A SUN RA UPDATE

From Irwin Chusid / Saturn Newsgroup


LP / CD / 7" singles / 10" EPs on Modern Harmonic, a new imprint from Sundazed:

Space Age Is Here to Stay: Sun Ra & His Interplanetary Vocal Arkestra
Double gatefold LP of vocal tracks spanning 25 years, including several previously unreleased tracks. In production, release date TBD, hopefully late spring. Will use new remasters, with an additional QC pass by mastering wizard Bob Irwin.

7" singles:

Saturn / Mystery Mr. Ra
El is a Sound of Joy / Black Sky and Blue Moon
Plutonian Nights / Reflects Motion (Part One)
10" EPs:
Rocket Number Nine / Ankhnation / Project Black Mass
The Lady with the Golden Stockings / Spontaneous Simplicity / Lover in Outer Space (vocal)
Nuclear War / Outer Reach Intense Energy (early version) / Twlight

All the above will feature cover art licensed from the estate of Chesley Bonestell, renowned science fiction illustrator.

Recent digital issues:

Soul Vibrations of Man
Despite the inherent flaws of the original live recordings/mixes, the digital release is an upgrade in audio quality. The digital album has also been sectioned into individual tracks with titles, which were missing from the Saturn LP (but were listed in Earthly Recordings).

Sun Ra: Paris 1983
A previously unreleased, well-recorded 1983 Paris date, from a tape transfer provided by Hartmut Geerken via Peter Dennett. This is not the SR All-Stars, who also performed in Europe around this time — this is the Arkestra. Digital cover art adapted from figures by Jim Flora.

Sun Ra & His Arkestra at Inter-Media Arts, 1991
Previously unreleased, stunningly recorded 1991 performance at Huntington, Long Island arts venue. Originally aired on WNYC in late ’91, and posted for streaming on their website in 2014 for the Sun-tennial. The digital album is separated into individual tracks (in sequence), and the pdf booklet contains track titles (not posted on WNYC site), corrected personnel info, and the backstory. This performance took place after Ra recovered from a stroke. This band packs a wallop. We were provided with a 24-bit, 96Khz transfer from tape by WNYC, who consented to its commercial release. Digital cover adapted from an early 1950s Jim Flora figure study.

Cosmos
In final stages of completion, probably available within a week.

Upcoming: Taking a Chance on Chances (including Side A without defects), Crystal Spears, and Cymbals (both with bonus material).