Name: Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra - In Orbit of Ra
Brand: Sun Ra

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

STRUT109LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-01-27

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

730003310911

Total Cap

2 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Sun Ra

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

Strut

Strut is a British independent label founded by Quinton Scott. From 1999 to 2003, Strut was at the forefront of unearthing forgotten dance music gems, covering a wide range of genres from hard funk and underground disco to Nigerian Afrobeat and old skool hip hop. Their releases not only featured killer dancefloor tracks but also provided a comprehensive context for the music, delving into the stories behind the tunes, the clubs, and the scene of that time. With meticulous attention to detail, Strut's albums were mastered from original tapes whenever possible and included extensive sleeve notes written by respected journalists, rare photographs, and memorabilia.

In January 2008, Strut was reactivated and became part of the *K7 label group. Since then, their releases have been primarily based in Europe unless there is an exclusive retailer in another territory.

Sun Ra, born Herman Blount in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914, was an American Free-Jazz composer, pianist and band leader. He was a pioneer of free improvisation and modal jazz, as well as an early user of electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Sun Ra's music innovations and visionary experiences set him apart as a true musical innovator. He formed the Sun Ra Arkestra in the 1950s and continued to compose and perform until his death in 1993.Born and raised in Alabama, Sun Ra showed exceptional talent as a pianist from a young age. By the age of 11, he could sight-read and compose music. As a teenager, he performed with local jazz and R&amp;B bands before taking on his first full-time musical job leading the Sonny Blount Orchestra. In the mid-1930s, Sun Ra had a transformative experience during deep meditation where he claimed to have been transported to Saturn by beings from outer space who tasked him with spreading peace through music.

Strut and Art Yard join forces for a special release to mark what would have been Sun Ra's 100th birthday with In The Orbit Of Ra, a new collection curated by the longest serving member of the Arkestra and current bandleader, Marshall Allen. Bringing together Ra highlights from over 25 years of music, the album is the first internationally released compilation to provide an introduction to the music of Sun Ra, curated personally by the Arkestra and mastered from the original tapes. 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. For this exclusive new collection, Strut join forces with Art Yard to gain access to the inner sanctum of the Arkestra. In addition to the track selection, the release features recollections and contributions from some of the core Arkestra line‐up including Marshall Allen, Michael Ray, Knoel Scott and Danny Ray Thompson. For the music, Allen's selection takes us through the huge variety and intricacy of the Arkestra's work covering the '60s to early '80s, from the celestial blues of 'Spontaneous Simplicity' and 'Plutonian Nights' to the urgent jazz of 'Rocket Number Nine Take Off For Planet Venus' and 'Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens'. The album features an exclusive previously unreleased Sun Ra track from the Art Yard archives, the acoustic 'Trying To Put The Blame On Me' recorded live in Rome in 1977, along with a previously unreleased Part 1 of 'Reflects Motion' from 1962 and an unheard extended version of 'Island In The Sun' from the late '60s.&nbsp;

Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra - In Orbit of Ra

Music GB