-- info & link: Kilissa Cissoko
Ed Seeman adds:Check out this little YouTube movie to see and hear what the RTP Trio is all about !!
RTP Trio at the Mind Expanding Festival in 2006
When my friend Danny played me a Sun Ra album a couple of years ago, I was a bit blown away. It was too far out for my taste (and take it from me, I'm used to listening to some bizarre music every once in a while).
I started listening to Sun Ra and his Arkestra occasionally, and slowly got into it.
The thing what really did it for me was seeing a documentary on Ra (which I got from Pete Brunelli - thanx again), AND seeing the Arkestra perform live in Tilburg last year.
The Arkestra played six nights in one week, and went from the 40's big band tunes (Ellington and such) to the early Sun Ra compositions, to the later free jazz (space jazz) pieces, and eventually to Marshall Allen's freaky digital saxophone solos.
It was like taking a Sun Ra masterclass. I got a chronological journey through Sun Ra's career. It made me understand how the music had evolved. Taking smaller steps.
And that's exactly the reason why I tell people that if they want to check out the music of Sun Ra, they should start with some of his early stuff.
Keep in mind however, that the year of release does not mean a thing when you talk about Sun Ra.
That said, here's "Spaceship Lullaby". Released in 2003 in the Unheard Music Series from the Atavistic label, this album takes a look at the mysterious Sun Ra years from 1954 to 1960. It was around that time (1952 to be exact) that Herman 'Sonny' Blount adopted the name Sun Ra.
It was about the same time, that Sun Ra started working with vocal groups. "Spaceship Lullaby" presents sessions by the Nu Sounds, The Lintels, and by The Cosmic Rays.
Quite poppy, and even a bit corny, they take on 'Stranger In Paradise', Just One Of Those Things', 'Nice Work If You Can Get It', ...
I love the part where The Cosmic Rays part kicks in. The first couple of tracks are the vocal ensemble plus drums and piano, but the last two are with The Arkestra.
Quality is far from perfect as an old rehearsal tape was used, but "Spaceship Lullaby" will give you an idea of what Sun Ra's doo-wop projects were about.
includes
- 12 postcards (5.5" x8.5") with backdrop drawings from the show
- a miniature shovel
- a chipboard digipak featuring
--- a CD with the Australian radio special (70 minutes)
--- a single camera DVD of the uninterrupted live MOLESHOW, filmed at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco.
The music however is very interesting. The documentary is not the best audio recording, yet it's very funny and interesting at the same time.
The video recording might be one-camera shot and not of the best quality, but it is of historical value.
Here's what the Reziblog says:
"The first performance was a warm-up at The House in Santa Monica on April 10th, 1982, in front of an audience of sixty. It was a music-only performance -- no dancers, narrator, or sets -- to make sure that the Emulators were up to the task. The official opening was on October 26th at the Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco. The band had two sold-out shows there, then moved on for four shows in Los Angeles and one in Pasadena.
The shows were well received, though the audiences didn't always know what to make of them. Everyone on stage wore Groucho Marx glasses -- except Penn Jillette, who would take pot-shots at the show during his narration, poking fun at the primitive special effects and the strange story. Towards the end of the show he would (apparently) lose his temper, yelling at the performers and storming off stage. After a brief pause, Penn would be brought back on stage gagged, tied to a wheelchair, and wearing Groucho glasses. "
Limited and expensive. Available from Ralphamerica.
This Guitar Legends special, subtitled "Rock In Peace" includes a 7-page article / interview with Frank Zappa, plus an 11-page transcription of Zappa's 'Apostrophe'.
