Sun Ra discography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sun Ra discography is one of the largest discographies in music history.[1][2] Jazz keyboardist, bandleader and composer Sun Ra recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, and making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century.[3]

History[]

His own El Saturn Records albums were usually printed in editions of 75 copies per album, and were sold primarily at live performances. Many of Sun Ra's early albums were recorded at home by Ra himself on wire or early tape recorders, and are decidedly lo-fi. Despite the technological limitations, Ra used some innovative recording techniques, and these recordings provided an unprecedented level of documentation, and were inspirational in showing how artists could take control of the means of production and distribution of their works.

Prior to the 1970s, most of these albums were produced in Chicago through the "El Saturn Records Research" enterprise established by Ra and his colleague Alton Abraham, while later El Saturn Records were produced in Philadelphia. A batch of the most significant recordings were licensed to Impulse! Records in the mid-1970s. They were not as successful as hoped, and were deleted from the Impulse catalog, becoming available around the world as inexpensive "cut-outs" and making the music more widely available.

Most El Saturn Records were hand-decorated by Arkestra members, and these LP records sometimes sell for high prices among collectors. These El Saturn Records releases, dating from the 1950s to at least the late 1980s, typically had little or no information as to performers or recording dates, and sometimes didn't even list the songs on the album, often pressing one LP side from one era with another from a different decade, leading to some confusion among completists and fans.

After Sun Ra's death, many of his recordings were released on compact disc for the first time by Evidence Records, , ESP Disk / ZYX Music, or Impulse!. As is the case with an artist whose output is so extensive, there is quite a bit of debate regarding his "best" albums. Of all these recordings, many critics and enthusiasts feel that the 1959 big band album Jazz In Silhouette is the best entry-point into his work,[4] with The Penguin Guide to Jazz naming the album as part of a recommended "Core Collection" for any serious jazz fan and as "one of the most important jazz records since World War II."[5]

Albums[]

Studio[]

Recording date(s) Album Credited artist Original Label(s) Release date
1953/1973 Deep Purple (A.K.A. Dreams Come True) Sun Ra and His Arkestra featuring Stuff Smith El Saturn 1973
1956-07-12 Jazz by Sun Ra (A.K.A. Sun Song) Sun Ra and His Arkestra Transition 1957
1956 Super-Sonic Jazz (A.K.A. Super-Sonic Sounds) Le Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn 1957-03
1956-11-01 Sound of Joy Sun Ra and the Arkestra Delmark Records 1968
1956/1958 Visits Planet Earth Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1958/1959 The Nubians of Plutonia (aka The Lady with the Golden Stockings) Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1959-03-06 Jazz in Silhouette Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn 1959-05
1959-03-06 Sound Sun Pleasure!! Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1970
1959/1960 Interstellar Low Ways (aka Rocket Number Nine) Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1960 Fate In A Pleasant Mood Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1965
1960 Holiday For Soul Dance Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Arkestra El Saturn 1970
1956/1960 Angels and Demons at Play Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1965
1956/1961 We Travel the Space Ways Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1967
1961-10-10 The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (aka We are in the Future) Sun Ra and His Arkestra Savoy Records 1962
1961 Bad and Beautiful Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1972
1961/1962 Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra El Saturn 1965
1962 Secrets of the Sun Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra El Saturn 1965
1962 What's New? Sun Ra El Saturn 1975
1962/1963 When Sun Comes Out Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1963
1963 Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1967
1963 When Angels Speak of Love Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1964 Other Planes of There Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1965-04-20 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk 1965
1965 The Magic City Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra El Saturn 1966
1965-11-16 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk 1965
1966 Strange Strings Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1967
1966 Monorails and Satellites, Vol 1 & Vol 2 Sun Ra El Saturn 1968 (Vol.I)
1974 (Vol.II)
1968 Continuation Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1970
1967/1969 Atlantis Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1969
1961-70 Sun Ra and His Arkestra Blast First 1989
1969-70 (aka A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 1) Sun Ra El Saturn 1974
1962-70 The Invisible Shield
(aka Janus, A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 2, Satellites are Outerspace)		 Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra El Saturn 1974
1969 My Brother the Wind Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1970
1970[6] The Night of the Purple Moon Sun Ra El Saturn 1970
1970 My Brother the Wind Volume II (Otherness) Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1971
1971[7][8] Solar Myth Approach Vols 1+2 Sun Ra and His Solar Myth Arkestra BYG Actuel 1972
1972 Astro Black Sun Ra Impulse! 1973
1972 Soundtrack to the Film Space Is the Place Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Solar Arkestra Evidence 1993
1972-10-19/20 Space Is the Place Sun Ra Blue Thumb Records 1973
1973 Discipline 27 Sun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra El Saturn 1973
1973 Outer Space Employment Agency Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Arkestra Total Energy 1999
1973 Pathways to Unknown Worlds Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra Impulse! 1975
1973 Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra Evidence Music, Inc. 2000
1976 Cosmos Sun Ra Cobra 1976-08
1977 Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue Sun Ra El Saturn 1977
1977 Solo Piano Volume 1 Sun Ra Improvising Artists 1977
1978 New Steps Sun Ra Quartet Horo 1978
1978 Other Voices, Other Blues Sun Ra Quartet Horo 1978
1978 Visions Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson SteepleChase Records 1978
1978 Lanquidity Sun Ra Philly Jazz 1978-07
1979 Omniverse Sun Ra El Saturn[9] 1979
1979 Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn 1979
1979 Strange Celestial Road Sun Ra Arkestra Rounder Records 1980
1979 Sleeping Beauty Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn 1979
1979 The Other Side of the Sun Sun Ra and His Arkestra Sweet Earth Records 1979
1979-07-25 God Is More than Love Can Ever Be Sun Ra Trio Saturn 72579 1989
1980 Aurora Borealis Sun Ra El Saturn 10480 1981
1982 A Fireside Chat with Lucifer Sun Ra and His Outer Space Arkestra Saturn Research B1984SG-9 1983
1982 Celestial Love Sun Ra and His Outer Space Arkestra El Saturn 19842 1984
1982 Nuclear War Sun Ra Arkestra Y Records 1982-09
1986-12-18/19 Reflections in Blue Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint 1987
1986-12-18/19 Hours After Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint 1987
1988 Hidden Fire 1 Sun Ra Saturn 13188III / 12988II 1988
1988 Hidden Fire 2 Sun Ra Saturn 13088A / 12988B 1988
1988-12/1989-11 Somewhere Else Sun Ra Rounder 1993
1988-12-05 Blue Delight Sun Ra A&M Records 1989
1989-11 Purple Night Sun Ra A&M Records 1990
1990-07-24/25 Mayan Temples Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint 1990-07

Posthumous Releases of Studio Material and Rehearsals[]

Recorded Album Artist Release date & notes Original Label(s)
1963 Blue York Sun Ra 2014 as a bonus disc for the Continuation album re-release and 2016 as the Blue York Album. Previously unreleased recording from 1963[10] Jeanne Dielman
1965 Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (The Lost Tapes) Sun Ra 2005. Previously unreleased recording from the Heliocentric Worlds Volume II sessions[11] ESP Disk
1965 Other Strange Worlds Sun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra 2014. Previously unreleased recording made in Sun Ra's apartment in New York City[12] Roaratorio
1966 Thunder of the Gods Sun Ra and His Arkestra 2017. Previously unreleased live and studio recordings[13] Modern Harmonic
1968-69 Sun Embassy Sun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra 2018. Archival recordings from the Sun Ra Philadelphia house, Sun Studios, from May 1968 to October 1969 [14] Roaratorio
1969 The Intergalactic Thing Sun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra 2016. A dozen previously unreleased recordings from rehearsals at the Sun Ra Philadelphia house[15] Roaratorio
1973 Crystal Spears Sun Ra 2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s[16] Evidence
1973 Cymbals Sun Ra 2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s[16] Evidence
1973 Sign Of The Myth Sun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra 2014. Previously unreleased Impulse! recordings from the Pathways To Unknown Worlds sessions[17] Roaratorio
1974 Dance of the Living Image: The Lost Reel Collection Volume 4 Sun Ra 2007. Previously unreleased reel-to-reel rehearsal sessions made in San Francisco[18] Transparency

Live[]

Recorded Album Notes Original Label(s)
1960 Music from Tomorrow's World: Chicago 1960 Sun Ra and His Arkestra Atavistic
1964 Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold Sun Ra ESP-Disk
1966 Nothing Is Sun Ra ESP-Disk
1966-68 Sun Ra and His Arkestra Black Lion Records
1968 Sun Ra Black Lion Records
1970 Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Sun Ra Arkestra Shandar
1970 It's After the End of the World Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra MPS
1970 Black Myth/Out in Space Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra Motor Music
1971 Nidhamu Sun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra El Saturn
1971 Live in Egypt 1 Sun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra El Saturn
1971 Horizon Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn
1971 The Paris Tapes - Live at Le Theatre Du Chatlet 1971 Sun Ra and His Mythic Science Arkestra Kindred Spirits / Art Yard
1973 What Planet Is This? Sun Ra and His Space Arkestra Leo
1973 Concert for the Comet Kohoutek Sun Ra ESP-Disk
1973 Live in Paris at the "Gibus" Sun Ra Atlantic Records
1973 Planets Of Life Or Death: Amiens '73 Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra Strut
1974 Out Beyond the Kingdom Of Sun Ra and His Outer Space Arkestra El Saturn 61674
1974 The Antique Blacks Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn 81774
1974 Sub Underground Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn 92074
1976 Live at Montreux Sun Ra and His Arkestra Inner City Records
1976 A Quiet Place in the Universe Sun Ra and His Arkestra Leo
1977 Taking a Chance on Chances Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn
1977 Somewhere Over the Rainbow Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn
1977 The Soul Vibrations of Man Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn
1977 St. Louis Blues (solo piano) Sun Ra Improvising Artists
1977 Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn
1977 Solo Piano Recital Teatro La Fenice Sun Ra Leo
1977 Unity Sun Ra and His Arkestra Horo
1978 Springtime in Chicago The Sun Ra Arkestra Leo
1978 Disco 3000 Sun Ra Quartet El Saturn
1978 Media Dreams Sun Ra Quartet El Saturn
1978 The Sound Mirror Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn
1979 Of Mythic Worlds Sun Ra Philly Jazz[19]
1979 I, Pharaoh Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn 6680[20]
1979[21] Live from Soundscape Sun Ra and His Arkestra DIW Records
1980 Sunrise in Different Dimensions The Sun Ra Arkestra Hathut Records
1980 The Complete Detroit Jazz Center Residency Sun Ra And The Omniverse Jet Set Arkestra
Limited issue of 500 copies, 28-CD Box Set		 Transparency
1981 Beyond the Purple Star Zone Sun Ra And His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra El Saturn 123180
1981 Dance of Innocent Passion Sun Ra El Saturn
1982 Oblique Parallax primarily Sun Ra on keyboard El Saturn SR72881
1983 The Sun Ra Arkestra Meets Salah Ragab In Egypt The Sun Ra Arkestra / Salah Ragab / The Cairo Jazz Band Leo
1983 Love in Outer Space Sun Ra and His Arkestra Leo
1983 Hiroshima The Sun Ra All Stars Band Art Yard Records
1984 Cosmo Sun Connection Sun Ra and His Arkestra Saturn/ Recommended Records
1984 Live at Praxis '84 The Sun Ra Arkestra Leo
1985 Live at Club Lingerie The Sun Ra Arkestra Transparency
1985 Live at Myron's Ballroom The Sun Ra Arkestra Transparency
1986 A Night in East Berlin Sun Ra and His Cosmo Discipline Arkestra Leo
1987 John Cage Meets Sun Ra Sun Ra and John Cage Meltdown
1988[22] Cosmo Omnibus Imagiable Illusion Sun Ra Arkestra DIW
1989 Second Star to the Right (Salute to Walt Disney) Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Arkestra Leo
1989 Stardust from Tomorrow Sun Ra & His Intergalaxtic Arkestra Leo
1990 Live in London 1990 Sun Ra and His Year 2000 Myth Science Arkestra Blast First
1990 Live at the Hackney Empire Sun Ra And The Year 2000 Myth Science Arkestra Leo
1990 Pleiades[23] Sun Ra and His Arkestra Leo Records
1991 At the Village Vanguard Sun Ra Sextet Rounder
1991 Friendly Galaxy Sun Ra Arkestra Leo
1992 Destination Unknown Sun Ra & His Omniverse Arkestra Enja Records

Compilations[]

Released Album Credited artist Original Label(s)
2000 Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel Sun Ra and His Arkestra Evidence
2001 Out in Space Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra –
2007 The Creator of the Universe (Lost Reel: Volume 1) Sun Ra Transparency
2007 Intergalactic Research (Lost Reel: Volume 2) Sun Ra Transparency
2007 The Shadows Took Shape (Lost Reel: Volume 3) Sun Ra Transparency
2007 Dance of the Living Image (Lost Reel: Volume 4) Sun Ra Transparency
2009 Interplanetary Melodies Sun Ra and His Arkestra Norton
2009 The Second Stop Is Jupiter Sun Ra and His Arkestra Norton
2009 Rocket Ship Rock Sun Ra and His Arkestra Norton
2014 In the Orbit of Ra[24] Sun Ra and His Arkestra Strut
2015 To Those of Earth... And Other Worlds Sun Ra and His Arkestra Strut
2016 The Space Age Is Here To Stay Sun Ra and His Interplanetary Vocal Arkestra Modern Harmonic/Sundazed Music
2016-11-25 Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection, Vol. 1—1952–1961 Sun Ra Strut

Related[]

Recorded Album Credited artist Original Label(s)
1954-60 Spaceship Lullaby: Chicago 1954-60 Sun Ra/the Vocal Groups featuring Nu Sounds, the Unitels & the Cosmic Rays Atavistic
1966 Impressions of a Patch of Blue Walt Dickerson Quartet with Sun Ra on harpsichord MGM
1966 Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale Uncredited, but featuring Sun Ra & members of the Arkestra and the Blues Project Tifton
1968 A Black Mass Imamu Amiri Baraka with Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra Jihad Productions[25]
1988 Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films Sun Ra & His Arkestra perform "Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo A&M Records
1992 A Tribute to Stuff Smith Billy Bang with Sun Ra, John Ore and Andrew Cyrille Soul Note
2013 ARTPOP Writing credit with Lady Gaga for the song "Venus" Interscope

References[]

  1. ^ "Sun Ra discography". Allmusic.
  2. ^ Campbell, Robert L. & Trent, Christopher (2000). The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra (2nd ed.). Redwood, NY: Cadence Jazz Books. ISBN 978-1-881993-35-3.
  3. ^ Szwed, John F. (1997). Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra. New York City: Pantheon Books. p. xvii. ISBN 978-0-679-43589-1.
  4. ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Jazz In Silhouette". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard & Morton, Brian (2006) [1992]. "Sun Ra". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (8th ed.). New York City: Penguin Books. p. 1245. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
  6. ^ Collins, Troy (August 15, 2007). "Sun Ra: The Night Of The Purple Moon". All About Jazz.
  7. ^ Mason, Stewart. "The Solar-Myth Approach, Vol. 1". AllMusic.
  8. ^ Cook, Stephen. "The Solar-Myth Approach, Vol. 2". AllMusic.
  9. ^ "Sun Ra - Omniverse". Discogs.
  10. ^ "Sun Ra Continuation". Discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  11. ^ "Sign Of The Myth". Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  12. ^ "Other Strange Worlds". Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  13. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (April 13, 2017). "Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Thunder of the Gods". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  14. ^ "Sun Embassy". Forced Exposure. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  15. ^ "The Intergalactic Thing". Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals & Crystal Spears". AllMusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  17. ^ "Sun Ra – Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (The Lost Tapes)". Discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  18. ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Dance of the Living Image". AllMusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  19. ^ "Sun Ra - Of Mythic Worlds". Discogs.
  20. ^ Campbell, Robert (30 January 2013). "Sun Ra Discography: Items 76-127". University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
  21. ^ "Live from Soundscape". AllMusic.
  22. ^ "Live at Pitt-In, Tokyo". AllMusic.
  23. ^ Campbell, Robert. "Sun Ra discography". University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  24. ^ Westergaard, Sean. "In the Orbit of Ra". AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  25. ^ "LeRoi Jones / Le Sun Ra* - A Black Mass". Discogs.

External links[]

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