Sun Ra discography
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 1000 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, Ihnfinity Music, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-73 | 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 | 1961 |
| 1961 | Bad and Beautiful | Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1961/1962 | Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow | Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1962 | Secrets of the Sun | Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1962 | What's New? | Sun Ra | El Saturn | |
| 1962/1963 | When Sun Comes Out | Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1963 | Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy | Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1963 | When Angels Speak of Love | Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1964 | Other Planes of There | Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 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 | Continuation | Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1967/1969 | Atlantis | Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra | El Saturn | 1969 |
| 1961-70 | Out There a Minute | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Blast First | |
| 1969-70 | Space Probe (aka A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 1) | Sun Ra | El Saturn | |
| 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 | ||
| 1970 | My Brother the Wind | Sun Ra and his Astro-Solar Infinity Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 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 Solar Myth Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1971[7][8] | Solar Myth Approach Vols 1+2 | Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Arkestra | BYG Actuel | |
| 1972 | Astro Black | Sun Ra | Impulse! | |
| 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 | Outer Space Employment Agency | Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra | ||
| 1973 | Pathways to Unknown Worlds | Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra | Impulse! | |
| 1973 | Friendly Love | Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra | Evidence Music, Inc. | |
| 1976 | Cosmos | Sun Ra | Cobra | 1976-08 |
| 1977 | Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue | Sun Ra | El Saturn | |
| 1977 | Solo Piano Volume 1 | Sun Ra | Improvising Artists | |
| 1978 | New Steps | Sun Ra Quartet | Horo | |
| 1978 | Other Voices, Other Blues | Sun Ra Quartet | Horo | |
| 1978 | Visions | Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson | SteepleChase Records | |
| 1978 | Lanquidity | Sun Ra | Philly Jazz | 1978-07 |
| 1979 | Omniverse | Sun Ra | El Saturn[9] | |
| 1979 | On Jupiter | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1979 | Strange Celestial Road | Sun Ra Arkestra | Rounder Records | 1980 |
| 1979 | Sleeping Beauty | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | El Saturn | |
| 1979 | The Other Side of the Sun | Sun Ra and His Arkestra | Sweet Earth Records | |
| 1979 | God Is More than Love Can Ever Be | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Saturn 72579 | |
| 1980 | Aurora Borealis | Sun Ra | El Saturn 10480 | |
| 1982 | A Fireside Chat with Lucifer | Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra | Saturn Research B1984SG-9 | |
| 1982 | Celestial Love | Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra | El Saturn 19842 | |
| 1982 | Nuclear War | Sun Ra Arkestra | Y Records | 1982-09 |
| 1986-12-18/19 | Reflections in Blue | Sun Ra Arkestra | Black Saint | |
| 1986-12-18/19 | Hours After | Sun Ra Arkestra | Black Saint | |
| 1988 | Hidden Fire 1 | Sun Ra | Saturn 13188III / 12988II | |
| 1988 | Hidden Fire 2 | Sun Ra | Saturn 13088A / 12988B | |
| 1988-12/1989-11 | Somewhere Else | Sun Ra | Rounder | |
| 1988-12-05 | Blue Delight | Sun Ra | A&M Records | |
| 1989-11 | Purple Night | Sun Ra | A&M Records | |
| 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[17] | 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[18] | 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[19] | 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 | ESP-Disk | |
| 1966 | Nothing Is | Sun Ra | ESP-Disk |
| 1966-68 | Outer Spaceways Incorporated | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Black Lion Records |
| 1968 | Pictures of Infinity | 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 | |
| 1971 | Live in Egypt 1 | Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra | |
| 1971 | Horizon | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | |
| 1971 | The Paris Tapes - Live at Le Theatre Du Chatlet 1971 | Sun Ra and his Mythic Science Arkestra | |
| 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" | ||
| 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 | |
| 1974 | The Antique Blacks | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Saturn |
| 1974 | Sub Underground | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Saturn 92074 |
| 1976 | Live at Montreux | Sun Ra & his Arkestra | Inner City Records |
| 1976 | A Quiet Place in the Universe | 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 | Leo | |
| 1977 | Unity | Horo | |
| 1978 | Springtime in Chicago | Leo | |
| 1978 | Disco 3000 | Sun Ra Quartet | El Saturn |
| 1978 | Media Dreams | Sun Ra Quartet | El Saturn |
| 1978 | The Sound Mirror | El Saturn | |
| 1979 | Of Mythic Worlds | Sun Ra | Philly Jazz[20] |
| 1979 | I, Pharaoh | Sun Ra and his Arkestra | [21] |
| 1979[22] | 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 | Limited issue of 500 copies, 28CD 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 | Sun Ra Meets Salah Ragab (Recorded in Egypt) | Leo | |
| 1983 | Love in Outer Space | 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 | Leo | |
| 1985 | Live at Club Lingerie | Transparency | |
| 1985 | Live at Myron's Ballroom | 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[23] | 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 | Leo | |
| 1990 | Live in London 1990 | Sun Ra and His Year 2000 Myth Science Arkestra | Blast First |
| 1990 | Live at the Hackney Empire | Leo | |
| 1990 | Pleiades[24] | 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) | Transparency | |
| 2007 | Intergalactic Research (Lost Reel: Volume 2) | Transparency | |
| 2007 | The Shadows Took Shape (Lost Reel: Volume 3) | Transparency | |
| 2007 | Dance of the Living Image (Lost Reel: Volume 4) | Transparency | |
| 2009 | Interplanetary Melodies | Norton | |
| 2009 | The Second Stop Is Jupiter | Norton | |
| 2009 | Rocket Ship Rock | Norton | |
| 2014 | In the Orbit of Ra[25] | 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 | Singles | 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[26] |
| 1988 | Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films | Sun Ra & His Arkestra perform "Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo | |
| 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
- Sun Ra discography at Allmusic
- Campbell, Robert L., & Trent, Christopher. The Earthly Recordings of Run Ra (2nd edition). Redwood, NY: Cadence Jazz Books, 2000. ISBN 978-1-881993-35-3
- Szwed, John F. Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra New York: Pantheon, 1997. ISBN 978-0-679-43589-1; p. xvii
- Planer, Lindsay. Jazz In Silhouette review from Allmusic.com; URL accessed February 15, 2007
- Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. "Sun Ra". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th. ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 1245. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
- Jazz, All About. "Sun Ra: The Night Of The Purple Moon". All About Jazz.
- Allmusic review Volume 1
- Allmusic review Volume 2
- "Sun Ra* - Omniverse". Discogs.
- discogs Sun Ra Continuation, 2013 entry at discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Roaratorio Sign Of The Myth review at Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Roaratorio Other Strange Worlds review at Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Pearce, Sheldon (April 13, 2017). "Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Thunder of the Gods". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- forced exposure sun embassy review at forced exposure. Retrieved July 08, 2018.
- Roaratorio The Intergalactic Thing review at Roaratorio. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Allmusic Sun Ra Dance of the Living Image review at allmusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- Allmusic Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals & Crystal Spears review at allmusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- discogs Discogs Sun-Ra-Heliocentric-Worlds-Vol-3-The-Lost-Taps entry at discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Allmusic Sun Ra Dance of the Living Image review at allmusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- "Sun Ra* - Of Mythic Worlds". Discogs.
- "Sun Ra Discography: Items 76-127". 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- Allmusic Live from Soundscape review
- Allmusic Live at Pitt-In, Tokyo review
- Campbell, Robert Sun Ra discography by Robert Campbell at Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Westergaard, Sean In the Orbit of Ra at AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- "LeRoi Jones / Le Sun Ra* - A Black Mass". Discogs.
External links
- Sun Ra discography at Allmusic
- Sun Ra complete discography
- Sun Ra discography by Robert Campbell at the Wayback Machine (archived July 20, 2011)
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