Sun Ra - Disco 3000

[Chalupa]

FYI....

SUN RA DISCO 3000 COMPLETE CONCERT RELEASE, ARTYARD CD001

Now Available To Order Direct, at £14 EACH

TWO CD SET, 24BITMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES, WITH LINER NOTES FROM

MICHAEL RAY.

DISC ONE

1. Disco 3000

2. Sun of The Cosmos

3. Echos of The World

4. Geminiology

5. Sky Blues

6. Friendly Galaxy

Running Time 67.07

DISC TWO

1. Third Planet incl, Friendly Galaxy

2. Dance of The Cosmo Aliens

3. Spontaneous Simplicity

4. Images incl, Over The Rainbow

5. When There is no Sun

6. We Travel The Spaceways

Running Time 62.38

Recorded at The Teatro Cilak, 23/01/1978, Milan Italy.

Sun Ra { piano, organ, moog synth, rhythm machine, vocals }

John Gilmore { tenor sax, drums, vocals }

Luqman Ali { drums, vocals }

Michael Ray { trumpet, vocals }

June Tyson { vocals }

Enterplanetary Koncepts BMI

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.†

January 1978 was a fruitful month for Sun Ra. As well as days spent in the

recording studios in Rome, Ra, played several gigs in Italy before flyimg

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.†

Chris Trent

[Chalupa]

[AndrewHill]

Is that the original cover art? Looks cool.

[Chalupa]

So did anyone pick this up yet? I can't find it in my local brick and mortar stores. The only place online(U.S.) that has it is Dusty Groove $22.99 + S/H - a little pricey but that's the cheapest I've found.

[jazzbo]

I got this in from da bastids yesteday and listened to the first disc. It's nice. This is not my favorite period of Ra, but it's a good show and the sound is nice.

[clifford_thornton]

Sure it's not "frumpy mama?"

Nice to see you back.

Manny's gonna by YOU lunch, I guess...

[sidewinder]

Anyone have any thoughts on the extra material that was not on the Art Yard LP? I'm pondering over getting the CDs for this additional stuff. Some of my favourite Ra on the LP.

Wasn't the original cover art a sketch of Ra playing what looked like a roller-coaster keyboard?

Edited September 28, 2007 by sidewinder

[jostber]

So did anyone pick this up yet? I can't find it in my local brick and mortar stores. The only place online(U.S.) that has it is Dusty Groove $22.99 + S/H - a little pricey but that's the cheapest I've found.

Honest Jon's got it too in Europe:

http://www.honestjons.com/shop.php?pid=31551

[clifford_thornton]

frumpy? no but i hate how they act like i am an idiot or crazy if i ask them about a real item containing music they are not aware of. every time a dutton vocalion batch came out they looked at me like i was colic and delusional until a month later they stocked said item and wanted me to buy it from them after telling me it didn't exist.

Yeah, the dude was trying to spin some yarn about how BYG and America were the same label when I was in there once... obviously they should just stick to Tzadik.

[Chalupa]

So did anyone pick this up yet? I can't find it in my local brick and mortar stores. The only place online(U.S.) that has it is Dusty Groove $22.99 + S/H - a little pricey but that's the cheapest I've found.

Honest Jon's got it too in Europe:

http://www.honestjons.com/shop.php?pid=31551

Yeah unfortunately w/ shipping to the U.S. it's £14.28 which is $29 give or take a penny. That's $3 more than Dusty Da Bastids

Edited September 28, 2007 by J.H. Deeley

[Hoppy T. Frog]

frumpy? no but i hate how they act like i am an idiot or crazy if i ask them about a real item containing music they are not aware of. every time a dutton vocalion batch came out they looked at me like i was colic and delusional until a month later they stocked said item and wanted me to buy it from them after telling me it didn't exist.

Yeah, the dude was trying to spin some yarn about how BYG and America were the same label when I was in there once... obviously they should just stick to Tzadik.

Or selling bootleg CDRs as "new" "imports" from the "EEC" for $15 a pop.

[Tony Pusey]

Sidewinder, my vinyl copy of Disco, bought at Honest Jons in 1980/81, had the cover you described, as did several other Ra albums of the same vintage!

Edited September 30, 2007 by Tony Pusey

[sidewinder]

Sidewinder, my vinyl copy of Disco, bought at Honest Jons in 1980/81, had the cover you described, as did several other Ra albums of the same vintage!

Very nice - Tony, was that the Honest Jons at Camden Town or Portobello? In 1981/82 I lived just down the road from that Camden store in a student residence and it was packed to the rafters downstairs (almost like a Blue Note grotto I recall, with great stuff - no originals but lots of brown cover twofers/blue label imports which I snapped up). Unfortunately I wasn't into Sun Ra/avante garde jazz or then and the King Blue Notes were too pricey at £8-10 a pop. I remember seeing the Sun Ra Saturns in the racks but they were a big blank to me at the time. Damn !

Sadly, the Camden store closed many years ago. It switched ownership with a bit of the downstairs jazz lingering on until about 5 years ago when they closed down to make way for yet another bimbo fashion/accessories joint. I checked out what was left of the 'sale' a few days before it was closed - sad to see.

The Portabello store (relocated) is still there and the people are very helpful. Their mail order is good too so I think I will order the CD 'Disco 3000' from them.

Edited September 30, 2007 by sidewinder

[Tony Pusey]

Sidewinder. that was Honest Jons, Shaftesbury Avenue or thereabouts- about opposite to where Rays later opened, though I also was known to infest the Camden Town branch! This is before Covent Garden began to move uppmarket.

[sidewinder]

Sidewinder. that was Honest Jons, Shaftesbury Avenue or thereabouts-

How could I forget it - used to walk past it almost daily on a commute into the West End from Charing Cross but don't think I ever bought much there and I was usually in a rush with no time walking past ! I've got the feeling it was on St Martin's Lane just South of Cambridge Circus and yes, it wasn't far from Ray's old place (late lamented) on Shaftesbury Ave. Rays back then was still called 'Colletts' I think.

What an amazing selection of jazz vinyl places there was in London in those days. Rays/Colletts, Mole, Honest Jon's (3 branches), Dobells, All Change, Chris Wellard just for starters. Not even taking into account HMV and Virgin.

Edited October 1, 2007 by sidewinder

[Tony Pusey]

Sidewinder, I used to work above the Oasis swimming pool on the corner.in the employment of Camden Council. In the early 70s I could watch all the little hippie chickadees who were performing the musical Hair at the Shaftesbury theatre sunbathing nude on the roof! a bit later I was on the doorstep of the Roxy when, ahum, punk first emerged form the deep! And the louche Soho was a mere stones throw away. At that time tho, I was more interested in the stall Rock On in Soho market, and later of course Camden Town..... Yes, Rays was still Colletts back them. memories, memories...

[sidewinder]

In the early 70s I could watch all the little hippie chickadees who were performing the musical Hair at the Shaftesbury theatre sunbathing nude on the roof!

Jeez, some people have all the luck.

And that would have been around the time the Roundhouse was in full swing with its 'happenings'.

By the time I got there punk was in full flow and the Roundhouse was just hanging in there.

Soho of course has cleaned up loads since my day. Couldn't walk through there without being propositioned every day back then (surely they could gave seen I was a broke student ). "Ronnies" sure aint the same though (£1 admission for students or members during the week).

Edited October 1, 2007 by sidewinder

[randyhersom]

Tribute has been paid to da bastids. Awaiting teleportation.

[Chalupa]

Got mine yesterday. I've just had time to listen to disc 1. They did a really nice CD transfer. The performances are great too. Man, this has been a great year for Sun Ra re-issues!

[randyhersom]

I had studiously avoided this when the LP came out because of the title. Wow. My preconceptions were way off. I've always been a huge fan of Michael Ray, and the title track is the best thing I've ever heard from him with Ra. I do have two of the HORO 2 LP sets. Very enjoyable.