Sun Ra, the extraordinary, outlandish, and sometimes controversial pianist, is often described as an "acquired taste", with a massive and diverse catalog. This release is a good place to start for uninitiated or dismissive listeners. The album showcases Ra's grounding in the jazz tradition, with unique takes on standards like "Time After Time," "Easy to Love," and "But Not for Me". Not unordinary for Sun Ra, the recording process was informal; "Can This Be Love?" was recorded in his Chicago apartment in 1955; he is accompanied only by the great Wilbur Ware on bass. The other five tracks, which feature, among others, Ra's longtime associate John Gilmore on tenor saxophone, were recorded at the Choreographer's Workshop rehearsal space in 1962 and 1963. The album was mastered for vinyl by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering, and pressed on metallic gold color vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany.
Sun Ra's second album was a Delmark release recorded in 1957, although it was originally intended for the Transition label, which did not survive long enough to release it. Personnel: Sun Ra, piano, electric piano; Art Hoyle & Dave Young, trumpets; John Gilmore, tenor sax; Pat Patrick, alto & baritone sax; Jim Herndon, tympani, timbali; Julian Priester, trombone; Charles Davis, baritone sax; Victor Sproles, bass; William Cochran, drums; Clyde Williams, vocals. (Previously deleted:4/1/02. Original release date:1/3/98)
Digitally remastered. This special 60th-anniversary reissue of groundbreaking jazz artist Sun Ra's iconic 1962 album, The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra, features all analog remastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The package includes Tom Wilson's original liner notes, plus insightful new essays by jazz historian Ben Young and the journalist, radio personality and author Irwin Chusid
Life Enigma, originally released in 2001, stands as a testament to the genius of the French violinist, Jean-Luc Ponty. This groundbreaking album seamlessly blends jazz, fusion, and world music, showcasing Ponty's virtuosity and innovative spirit. Seven years after his previous studio album No Absolute Time, Life Enigma showed that Ponty was "up to the task of carrying the spirit of fusion into the new millennium instead of just mining the same old spent lodes" (All About Jazz). - The compositions on Life Enigma transcend genres, creating an immersive sonic experience that has captivated audiences worldwide. "This was a very special project because of the work I did with sound colors and atmospheres in addition to the spontaneity of our improvised solos", says Ponty about the album. - Besides his amazing band he also plays a great number of instruments himself experimenting with a multi-layered electronic approach that includes synthesizers and an electronic MIDI violin.
Recorded in Oslo in September 1970, Afric Pepperbird was released on New Year's Day in 1971. Half a century later, it still conveys the freshness and excitement of discoveries being made. The album signaled the arrival of four Norwegian improvisers - Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen - at the fledgling ECM label. It was the start of a lifelong association with each of the musicians, whose influence was soon to reach far beyond the borders of their homeland.
