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Sun Ra: Nuits De La Fondation Maeght (Sun Ra)
by John Sharpe
Discoveries of lost tapes are often trumpeted as legendary or revelatory, but in the case of the greatly expanded Nuits De La Fondation Maeght, the hype feels entirely warranted. The release offers a comprehensive view of a pivotal moment in Sun Ra's career. In 1970, Sun Ra was invited to play at the prestigious private museum, Fondation Maeght, in southern France. The event was part of a concert series that starred other icons of the jazz avant-garde, ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live At The left Bank
by Ian Patterson
Sun Ra aficionados seem to possess an insatiable appetite for archival recordings of the ever-evolving ensembles of the pianist, composer and bandleader. Born Helman Poole Blount, in Alabama, in 1914, Ra released possibly as many as 200 albums during his lifetime, including extremely limited pressings with hand-painted covers that he sold in person. You might think such a vast and collectable discography would be treasure-trove enough for even the most committed of Ra crate diggers, but no. Which brings us ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live At The left Bank
by Mark Corroto
Sun Ra's 1978 performance at Baltimore's Left Bank Jazz Society ballroom had something for everyone. The great man and his Arkestra, along with singer June Tyson and dancers, performed jazz from its inception to what Ra predicted (correctly) as its future. This recording is the second unissued discovery from Zev Feldman, the “Jazz Detective," and it follows the sprawling At The Showcase: Live In Chicago 1976-1977 (Elemental Music, 2024). These years, the late 1970s, were an interesting time for Ra. ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: At the Showcase (Live In Chicago, 1976-1977)
by Giuseppe Segala
Moltissime sono le registrazioni di Sun Ra, alcune memorabili. In ognuna si nasconde una tessera, un elemento della sua vitalità inesauribile, della sua ricerca cosmica di torcere, frammentare, lacerare le convenzioni. Di toccare con mano meravigliata i materiali di cui dispone, quasi venissero da altri mondi, da altre dimensioni, da logiche differenti. Sun Ra trascende le convenzioni. Nel corso degli anni, il musicista ha ricevuto costanti attenzioni da parte del pubblico e delle etichette discografiche. Un pubblico che ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: At The Showcase (Live In Chicago, 1976-1977)
by Mike Jurkovic
It is an unchallenged law of nature that wherever or whoever anyone happens to be when they encounter Sun Ra, they are certain to be somewhere and someone else after the meeting. That holds especially true of Sun Ra at the Showcase: Live in Chicago. Captured during two barn-burning performances at the Windy City's venerable Showcase Club in '76 and '77, this limited 2-LP, 2 CD set--released by the equally venerable Zev Feldman's Jazz Detective label to celebrate ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: At The Showcase (Live In Chicago, 1976-1977)
by Glenn Astarita
Embark on a cosmic odyssey with Sun Ra and his Arkestra as they unveil At the Showcase Live in Chicago 1976-1977, a celestial offering dripping with mystique and intrigue. This transcendent collection not only unveils previously unreleased tracks but also grants access to the legendary Showcase Lounge, overseen by the venerable Joe Segal. Complemented by a captivating booklet featuring insights from Marshall Allen and reflections from jazz luminaries like David Murray and Matthew Shipp, this album becomes a veritable treasure ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: At The Showcase (Live In Chicago, 1976-1977)
by Troy Dostert
Describing the music of Sun Ra is always challenging--perhaps even more so when it is documented on a live recording. A case in point is this offering from the Jazz Detective label, a substantial slice of Ra taken from two concerts at Chicago's Jazz Showcase in the mid-'70s. It can be dense and opaque, even impenetrable at times. But it also swings mightily, with a generous big-band sound which should appeal to all but the most closed-minded jazz listeners. It ...
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