Strut Records & Art Yard Team With The Sun Ra Arkestra To Celebrate 100 Years of Mr. Mystery With The Forthcoming 'In The Orbit Of Ra' LP Due Out 09/23.
Strut Records and Art Yard have teamed with the Sun Ra Arkestra to celebrate Sun Ra's 100th birthday with the announcement of a release date for the forthcoming In The Orbit Of Ra LP, arriving September 23rd. In The Orbit Of Ra is a 25 year retrospective created to provide an introduction to the essential sound of Sun Ra, who remains a musical force of mysterious origins:
With a catalogue of well over a hundred albums, Sun Ra forged his own direction in music from the mid ‘50s until his passing in 1993, injecting space age cosmic philosophy, ancient Egyptian history and lyrical poetry into a unique and freeform jazz sound. His music evolved constantly with relentless rehearsals, live gigging and recording schedules, developing a second-sense chemistry with his fellow Arkestra band members. Together, their emphasis would often be on improvisation and “the moment”, constantly re-interpreting and evolving their sound. Elements of magic and ritual would regularly feature in their performances and would lend the Arkestra a mystical aura. As Sun Ra himself said, “I have many names; some call me Mr. Ra, others call me Mr. Re. You can call me Mr. Mystery.”
The project is sourced and mastered from Sun Ra's original tapes and curated by Marshall Allen. The 20-track release features contributions from Arkestra veterans Michael Ray, Knoel Scott and Danny Ray Thompson. The project also includes a previously unreleased live acoustic recording of "Trying To Put The Blame On Me" from a 1977 show in Rome along with a 1962 recording of "Reflects Motion" and an extended cut of "Island In The Sun" from the late 60s. The project will be available to fans via double-vinyl, CD and digital download. Physical releases will also include a full interview with Marshall Allen and previously unpublished photos by Val Wilmer. Check the clip below to listen to the remastered version of "Plutonian Nights." Scroll down to take a look at the tracklisting. Get more on In The Orbit Of Ra via strut-records.com. Grab a copy of the project on September 23rd.
'In The Orbit Of Ra' Tracklisting:
CD 1
1. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – SOMEWHERE IN SPACE
2. SUN RA & HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – THE LADY WITH THE GOLDEN STOCKINGS
3. SUN RA AND HIS AFRO INFINITY ARKESTRA – SOMEBODY ELSE’S WORLD
4. SUN RA – SPONTANEOUS SIMPLICITY
5. SUN RA & HIS SOLAR-MYTH ARKESTRA – PLUTONIAN NIGHTS
6. THE SUN RA ARKESTRA – ANGELS AND DEMONS AT PLAY
7. SUN RA – ISLAND IN THE SUN (Extended version – previously unreleased)
8. SUN RA – ROCKET NUMBER NINE TAKE OFF FOR PLANET VENUS
9. SUN RA – SOLAR DIFFERENTIALS
CD 2
1. SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – ASTRO BLACK
2. SUN RA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC INFINITY ARKESTRA – HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATEST NEWS FROM NEPTUNE
3. SUN RA – DANCE OF THE COSMO ALIENS (Live In Milan, 1978)
4. SUN RA – TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON ME (Live In Rome, 1977 - previously unreleased)
5. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – PLANET EARTH
6. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – THE NILE
7. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part 1 – previously unreleased)
8. SUN RA AND HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA – REFLECTS MOTION (Part 2)
9. SUN RA – ANCIENT AIETHIOPIA
10. SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA – INTERPLANETARY MUSIC
11. SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA – WE TRAVEL THE SPACEWAYS
