Rare Sun Ra in Small Band Format
gidouille | 04/01/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had the Saturn vinyl release of this back in the day, then I met an avid Sun Ra fan with a whole crate of his records, but not this one. I liked it a great deal, but it obviously meant more to him so I traded it for Guigou Chenevier's Arthur et les Robots, also quite rare at the time. Of course Arthur was reissued not long afterward, whereas it took more than a decade for this one to reappear.
It's been worth the wait though, as this presents Sun Ra in unique form with the tenor sax and drumming of longtime cohort John Gilmore, Luqman Ali on drums, Michael Ray trumpet and on one track, June Tyson's vocals. Sun Ra appears on various keyboards including the Crumar Mainman, which enabled him to add rhythm box beats and bass lines in real time. Disco 3000 on record was four pieces if I recall correctly. This release places those pieces in the context of eight others recorded at the same concert in Milan January '78, from which they were originally excised.
I first saw the Sun Ra Arkestra not too long after this and the concerts were always magical, but this one is really something special. Two hours plus of prime Sun Ra, 24 bit re-mastered from the original tapes, with just about the best sonics of all the Sun Ra recordings I've heard. Allegedly, this issue, which appeared only last year, is already out of print. The same UK label, Art Yard, has just re-issued another rare one entitled Media Dreams, recorded in Italy around the same time. If you're any kind of fan, especially of his more radical bent, don't miss Disco 3000.
"
The Gold Standard in a Remarkable Career
Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 08/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In a remarkable recording career, this 2-CD reissue of the complete concert from Milan, Italy, on January, 23, 1978, is simply the gold standard.
The original album included three tracks, which is bolstered by nine additional numbers from the performance. And while the small ensemble - John Gilmore (tenor sax), Luqman Ali (drums), Michael Ray (trumpet) and June Tyson (vocals) - deliver an oftentimes subtle brilliance, it is the experimental genius of Sun Ra that makes this a soundscape classic.
Utilizing a Crumar Mainman synthesizer - the first keyboard to use pre-programmed beats - Sun Ra paints a breathtaking picture on the title track. Dance of the Cosmo Aliens and The Third Planet/Friendly Galaxy are sweeping in expression, with Sun of the Cosmos finding Sun Ra and Ali engaged in intriguing interplay.
This is an absolute must for a fan of Sun Ra or free jazz/avant-garde music and a fabulous place to start for someone seeking an excellent release to begin the trek down the cutting-edge trail paved by a true genius.
"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1