Sun Ra Arkesttra - Swirling - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The monumental sessions from the Saturn legend with The Solar-Myth Approach Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, now brought together in one deluxe 2-CD set. Restored & remastered from the original tapes by Nick Robbins, this edition comes in a 6-panel deluxe digi-sleeve that echoes the vibe of both original LPs. It includes two printed inner CD wallets replicating the original LPs' front and back cover artwork, along with a 16-page booklet featuring archival musician photos and a new, insightful essay by author and jazz specialist Kevin Le GendreA Cosmic Journey Through Sun Ra's Creative UniverseThis double-CD edition celebrates the unparalleled creative energy of Sun Ra-the visionary who forged his own genre. Elevating his renowned band, The Arkestra, to the status of The Solar Myth Arkestra, the pioneering bandleader, composer, and keyboardist produced a vast body of work that could fill a universe. These sessions, spread across both discs, rank among his finest releases of the 1970s.Featuring legendary Arkestra members-including saxophonists John Gilmore, Danny Davis, and Marshall Allen; drummers Clifford Jarvis, Lex Humphries, and Nimrod Hunt; and the charismatic vocalist June Tyson-The Solar Myth Approach Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 compile an eclectic mix of tracks from various undocumented sessions in New York and Philadelphia during the 1960s. Some pieces may even date back to the late 1950s, when Ra and his Arkestra were based in Chicago.These invigorating albums showcase Sun Ra expanding Duke Ellington's big band aesthetic into uncharted territory. They reflect his deep fascination with non-Western cultures, cutting-edge electronics, and homemade instruments. Often evoking ancient ceremonies and rituals, the music reinvents the traditional theme-and-improvisation model while underscoring Sun Ra's enduring Afro-centric vision.InchThis remastered version provides the finer points of Sun Ra'

Celestial Love contains recordings made in September 1982 at New York's Variety Studios, which had hosted countless Sun Ra sessions since the late 1960s. This was one of the last extended sessions at Variety, and these recordings were the last studio works released on Sun Ra's own Saturn tag (though the tag did continue to press concert recordings, and new studio recordings did appear on other labels). Aside from their inclusion on Celestial Love, tracks from these sessions landed on the albums A Fireside Chat With Lucifer and Nuclear War. Since Nuclear War's contents overlapped with both Fireside Chat and Celestial Love, we have reconstituted the latter two as complete albums, thus covering all titles from these Variety dates. The music on Celestial Love is mostly InchinsideInch Ra, veering towards mainstream jazz (the lengthy and adventurous InchFireside Chat,Inch not on this album, being an exception). Ra's early hero, Duke Ellington, is represented twice with InchSophisticated LadyInch and InchDrop Me Off in Harlem,Inch and two other standards (InchSmileInch and InchSometimes I'm Happy,Inch both sung by June Tyson) are given snappy Ra arrangements. Album Tracks 1. Celestial Love 2. Sometimes I'm Happy 3. Interstellarism (Interstellar Low Ways) 4. Blue Intensity 5. Sophisticated Lady 6. Nameless One No. 2 7. Smile 8. Drop Me Off in Harlem 9. Nameless One No. 3

Enshrined in the Penguin Jazz Guide's InchCore CollectionInch, this quintessential platter of Sun Ra's late 1950s Chicago ensemble showcases the brilliant tenor sax stylings of John Gilmore, and introduces Arkestra mainstays Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, and Ronnie Boykins. Recorded and issued in 1959, it marks a coda for the bandleader's bebop/hard-bop stage, as his interstellar traveler persona began to transform the band (and the music). Many of the early works on these recordings would remain staples in Arkestra set lists for the rest of Sun Ra's life. Includes the complete, contemporaneous Sound Sun Pleasure LP, rare stereo mixes, and bonus tracks. Album Tracks 1. Hours After 2. Horoscope 3. Images (In a Mirror) 4. Blues at Midnight 5. Enlightment 6. Saturn 7. Velvet 8. Ancient Aiethopia 9. State Street (Alternate, Unreleased) 10. Blues from Saturn (Unreleased) 11. Hours After (Single Version) 12. Great Balls of Fire (Single) 1. Round Midnight 2. You Never Told Me That You Care 3. Hour of Parting 4. Back in Your Own Backyard 5. I Could Have Danced All Night 6. Enlightment 7. Hours After 8. Velvet 9. Ancient Aiethopia 10. Horoscope (Incomplete, Unreleased)