New Sun Ra CD releases

[jostber]

DustyGroove web site reports that the Art Yard vinyl releases of "Media Dreams", "Sleeping Beauty" and others are forthcoming on CD in expanded versions.

http://www.dustygroove.com/browse.php?form...n+Ra&alpha=

The Lost Reels Vol. 2 and 3 are also coming soon: "Intergalactic Research, Vol.2" and "The Shadows took Shape". Looks like really interesting releases like the first Lost Reel "Creator of the Universe".

Here is an excerpt from ReR Megacorp newsletter regarding some of these releases:

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STOP PRESS

SUN RA

Disco 3000 [£15] (double CD)Art Yard CD001

Reissue of one of the great Ra albums – a small ensemble with John Gilmore, Michael Ray (tpt), Luqman Ali (ds) and June Tyson. Ra himself plays piano and electronic keyboards, including the mysterious Crumar Mainman (undocumented by the company itself, which Ra describes as ‘like a piano, organ, clavichord, cello, violin and brass instruments.’) and allows pre-programmed basslines and electronic percussion, which Ra uses to great effect in this small grouping, here and on Media Dream, and seldom ever elsewhere. This makes these two records especially interesting. The LP version was an ear-opener when it came out (it was amongst the LPs we most frequently had pressed for us at the time by Ra – alongside Media Dream and The Sound Mirror). Most of the material is not from the familiar repertoire, which also makes it especially interesting for those of you who already have a lot of Arkestra recordings. This is different. This CD contains the entire concert from which Disco 3000 was taken, meaning more than an hour of previously unheard material, and the LP selections are here set in their original context (this review printed before it arrived here, I know only the LP; I’ll update as soon as I get the CD). Excellent new sleevenotes by Michael Ray (which I have seen), who describes Ra’s work method.

SUN RA INTERGALACTIC RESEARCH

The Lost Reel Collection - Volume Two [£11] Transparency 0302

Two live performances from separate tapes made in the classic period

for the band. Native Son from Berkeley, 1971, just before the

European tour later that year and Intergalactic Research, location

unknown, Circa 1972 - a fully developed piece never previously

released. 56 minutes.

SUN RA ­

The Shadows Took Shape - The Lost Reel Collection – Vol 3 (double CD) [£14]

Transparency 0303

Quote: “A concert in the early ‘70s. Original reel tape was labelled Spacemaster Concert. June Tyson recites The Shadows Took Shape, a Sun Ra poem not heard nor seen until now. Runs the gamut from symphonic jazz to full psychedelic freakout”.

<---

Edited June 15, 2007 by jostber

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what about this one!>!>!

Sun Ra Live at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 12/11/74/1968 Pacifica Radio Interview (2CD set)

Sun Ra

Around July 15, 2007

CD (Item 451485) 1968/1974 -- Condition: New Copy

so many new sun releases lately!!!

[jostber]

what about this one!>!>!

Sun Ra Live at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium 12/11/74/1968 Pacifica Radio Interview (2CD set)

Sun Ra

Around July 15, 2007

CD (Item 451485) 1968/1974 -- Condition: New Copy

so many new sun releases lately!!!

Here is from ReR's June newsletter:

"OTHER OFFERS

SUN RA Special

There is a lot of Sun Ra material in this update,

and I'm sure you want more than you can afford,

so for any order of any RA material (not only

what's here but anything in the catalogue) over

£60 we can give you a 12.5% discount, over £100 a

25% discount. Postage is free, except for the

books (so heavy, see website for post rate)."

[Late]

Did the track "Disco 3000" originally appear on compact disc on "The Singles" compilation that Evidence put out a few years ago? Or is this version on Art Yard different?

These two 1978 sessions (Disco 3000 and Media Dream) I'm guessing were made in close proximity to the Horo dates. The condensed band at that time — John Gilmore, Michael Ray, Sun Ra, and Luqman Ali — were playing some hot chit.

The "expanded" 2-CD reissue of both dates hold a lot of promise, and will be hard to pass up.

[Late]

The On Jupiter session is also seeing reissue on compact disc. I've actually heard that one, and it's a kickin' funky thing, with intermittent space-out moments. Definitely worth picking up for 70's Ra fans.

[sidewinder]

Did the track "Disco 3000" originally appear on compact disc on "The Singles" compilation that Evidence put out a few years ago? Or is this version on Art Yard different?

The track from the 'Singles' is an excerpt from the performance on the Art Yard. The music settles down a bit after that great spacey start.

I have the LP and like it - will be tempted by the CD if it includes more music.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

on the singles set, its a 3 min or so edit of the full length DISCO 3000 track. i think the single called it DISCO 4100 but you'd have to check that. the full length version is around 17 min if i recall

[jostber]

More info on the new release of Disco 3000:

http://www.spincds.com/product.asp?id=9011852

[Late]

Here's the text from jostber's link:

"January 1978 was a fruitful month for Sun Ra. As well as days spent in the recording studios in Rome, Ra, along with John Gilmore, Michael Ray and Luqman Ali, played several gigs in Italy before flying back to the US. The magic music from one night in the Teatro Cilak, on 23/01/1978 in Milan, is preserved on Disco 3000.

In the winter of 1977-8, philosopher, pianist and bandleader Sun Ra was to be found in Italy. He may have made two trips there, or made one extended stay: at this distance from these events it's difficult to be sure. (There's usually a mystery where Sun Ra is concerned.) Sun Ra's musical activity that winter is well attested: a CD from a piano concert in Venice in November 1977, two double albums cut in the studio for the Horo label in January 1978. The Italian tour also resulted in releases on Sun Ra's own Saturn label, although the records have long been out of print and all but impossible to find.

With the re-release of DISCO 3000 and MEDIA DREAMS, two of these elusive Saturn albums, and arguably among the most important documents of Sun Ra's long musical career, are now once more available. They represent a real pinnacle of creativity, even for this prolific period of the late 1970s, when his record output hit a peak: 1977-8 saw some twenty Sun Ra albums, plus two video documents.

DISCO 3000 and MEDIA DREAMS are pivotal: a unique chance to hear Sun Ra's music expounded in live performance by a quartet, rather than his full Arkestra. Sun Ra was joined in Italy by saxophonist John Gilmore, trumpeter Michael Ray and drummer Luqman Ali. Sun Ra himself played piano and electronic keyboards, including a Crumar Mainman. The sparse instrumentation is based on extraordinary and worthy contrasts. Luqman Ali played drums with Sun Ra around 1960, as Edward Skinner. This 1978 group represents his reappearance after an apparent absence of many years. The saxophone of John Gilmore, a soloist in Sun Ra aggregations since the early 1950s, is paired with the trumpet of relative newcomer Michael Ray. Ray's exposure as a soloist here is considerable - far greater than in his role in the Arkestra. The partnership of Gilmore and Ray, combined with the prominence and nature of Sun Ra's electronics, gives these albums their unique flavour. Sun Ra's keyboard work expands here to supply both bass lines (some pre-programmed) and electronic percussion. From this perspective it is interesting to compare this music to that on an earlier 'electronic' album of Sun Ra's, "My Brother The Wind" - Ra had developed a much wider group role for his electronics by this point."

=====

"... arguably among the most important documents of Sun Ra's long musical career ..."

That is arguable, but I'll probably be picking these up when they come out.

Just for fun, I counted my Sun Ra CD/CDR collection today, and it totalled at a clean 50. I guess the above additions will make 52!

[Guest donald petersen]

i would like to buy a crumar mainman. i wonder if you could find one used...

what happened to them? how come no one else used one?

seems like you could make basslines and drum beats and play some nice e-keys all at once.

[Guest donald petersen]

here is a quote from some random blog...

Apparently, one of the keyboards being used here is a model known as the Crumar Mainman, a synth of such rarity that enthusiasts quite literally ejaculate at the thought of being near one. Sticky excretions aside, this is top stuff, chilled and rather abstract yet still dance music through and through.

i guess i will never see a crumar mainman.

[Guest donald petersen]

though i am listening to disco 3000 right now and it is really good.

i wish the horos would also be released.

i think disco 300 is on par with other voices, other blues...a step above unity (which is a much different album) and a step and a half above new steps (which like other voices...also has the ra/ali/ray/gilmore configuration)

i say that not really being a fan of unity but it's obviously an important live document....and you get a real ra experience from it.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

this lost reel, its gonna be a new sun ra cd every month for the next two years....so awesome

[rostasi]

here is a quote from some random blog...

Apparently, one of the keyboards being used here is a model known as the Crumar Mainman, a synth of such rarity that enthusiasts quite literally ejaculate at the thought of being near one. Sticky excretions aside, this is top stuff, chilled and rather abstract yet still dance music through and through.

i guess i will never see a crumar mainman.

Two things about this...

First, you'll see that Crumar Mainman is sometimes listed as a human performer

on recordings and/or in reviews - funny thing actually.

Second, I think we may have a case of "Chinese Telephone" here.

Somewhere along the way - either Ra his bad-self or someone down the line

referred to this keyboard of his as a Crumar Mainman

when in actuality it's probably the Crumar Multiman.

This may explain the difficulty of finding such a thing.

[sidewinder]

The Sun Ra 'A Joyfull Noise' DVD has a nice snippett of film of Ra playing the Crumar Mainman - backwards - I believe.

[Chuck Nessa]

The Sun Ra 'A Joyfull Noise' DVD has a nice snippett of film of Ra playing the Crumar Mainman - backwards - I believe.

Please clarify. Is Sun Ra backwards, is the instrument backwards or does he invert all notes?

[Guest donald petersen]

rod-there was an earlier blindfold test on this board where the blindfolder used a track from "other voices, other blues" and did exactly this-crediting crumar mainman as a keyboardist.

[Chuck Nessa]

rod-there was an earlier blindfold test on this board where the blindfolder used a track from "other voices, other blues" and did exactly this-crediting crumar mainman as a keyboardist.

[rostasi]

The Sun Ra 'A Joyfull Noise' DVD has a nice snippett of film of Ra playing the Crumar Mainman - backwards - I believe.

Please clarify. Is Sun Ra backwards, is the instrument backwards or does he invert all notes?

Maybe he did a Zawinul trick with the reverse keyboard?

I'll have to go back to that DVD and take a look.

It actually says "Mainman" on the keyboard?

'cause Mario and Piero Crucianelli (sp?) started Elka with the "Multiman"

in '77 and came up with 13 more - none of which were called "Mainman" if I'm correct.

I could be totally wrong on this, but I'll take a look online to see if I can find a listing of some sort.

[rostasi]

rod-there was an earlier blindfold test on this board where the blindfolder used a track from "other voices, other blues" and did exactly this-crediting crumar mainman as a keyboardist.

Well, you know, it was an easy mistake. On the LP it does say "Sun Ra- Crumar Mainman p, kyb",

so, you know, whoever did it was just following the liners. Seen it before - I think on at least one of the Evidences?

edit: actually "he's" playing drums on The Singles - fer real!

Edited June 24, 2007 by rostasi

[sidewinder]

During one of the 'Joyfull Noise' DVD clips he's playing the keyboard with his back turned to it - amazing stuff.

Liner notes for 'Disco 3000' state that the Crumar Mainman has a primitive beat machine built into it - used quite a bit by Ra on this recording. Also something like only 10 ever built and it apparently never went into full production.

Edited June 24, 2007 by sidewinder

[Guest donald petersen]

i think he was programming basslines and drum beats into it!

it sounds awesome!

[jazzbo]

Hey, you can order Lost Reels Vol. 2 directly from Michael of Transparency, and get a bonus cd as well (an interview from 1988)

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUN-RA-Intergalactic-R...1QQcmdZViewItem

[jostber]

More on the Crumar Mainman here:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...e5-0e787516da27

http://www.answers.com/Crumar

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews...DI/brand/Crumar

Edited July 3, 2007 by jostber

[jazzbo]

Well, Disco 3000 two cd edition. . . it's out.