 or 1958. P 1965 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Solar (Wurlitzer Electric) Piano, Egyptian Sun Bells, Chinese Gong, Spiral Percussion Gong
Lucious Randolph: Trumpet
Nate Pryor: Trombone
James Spaulding: Alto Saxophone
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Flute
Pat Patrick: Baritone Saxophone, Rhodesian Bells, Solar Drum
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Solar Bells, Tambourine, Solar Drum
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Robert Barry: Drums
Jim Herndon: Tympani, Timbales, Boom Bam
6. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – THE NILE 4.55 Originally released on the Saturn Research LP ‘When Sun Comes Out’ (LP2066). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded at the Choregraphers’ Workshop, New York, November 1962. P 1963 Saturn Research. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano
Marshall Allen: Flute, Percussion
Danny Davis: Percussion
John Gilmore: Percussion
Pat Patrick: Bongos
Ronnie Boykins: Bass, Percussion
Clifford Jarvis: Drums
Tommy Hunter: Percussion
7. SUN RA & HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part One) 3.21 Previously unreleased. Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded by Tommy Hunter at the Choreographers’ Workshop, New York 1962. P 2014 Sun Ra LLC. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano
Marshall Allen: Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Tommy Hunter: Percussion
C. Scoby Stroman: Drums
Unknown Vocalist
8. SUN RA & HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part Two) 8.09 Originally released on the Saturn Research LP ‘Secrets Of The Sun’ (GH 9954 E/F). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded by Tommy Hunter at the Choreographers’ Workshop, New York 1962. P 1965 Saturn Research. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano
Marshall Allen: Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass
Tommy Hunter: Percussion
C. Scoby Stroman: Drums
9. SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – ANCIENT AIETHIOPIA 9.15 Originally released on the El Saturn Records LP ‘Jazz In Silhouette’ (LP 5786). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded in 1958 at El Saturn Studio, Chicago. P 1959 El Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Gong
Hobart Dotson: Trumpet Mouthpiece
James Spaulding: Alto Saxophone, Flute
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece, Flute
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Vocal
Pat Patrick: Baritone Saxophone, Flute
Charles Davis: Baritone Saxophone
Ronnie Boykins: Bass, Vocal
William Cochran: Drums
10. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – INTERPLANETARY MUSIC 2.40 Originally released on the Saturn Records LP ‘We Travel The Spaceways’ (HK5445). Written and arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Recorded in rehearsal, 1960. P 1967 Saturn Records. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Cosmic Tone Organ
Phil Cohran: Violin-uke, Vocals
John Gilmore: Cosmic Bells, Vocals
Ronnie Boykins: Bass, Vocals
William Cochran: Drums, Vocals
Marshall Allen: Percussion
11. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – WE TRAVEL THE SPACEWAYS 3.21 Originally released on the Saturn Research LP ‘When Sun Comes Out’ (LP2066). Written and Arranged by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts. Produced by Ihnfinity, Inc. and Alton Abraham. Recorded at the Choreographers’ Workshop, New York, November 1962. P 1963 Saturn Research. Licensed courtesy of Sun Ra LLC
Sun Ra: Piano, Electronic Celeste
Teddy Nance: Trombone
Bernard Pettaway: Trombone
Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Percussion
Danny Davis: Percussion
John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Pat Patrick: Drums
Ronnie Boykins: Bass, Percussion
Tommy Hunter: Percussion
Digital restorations from original master tapes by Michael D. Anderson and Irwin Chusid
Mastered for CD by Peter Beckmann at Studio Technologyworks
You Can Follow Art Yard on Face Book – FB and listen to some audio previews on – Soundcloud.
More from Strut Records:http://www.strut-records.com / https://www.facebook.com/StrutRecords
More from The Sun Ra Arkestra: http://www.sunraarkestra.com