There’s always so much Sun Ra music to experience. But even among all the riches, Dead Currencies’ Ra comp Kingdom of Discipline is a special piece: released in an edition of 75, it speaks to Ra as an independent media pioneer as much as a jazz composer.
Category: Sun Ra Arkestra
Sun Ra :: Lights On A Satellite: Live At The Left Bank
In late July of 1978, the Sun Ra Arkestra rolled into Baltimore’s Famous Ballroom in a concert put on by Left Bank Jazz Society. A long running institution, the Left Bank normally hired acoustic bop musicians like Sonny Stitt, Freddie Hubbard, and Joe Henderson. So bringing on Sun Ra was something of a risky move: not only was he electric, he was a bit of an outside musician too. Would the bluebloods of Baltimore enjoy it?
Knoel Scott (feat Marshall Allen) :: Celestial
Celestial finds the Sun Ra Arkestra’s Knoel Scott and Marshall Allen joined by Arkestra alum Chris Henderson on drums, and Scott collaborators Mikele Montolli and Charlie Stacey on bass and piano, respectively. Recorded live in a sweltering heatwave in the Netherlands in the summer of 2022, in just two days, the results are magical.
Sun Ra Arkestra :: Swirling
“Music is not material. Music is spiritual.” Swirling, the first studio effort from the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1999, is about more than just music. It’s part of a vast cosmic legacy of Sun Ra. Guest reviewer Brad Farberman joins us for a listen.