SUN RA Sleeping Beauty (Art Yard) cd 17.98

MPEG Stream: "Springtime Again"
MPEG Stream: "Door of the Cosmos"
MPEG Stream: "Sleeping Beauty"

SUN RA Solar Myth Approach vol. 1 & 2 (Charly / BYG / Actuel) 2cd 23.00
BACK IN STOCK! We thought these Charly BYG/Actuel reissue cds were gone forever, but lo! here they are again. Dunno what's up, but get 'em while you can. So here's another legendary item in the welcome BYG/Actuel reissue program, the one and only Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Orchestra (including, of course, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, June Tyson, and many others) play Ra's unique moog-flavored outer space big band jazz, truly out, truly psychedelic. 14 tracks, all Sun Ra compositions.

SUN RA Solar-Myth Approach (vol 1) (Actuel) lp 15.98
Reissue of two excellent lps, both recorded between 1970 & 1971 in New York and released in 1971 on BYG/Actuel of France. The one and only Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Orchestra (including, of course, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, June Tyson, and many others) play Ra's unique moog-flavored outer space big band jazz, truly out, truly psychedelic. Seven tracks each, all Sun Ra compositions.

SUN RA Solar-Myth Approach Vol 2 (Actuel) lp 14.98

SUN RA Some Blues But Not The Kind Thats Blue (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 15.98
Definitely not that kind of blues. Or blues at all. Sun Ra, even when playing "inside", tends to go way out. Here's another in the ongoing series of reissue releases on Atavistic of obscure Sun Ra sides from back in the day, in this case an Saturn LP circa 1977 that sees Sun Ra and a relaxed, slightly reduced crew (not quite the full-on Arkestra, but still featuring such notable Sun Ra stalwarts as saxophonists John Gilmore and Marshall Allen) doing a set of mostly jazz standards like "My Favorite Things" and "Nature Boy" in Sun Ra's own inimitable fashion, just a bit freer than they ever were before (well, Coltrane's various takes on "My Favorite Things" could compete). Don't look to this disc for a ton of crazy cosmic synth-splosions from Ra (like those found on the recent reish of Media Dreams), he pretty much sticks to a more "straight" sort of piano playin', but boy is this beautiful, as soulful as it is eccentric.
This nicely presented, slipcased reissue includes three bonus tracks, one from the album sessions and two more unreleased cuts from a 1973 Sun Ra organ trio recording date.
MPEG Stream: "Some Blues But Not The Kind Thats Blue"
MPEG Stream: "My Favorite Things"

SUN RA Space Is The Place (Impulse) cd 16.98
Classic 1972 cosmic jazz album, finally reissued on cd (not the same as the movie soundtrack with the identical title). Essential.

SUN RA Space Is The Place (Plexifilm) dvd 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The completely awesome fictional (or is it?) Sun Ra movie now available in a swank DVD edition courtesy of the fine folks at Plexifilm. If you've seen this already you know it's the best low budget science fiction afro-jazz freak film ever made, and you'll want this new version with bonus stuffs. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Sun Ra was a genius and also had a sense of humor, this film proves. Made here in the Bay Area by some public television guys and shot on the same sound stage (at the same time!) as the Mitchell Bros. famed porno opus Behind The Green Door (!) this is simply out of this world: the music (lots of live performances), the story, the visuals. Sun Ra wrote all his own lines, by the way. This dvd 'director's cut' restores the film to its original 82 minute length, and includes some truly special features, among them a video interview with the director and producer, and and some silent bonus footage of Ra and the Arkestra cavorting at the Pyramids in Egypt!
And for more Sun Ra dvd action, see the review elsewhere this list for The Cry Of Jazz, a 1959 film featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra.

SUN RA Space Is The Place (Sutro Park) 2lp 17.98
Not to be confused with the studio album of the same name, this is a fine deluxe vinyl reissue of the soundtrack to the 1972 freaky cosmic Afro-jazz film, Space Is The Place, the completely awesome fictional (or is it?) Sun Ra movie. If you've seen this already you know it's the best low budget science fiction afro-jazz freak film ever made. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Sun Ra was a genius and also had a sense of humor, this film proves as he wrote all his own lines. Made here in the Bay Area by some public television guys and shot on the same sound stage (at the same time!) as the Mitchell Bros. famed porno opus Behind The Green Door (!) this is simply out of this world: the music (lots of live performances), the story, the visuals.
But it's the music we want to talk about here. If anyone needs a good introduction into the overall sound and philosophy of this visionary genius at his peak, this is perhaps the best place to start. The compositions are adventurous and grooving. Lots of chants and vocal call and responses by the one and only June Tyson, plus some stellar synth and organ excursions by the man himself. This is the record where you get all sides, uncompromising free jazz work-outs, and aggressive blasts of sound, but also cosmic dreaminess, contemplative blues and left-field funk, cinematically tied together in sound and vision. Brought to us, by the same folks who gave us the Sandy Bull and Peter Walker vinyl reissues as well as the awesome recent blues compilation, Wolf's At The Door. So fucking good!

SUN RA Space Probe: A Tonal View Of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 1 (Art Yard) cd 21.00
There's certainly no shortage of Sun Ra reissues, the idiosyncratic bandleader recorded a LOT of stuff over his long career, and while we try to review as many of 'em as we can, we can't review 'em all... and don't really need to, as you can't go too wrong with any of 'em, if you appreciate Ra's spacey Afrocentric jazz in general, especially the way his music is often both outside and inside at the same time. But when a Ra reissue comes along that starts off with an otherworldly 18 minute Mini-Moog solo from the man himself, then that's one that we know we've GOT to list. "Space Probe" is the track in question, an apt title indeed, recorded circa 1969, right about when Sun Ra received a prototype model from Robert Moog, for testing purposes. Test it he did!! So this is a historic recording, and we can't help but quote what it says here about how "Moog always claimed afterwards that he never understood exactly where some of those sounds came from - suspecting he [Sun Ra] might have modified the instrument in some way."
Elsewhere on this disc, regular Sun Ra sidemen Marshall Allen (flute) and John Gilmore (bass clarinet) appear, along with James Jacson (log drum), Nimrod Hunt (hand drum) and Thea Barbara (wordless, operatic vocals), with material from sessions dating to the early '60s; a small, spare ensemble playing "jazz" that has to go in quotes. "Sun Ra music" is more like it. And it's intergalactic, atmospheric, avant garde groove (and anti-groove) unlike much else in this universe. Some of the tracks appeared on the 1974 Saturn label vinyl release, Space Probe, others are previously unissued takes.
Worth it for "Space Probe" alone, which combines '50s sci-fi film sound effects with proto-techno pulsations, so very different from the relaxed wooden rhythms and flute flutter of the 13+ minute "The Conversation Of J.P.", another of this disc's highlights.
Nicely done Art Yard reissue as always, in a slim trifold digipack with liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Space Probe"
MPEG Stream: "Recollections Of There"
MPEG Stream: "The Conversation Of J.P."

SUN RA Spaceship Lullaby (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 14.98
Remember the doo-wop tracks on that Sun Ra singles double cd? This is that sort of stuff. Otherworldly 50s doo-wop from Ra & Co.

SUN RA Strange Celestial Road (Rounder / Celestial) lp 14.98

SUN RA Strange Strings (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 16.98
Strange is right! And it's not just the strings. This 1966 recording by out-jazz pioneer Sun Ra and his adventurous Astro Infinity Arkestra is strange all over. This could SO totally be a current day improv psych cd-r from some of our Finnish friends, for instance... if it weren't recorded 40 years ago by one of the foremost geniuses of 20th century American jazz (and Afro-Outer-Space art). The idea here is that alongside the horns and flutes and bass all the usual instrumentation of the Arkestra, they're improvising on a collection of completely unfamiliar instruments -- the sundry "strange strings" of the title. Odd, exotic stringed instruments possibly including: Chinese lute, "moon-guitar" (?), mandolin, banjo, koto, bandura, ukelin (a zither type instrument), and others yet to be identified. Directed only by loose gestures from Sun Ra, the band expresses themselves freely on these strange strings... and the results must rank among the weirdest and most abstract sounds in Sun Ra's vast catalog, an unhinged tangle of sputtering pluckery and string-scrape. In addition, some sort of percussion adds thunderous rumbling metallic drones (this is presumably the "lightning drum" with which Ra is also credited, along with electronic piano). It could be a sheet of metal, or even a metal musical sculpture, as this reissue's extensive and investigative liner notes postulate. Another sonic element making the proceedings even stranger is the wordless, otherworldly "space vocal" of Art Jenkins aka Thlan Aldridge.
There's three tracks here from the rare original Saturn-label release, plus a fourth bonus cut. "Worlds Approaching" starts things off with a 10+ minutes of woozy Wurlitzer, clonky horn burble, and percussive clatter. Then the shambolic strange strings orgy begins with "Strings Strange" (12:47) and continues through to the epic "Strange Strange" (20:53). Log drums pulse beneath the reverbed apeshit freeform freakout of strings, space vocals, and metallic crashes.
And, after all that, there's the ten and a half minute bonus track. Which believe it or not, is probably the strangest (there's that word again) thing on here! It's called "Door Squeak" and YES that's right, it's actually Sun Ra "playing" a squeaky, creaky door. Which is exactly what it so spookily sounds like. Pretty cool we think, a nice simple coda to the preceding mayhem, celebrating a pure love of sound, whatever the source, and its mysterious power over our imaginations.
Good grief, it's astonishing that even with so many Sun Ra reissues already out, there's STILL amazing stuff like this to be unearthed.
MPEG Stream: "Strings Strange"
MPEG Stream: "Strange Strange"
MPEG Stream: "Door Squeak"

SUN RA The Creator Of The Universe (Transparancy) 2cd 16.98

SUN RA The Futuristic Sounds Of (Five Four / Cherry Red) cd 15.98
As many of you know sometimes navigating the world of the prolific and brilliant legacy of Sun Ra can be so daunting and overwhelming. Not only did he make so many records in his lifetime but over the years there have been a multitude of collections, reissues and live recordings, to the point that knowing which Sun Ra recording you need next can feel quite overwhelming. Of course Sun Ra is most known and lauded for his free jazz inventions but what is often overlooked is that in order to go so out and free he first developed and explored an incredibly rich swing developing a seriously solid bebop foundation. This 1961 record gives little hints as to the outer world Sun Ra would eventually fly off to. Sheer brilliance! Such a great record!
MPEG Stream: "The Beginning"
MPEG Stream: "Looking Outward"
MPEG Stream: "Bassism"

SUN RA The Night Of The Purple Moon (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 15.98
Yowza, another cool Sun Ra reissue! The space-jazz legend left this earth long ago now, but continues to astound. It's the first time on cd for The Night Of The Purple Moon, a 1970 session (originally released on LP in '72) by Ra and "His Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra", which here means a rare small-group outing, featuring Sun Ra getting down on twin Mini-Moogs and, for the majority of the record, something called a "Roksichord" (back then, a new-fangled solid state electronic keyboard, simulating a harpsichord and meant mainly for rock bands). He's accompanied by Akestra stalwart John Gilmore on the drums (instead of his usual saxophone, though he does bust out his tenor on one cut, "Impromptu Festival"), Danny Davis on alto and clarinet and flute and bongos (and drums when Gilmore takes over on sax), and the electric bass of Safford James. It's an intimate, groovy, spaced-out lounge-jazz thing they've got going, somehow (though unsurprisingly, since it's Sun Ra) simultaneously tweaked and eerie, jaunty and haunted... The nasal, rinky-dink distorted electronic sounds of Ra's Roksichord are predominant, augmented by the occasional outburst of sax. This is given even more weird atmosphere by the spare production and the slightly scratchy presence of surface noise, as the master tapes were destroyed and this cd reissue was prepared from an unplayed copy of the original vinyl release. Nothing we'd complain about of course. And this slipcased cd reish, with liner notes by John Corbett, also includes four bonus tracks -- one alternate take, and three *previously unreleased* tracks of Sun Ra Wurlitzer electric piano and Celeste solos home-recorded in 1964, even weirder and more otherworldly (muffled and lo-fi and abstract and thus ethereal) than anything he could conjure from those Moogs and the Roksichord later on. Recommended (duh, it's a Sun Ra reissue!).
MPEG Stream: "The Night Of The Purple Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Dance Of The Living Image"
MPEG Stream: "Wurlitzer Solo 1"

SUN RA The Night of the Purple Moon (Saturn Research) lp 14.98

SUN RA The Other Side of the Sun (Universe) cd 16.98
1979 Sun Ra LP reissued as a mini-gatefold cd as well on vinyl. Lovely, loungey space-jazz, including Sun Ra standard/anthem "Space Is The Place".

SUN RA The Other Side of the Sun (Universe) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
1979 Sun Ra LP reissued as a mini-gatefold cd as well on vinyl. Lovely, loungey space-jazz, including Sun Ra standard/anthem "Space Is The Place".

SUN RA The Singles (Evidence) 2cd 28.00
INCREDIBLE! "This 2-disc collection of Sun Ra-related 45s and alternate takes took over three years to compile. It contains every Saturn single that we know to exist as of August, 1996, that did not appear on an album, with the exception of 4 sides by Walt Dunn which would not fit on these two cds and on which Sun Ra does not play. Often pressed in lots of 50, these singles, recorded between 1954 and 1982, represent the 'Holy Grail' among Sun Ra collectors, and have never appeared on lp or cd. The 36-page booklet contains liner notes written by four of the universe's leading Ra experts, as well as detailed discographical information and rare photos."

SUN RA The Soul Vibrations Of Man (Saturn Research) lp 14.98

SUN RA When Angels Speak Of Love (Evidence) cd 16.98
Another new Evidence label Sun Ra reissue, originally an El Saturn lp from '63. I think we'll go ahead and quote the full Evidence press release for this one, just in case anyone needs the background info on Sun Ra (it's easier than trying to explain the basics about the man and his music ourselves... but I wish they hadn't mentioned Phish, don't let that discourage you if you're new to Sun Ra): "Evidence Music returns with a highly-anticipated series of five CD packages, including a 2-CD box of unreleased albums, by Sun Ra, the colorful jazz bandleader whose association with interplanetary travel, ancient Egypt, and big band and electronic keyboard innovation made him one of the 20th Century's most influential and eccentric musical icons. Evidence has been working on the series for four years -- since issuing its award-winning Sun Ra compilation The Singles in 1996. All but Lanquidity emanate from Sun Ra's own label, El Saturn Records. All packages contain extensive liner notes, historical documentation and photographs. Easily one of the oddest personalities in the history of jazz, the bandleader, composer and keyboardist known as Sun Ra claimed to be an extraterrestrial from the planet Saturn. Actually born Herman 'Sonny' Blount in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914, he studied music at Alabama A&M University and became a big-band leader in his home town. Eventually, he moved to Chicago where he would write arrangements for Fletcher Henderson, change his name to Le Sony'r Ra, and start his first 'Arkestra' with saxophonists and band members-for-life John Gilmore, Marshall Allen and Pat Patrick. In the mid and late '50s, he prolifically recorded 45s and LPs for his own Saturn label, even accompanying and writing arrangements for doo-wop groups. His earliest albums were for Transition Records and later Delmark Records in 1957. In 1961, he moved to New York where he continued to record for El Saturn and the indie ESP-Disk label. Sun Ra continued his extensive concert date schedule into the early '90s, and even got as far as signing with A&M Records. He left this planet on May 30, 1993, but his music remains an ongoing source of wonderment and inspiration for all who discover it, as it was for musicians as diverse as George Clinton, Sonic Youth and Phish. Thanks to Evidence Music's reissue program -- five important new CDs in addition
become available for future generations. This album, When Angels Speak of Love, originally recorded in 1963 and released in 1966, is the rarest of Sun Ra's self-released albums on his own El Saturn label. Only a handful of the original pressing still remain. The album was recorded during Sun Ra's New York residency. Considered by many to be his richest period. This reissue preserves what has been a lost artifact from the 'New Thing' revolution in jazz in New York City's Greenwich Village in the mid-60s."

SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA Live Soundscape (DIW) 2cd 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Live from 1979 with June Tyson. There's also a 70-minute second disc which features Sun Ra lecturing on "The Possibility of Altered Destiny".

SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA The Cry Of Jazz (Atavistic) dvd 21.00
Well, Sun Ra fans have two good reasons to go out and buy themselves a DVD player if they don't happen to have one already -- number one, the DVD release of the Sun Ra sci-fi flick Space Is The Place, reviewed nearby. Number two, this item, a 1959 "polemic on the politics of music and race" made by filmmaker/musician Edward O. Bland that features live footage of Sun Ra, John Gilmore, and the rest of the Arkestra, shot in Chicago jazz clubs, their home turf in that era. 35 minutes, black and white. Brought to us by Atavistic's Unheard Music Series, who continue to earn the gratitude of jazz-heads everywhere.

SUN RA & HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA Horizon (Art Yard) cd 21.00
Sun Ra live in Egypt...It doesn't get more epic or mystical then that!
MPEG Stream: "The Shadow World"
MPEG Stream: "Space Is The Place"
MPEG Stream: "The Satellites Are Spi..."

SUN RA & HIS SOLAR ARKESTRA Secrets Of The Sun (Atavistic) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We have to hand it to Atavistic, it's undeniable that the vaults containing Sun Ra's recordings from his long and strange brilliant career must be so vast and daunting, it's amazing what an incredible job they've done over the last few years mining so much of the best and most diverse output of this free jazz master.
Secrets Of The Sun was a really important and transitional Sun Ra album as it was recorded in New York shortly after Sun Ra and some of his Arkestra made the move to the Big Apple from Chicago. It has traces of the bebop and exotica of early Sun Ra yet the more out and freewheeling side of Sun Ra clearly makes its presence felt at times, this is truly one of those Sun Ra records that strikes a perfect balance between melody and chaos. In fact Secrets Of The Sun is a really great and colorful jazz record that those who are often scared away by the skronky side of free jazz might want to check out. It's not without it's freakout moments for sure, and it's pretty amazing to think this was recorded in 1961 and still sounds way more intense and out then most No Wave or Noise bands today!
With a sound partially Earthbound, and partially drifting way out into the depths of outer space, Secrets Of The Sun is an awesome snapshot of Sun Ra on his way from one world to another while still managing to be forever ahead of his time.
MPEG Stream: "Friendly Galaxy"
MPEG Stream: "Space Aura"
MPEG Stream: "Reflects Motion"

SUN RA & THE BLUES PROJECT (SENSATIONAL GUITARS OF DAN & DALE) Batman and Robin (Universe) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Amid the constant, welcome flood of reissued Sun Ra treasures, this is certainly an oddity (and that's saying something). Apparently Sun Ra (who plays Hammond B-3 on here), Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and other Arkestra greats decided to cash in on the national Batman and Robin mania back in 1966, and this LP was the result! It's got Neal Hefti's famous Batman theme, and about a dozen other Batman-inspired toons ("Joker Is Wild", "The Bat Cave", "Batman's Batmorang", you get the idea), all of 'em bouncy, jazzy, garagey fun stuff for the kids. Not your typical Sun Ra fare, but quite a novelty, very kitsch. Also features Al Kooper on organ...

SUN RA & THE MYTH SCIENCE ORCHESTRA A Black Mass (Son Boy Records) cd 15.98
A play by Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)...

SUN RA / HENRY DUMAS The Ark And The Ankh cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"In conversation 1966, Slug's Saloon NYC". That's right, not a Sun Ra jazz album, but a 25-minute long disc of spoken word -- the great jazz visionary Ra interviewed (and going waaay beyond the subject of jazz, of course). The discussion is accompanied by intrusive, eerie flutes and other musical interruptions, weird echo effects, plus lots of ambient background noise/tape hiss... a weird listen, even before you start paying attention to what Ra is saying: "The whole goal of humanity is to be destroyed", stuff like that... it goes on and on, unfortunately programmed as only one track. Probably a lot of really interesting wisdom to be found here, but we haven't had a chance to fully imbibe. Definitely one for Ra fanatics, and anyone interested in esoteric philosophies/ers.
Q. What's the problem with the black man?
A. He doesn't see me.

SUN RA ALL STARS. Hiroshima (Art Yard) lp 26.00

SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA Rocket Ship Rock (Norton) cd 14.98

SUN RA AND HIS ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA Strange Strings (Saturn Records) lp 15.98
Now available on vinyl! (Sans squeaky door bonus track found on cd reissue, though.)
Strange is right! And it's not just the strings. This 1966 recording by out-jazz pioneer Sun Ra and his adventurous Astro Infinity Arkestra is strange all over. This could SO totally be a current day improv psych cd-r from some of our Finnish friends, for instance... if it weren't recorded 40 years ago by one of the foremost geniuses of 20th century American jazz (and Afro-Outer-Space art). The idea here is that alongside the horns and flutes and bass all the usual instrumentation of the Arkestra, they're improvising on a collection of completely unfamiliar instruments -- the sundry "strange strings" of the title. Odd, exotic stringed instruments possibly including: Chinese lute, "moon-guitar" (?), mandolin, banjo, koto, bandura, ukelin (a zither type instrument), and others yet to be identified. Directed only by loose gestures from Sun Ra, the band expresses themselves freely on these strange strings... and the results must rank among the weirdest and most abstract sounds in Sun Ra's vast catalog, an unhinged tangle of sputtering pluckery and string-scrape. In addition, some sort of percussion adds thunderous rumbling metallic drones (this is presumably the "lightning drum" with which Ra is also credited, along with electronic piano). It could be a sheet of metal, or even a metal musical sculpture, as this reissue's extensive and investigative liner notes postulate. Another sonic element making the proceedings even stranger is the wordless, otherworldly "space vocal" of Art Jenkins aka Thlan Aldridge.
"Worlds Approaching" starts things off with a 10+ minutes of woozy Wurlitzer, clonky horn burble, and percussive clatter. Then the shambolic strange strings orgy begins with "Strings Strange" (12:47) and continues through to side two's epic "Strange Strange" (20:53). Log drums pulse beneath the reverbed apeshit freeform freakout of strings, space vocals, and metallic crashes. Another great Ra reish.
MPEG Stream: "Strings Strange"
MPEG Stream: "Strange Strange"

SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA We Travel The Space Ways (Saturn) lp 14.98

SUN RA AND HIS MYTH SCIENCE SOLAR ARKESTRA The Antique Blacks (Art Yard) cd 21.00

SUN RA AND HIS OMNIVERSE JET-SET ARKESTRA Beyond Purple Star Zone / Oblique Parallax (Art Yard) cd 21.00
Man, it seems that's there's ALWAYS a new Sun Ra reissue or archival release. And that is, of course, a good thing. Though we can't always list every one of 'em. But this one definitely caught our attention, a 2-on-1 compact disc reissue of two rare Saturn label elpees, featuring material recorded live in concert in Detroit around New Year's Eve, 1980. Maybe it's the title (who wouldn't want to go Beyond The Purple Star Zone??), maybe it's the particularly unhinged and exuberant version of the classic funky Ra chant "Rocket Number Nine" that appears here, maybe it's all the wicked Sun Ra synth soloing (yeah, there's lots of spaced out Moog, also hard to resist!). Other than "Rocket", all the compositions are original to these two records, it appears. Great stuff, well recorded, with Ra's (Omniverse Jet-Set) Arkestra in fine form. That ensemble included such regulars as John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, June Tyson, Michael Ray, and many others. We were amused to note The Bell Brothers credited with, of course, "bells".
With wonderfully off-kilter keys, uncredited electric guitar, percussive skitter, moody melodic horns, AND massive wailing freak-outs, this is definitely for those into the more far-out, sci-fi, and downright noisy aspects of the Sun Ra sound as well as his sentimental side.
MPEG Stream: "Beyond the Purple Star Zone"
MPEG Stream: "Oblique Parallax"
MPEG Stream: "Celestial Realms"

SUN RA ARKESTRA Nuclear War (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 14.98
Super rare Sun Ra record originally (and barely) released by the UK post-punk label Y Records in 1984 (with two tracks coming out as a 12" single in '82), an album that in response to the spectre of nuclear armaggedon, asks the musical question: "now whatcha gonna do without your ass?" Several tracks from this album were later included on some equally rare releases on Ra's Saturn label, but this cd reissue in Atavistic's Unheard Music Series is certainly the first time that most folks are going to get to hear these tunes. They range from the seven-minute title track chant (a la his classic "Space Is The Place") with lines like: "talking about nuclear war -- it's a motherfucker -- if they push that button, your ass gotta go" etc. (This sort of language might explain why Columbia rejected the album!) Other tracks include a reading of Duke Ellington's "Drop Me Off In Harlem" and a couple of June-Tyson-sung standards. Although a few cuts are gorgeously moody, most are upbeat, swinging jazz tunes that seem to affirm the joy of life rather than being the harbingers of apocalypse you might expect on an album named "Nuclear War"! Ironically, the album ends with Tyson's bittersweet rendition of "Smile" -- when she sings the lyrics:
"Smile, even though your heart is aching / smile, even though it's aching / when there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by / if you smile, through your tears and sorrow / smile, and maybe tomorrow / you'll see the sun come shining through..." Think about *mushroom* clouds and wonder what Ra is trying to get across here...
RealAudio clip: "Nuclear War"
RealAudio clip: "Retrospect"

SUPERSILENT 1-3 (Rune Grammofon) 3cd 30.00
This Norwegian "death-jazz" trio make their debut on three cds, super-creative electronics/jazz improv, unlike much else. A big fave around here.

SUPERSILENT 10 (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98
Considering that Norwegian "death jazz" unit Supersilent began their recording career with a triple cd release entitled Supersilent 1-3, it's not so odd that they'd overwhelm their fans, these several years later, with the near-simultaneous release of both installments 10 and 11 in the Supersilent discography. As it happens, 10 features their newest recordings, while 11 consists of somewhat older material, tracks left over from the sprawling sessions that produced Supersilent 8 back in 2005. That's apparently why Supersilent 11 has been done as a vinyl-only release, while Supersilent 10 is on cd (and, eventually, but not yet, also lp).
Now, for those of you who already have a good proportion of Supersilent's 1 through 9, need we really say much about 10 and 11? Each numbered Supersilent release thus far has been brilliant, right? Yet each somewhat different, in representing Supersilent's unique style of electronic / acoustic improv, which can range from glacially paced, spacious ambient drift to fractured rhythmic glitch, from mellow melodic bliss to distorted noisy chaos.
In the case of 10, it's tilted toward the hauntingly atmospheric, following on from the minimalistic approach of Supersilent 9 (wherein the group, without their former drummer, all played Hammond organ). These twelve (also simply numbered, as usual) tracks make evocative use of Arve Henriksen's limpid, moody trumpet solos, Stale Storlokken's sparse, somber Steinway grand piano, and the quietly droning, slightly gritty "audio virus" of electronics expert and producer Helge "Deathprod" Sten, who also plays electric guitar (whilst the other two in the trio contribute on electronics as well). Intriguing, gorgeous, suspenseful soundscapes are the result, replete with fragile melody and distant drone, and Supersilent 10 thus rates a 10 with us. So if you're just encountering Supersilent now, this would be a fine starting point, and then working backwards from 10 wouldn't be a bad idea.
Fans of course, at least the turntable enabled, will want 11, too. Apparently the studio sessions for Supersilent 8 resulted in a lot more music being made than they could fit on one cd, and after editing, there was enough good stuff left over that they felt they should eventually also release (in fact, they almost just made 8 into a triple cd), and indeed they were right. That 8th Supersilent we recall as being possibly their most "rock" effort, and also a quite varied one, and 11 could certainly be considered utterly worthy "bonus tracks" to that effort, and in addition it's a lovely limited edition fetish object, 180 gram vinyl, lots of room for the artwork (hahaha, that's a joke, since as with all Supersilent releases, the Kim Hiorthoy cover design is a solid color with white Helvetica text... looks great though!).
MPEG Stream: "10.3"
MPEG Stream: "10.6"
MPEG Stream: "10.9"

SUPERSILENT 4 (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
A little bit more jazzy & readily "listenable" than their amazing, overwhelming triple-cd debut, this sophomore release by the mysterious Nowegian group Supersilent continues to explore the limits of hyper-rhythmic free jazz, mixed with elements of ambient, musique concrete, noise and instrumental rock. If somewhat undefinable improv-ish bands like Starfuckers, Skullflower, Nels Cline Trio, etc. interest you, here's another one to add to that august roster. Parts of this sound like a live band (out)doing the most intense studio work of an Autechre or Squarepusher! Excellent album from an as-yet underappreciated band (although a recent feature in The Wire magazine signals a possible change in that status).

SUPERSILENT 5 (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Another brilliant disc from this Norwegian "death-jazz" outfit! Bandmember and producer Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) took some 30 hours of material recorded live (direct to DAT) in various European locations (London, Oslo, Bologna) and edited it down to fit this cd. At first, "5" threatens to be a quieter, gentler Supersilent, as almost every track starts off with restrainted, ambient-jazz loveliness/loneliness like some sort of glacial Miles Davis... With Rune Grammofon now being distributed by ECM, we thought perhaps Supersilent were perhaps making a bid for ECM's semi-New Age market. But these are long tracks, and they often build into louder, scarier, more unsettling (yet still quite beautiful) realms. Witness the soundscape of heavy, doleful bass-buzz, electronic rumblings and intermittent percussion that track one (there's no titles) eventually reveals. Of course, Supersilent has always used space and (near)silence -- their sparse, abstract jazz-noise aesthetic being what's unique about them (although reminding us at AQ of the "rock concrete" of Italian improv-rockers the Starfuckers). So there *are* lots of mellow parts on here, indeed hauntingly mellow, and that's fine. We might consider this the "psychedelic" Supersilent album. Gorgeous.
RealAudio clip: "track 1"
RealAudio clip: "track 3"

SUPERSILENT 6 (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
We remember when Supersilent 1-3 came out, and we were like, who the heck are these guys with a debut triple cd?? After listening to it, of course we became fast fans. And Supersilent 4 and 5, which made interesting stylistic shifts, only served to deepen our appreciation of this Norwegian quartet. Now Supersilent 6 is upon us, and it's been eagerly anticipated -- we sold a whole bunch the day we got 'em in! On this disc, Supersilent continue to creatively pursue their own unique Nordic mind-meld of improv, electronics, jazz, and what we might describe as live musique concrete. Maybe we should call it glitch-fusion? Maybe not, but there's gorgeous Frippertronics guitar one moment, breathy trumpet the next, all with electronic drones and scattered drum-beats underneath. Delicate, shimmering soundscapes build into mammoth sound-masses, still shimmering. Their music still holds a great deal of mystery, even if the band is at last getting the exposure they deserve, such as a feature in the new issue (#228) of The Wire. Others have observed that it's amazing that Supersilent's music is totally improvised and without overdubs, and we'd have to agree. Supersilent 6 is a disc thick with noise of great beauty, and comes highly recommended.
RealAudio clip: "track 1"
RealAudio clip: "track 5"

SUPERSILENT 6 (Rune Grammofon) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Having released no fewer than six cds since 1998 (four albums, but one was a triple cd), Norwegian experimental jazz-drone-electronics outfit Supersilent have become firm favorites here at Aquarius and elsewhere. Now, at last, their label has bowed to public demand and put Supersilent on vinyl -- well, at least their latest album 6, which is now available in a handsome double LP gatefold sleeve. We don't know if they plan to do the same with their other albums, but it would be cool if they did, though Supersilent 1-3 would be an expensive, and weighty, proposition on wax we'd imagine. Anyway, here's what we said about 6 when it first was released on cd last winter:
We remember when Supersilent 1-3 came out, and we were like, who the heck are these guys with a debut triple cd?? After listening to it, of course we became fast fans. And Supersilent 4 and 5, which made interesting stylistic shifts, only served to deepen our appreciation of this Norwegian quartet. Now Supersilent 6 is upon us, and it's been eagerly anticipated -- we sold a whole bunch the day we got 'em in! On this disc, Supersilent continue to creatively pursue their own unique Nordic mind-meld of improv, electronics, jazz, and what we might describe as live musique concrete. Maybe we should call it glitch-fusion? Maybe not, but there's gorgeous Frippertronics guitar one moment, breathy trumpet the next, all with electronic drones and scattered drum-beats underneath. Delicate, shimmering soundscapes build into mammoth sound-masses, still shimmering. Their music still holds a great deal of mystery, even if the band is at last getting the exposure they deserve, such as a feature in the new issue (#228) of The Wire. Others have observed that it's amazing that Supersilent's music is totally improvised and without overdubs, and we'd have to agree. Supersilent 6 is a disc thick with noise of great beauty, and comes highly recommended.

SUPERSILENT 7 (Rune Grammofon) dvd 25.00
Our favorite Norwegian death-jazz electro-acoustic improv ensemble, the one and only Supersilent, are back with a new release -- and it's a live DVD! As such, it serves as something of a consolation for myself (Allan) and AQ pal Cayce, who showed up to see Supersilent perform here in San Francisco for their first and only time (this was a year or two ago, at the Great American Music Hall) only to discover that the band who were breaking their gear down and vacating the stage upon our arrival was in fact Supersilent, making way for Jagajazzist who we had thought were to be the opening act. D'oh!! It was an especially cruel twist of fate for Cayce, who through a set of circumstances we needn't describe here, ended up holding (and paying for) FIVE non-refundable tickets to the show. He actually didn't really mind shelling out $100 to see Supersilent (that's how much of a fan he is) but then to miss 'em in the end was, unfortunate to say the least...
So, now through the magic of the DVD format, Cayce and I can experience what that show might have been like. And all Supersilent fans can experience what the show on the DVD (filmed in Oslo, August 16th 2004) was definitely very much like! We were actually a little worried that the visuals would somehow reveal too much about this band, but the DVD is shot in moody black and white 16mm which helps maintain their mystique... and it is cool to see how the actual humans involved interact with their instruments and equipment to produce the sounds of Supersilent, which have always been a blend of very live sounding playing and electronic processing, with the breathy trumpet of Arve Henriksen, snake charmer sinuous at times, suggesting the jazz of Miles Davis amidst the "improv musique concrete" (and this concert is entirely improvised) also being made by keyboardist Stale Strlokken, drummer Jarle Vespestad, and "audio virus" engineer Helge "Deathprod" Sten.
The great thing about this DVD is that after a viewing or two, it still functions as a great new Supersilent album (hence the title, 7, designating it the follow-up to their last album, 6). And since now it's hard to buy a cd player that's not also a DVD player, if you've got one of those hooked up to your stereo system you can just put this disc in and listen to it sans video, as if it was a regular cd that's just a bit longer (109 minutes) than normal.

SUPERSILENT 8 (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
8 is not Supersilent's eighth album, actually, 'cause their first, a triple cd extravaganza, was entitled 1-3... and Supersilent 7 was actually a live dvd. So if you don't count that one, then Supersilent 8 is really the celebrated Norwegian outfit's fifth studio release. Still, it's far enough into Supersilent's career that you'd think we'd have a good notion of what to expect from these AQ faves. But if we really did, it wouldn't be Supersilent. And as usual they offer no clues: the digipack cd design is as usual stylish but generic, and song titles are an unnecessary luxury in which other more ordinary bands indulge. Here we have eight nameless tracks, 66 minutes of new and varied Supersilent output. In the past, they've created stunning soundscapes that are part Miles Davis, part Starfuckers, part Autechre, a hybrid of dronejazz improv and electronic processing, a live band screwing with itself via computer feedback. They call it "death-jazz" but what the heck does that really mean?
So maybe a track by track accounting is needed. The disc starts off quietly, cautiously, eerily ambient, not giving much up at first. It's a ways into the first 11 minute long track that, with increased volume, a rhythmic pulse makes itself throbbingly known, and eventually builds into a roiling low-end cacophony, with what sounds like a tolling bell amidst percussive splatter and insectoid buzz, slowed down and grinding. The second track is even more sparse and atmospheric, with occasional improv percussion clatter, echoing cymbals, and suspenseful electronic organ musings. So far, this is turning out to be a good album for this time of the year (Halloween being this week!). The third cut continues the sorta spooky and sci-fi theme, venturing further into a dense thicket of crackly, agitated sounds, with stabs of sizzling synth and clumsy, clomping rhythmic rattle, harking back to the counter-intuitive chaos of Supersilent 1-3. Track four is sleepier, gentler, with the breathy trumpet of Arve Henriksen weaving a fragile melody.
Then suddenly with the fifth track, it's like we've flipped the record to a (thus far hypothetical, as a vinyl version hasn't yet been released) side two, which begins on a quite different note than before, with a bizarre, distorted, almost robot-metallic voice or voices intoning some sort of garbled rant. But by the time this track's twelve minutes are up, we've heard more of the melodious trumpet, humming drone, percussive splatter, and glacial glitch that we realize we DO expect from ol' Supersilent. That's followed by the stuttering electronic clicks and plings of track six, this song's special surprise being high, wordless female vocals soaring up and over the ending. Number seven is a skronkier, noisier affair than anything yet on the album, it's an energetic compression of the cacophony heard on tracks 1 or 3, the drummer going nuts, the organist sucking up lots of electricity, and with the addition of what must be wild, howling, heavily effected vocals swirling cryptically over it all. Supersilent let it all hang out on this one, yeah! #7 would be the piece for them to play if they ever had to share a stage with Acid Mothers Temple. And then track 8 brings Supersilent 8 to a quiet close, perfectly spaced sounds and silence like a more regulated Starfuckers jam, clicks and clacks and crackle, that only lasts four minutes and four seconds but could go on and on forever as far as we're concerned.
Wow. Another excellent, original Supersilent effort, with the use/abuse of vocals opening up some new dimensions to their sound. Parts of Supersilent 8 give us the idea we're listening to some sort of really strange field recording, the documentation of the fracturing of an iceberg, the swarmings of bugs, or the language of birds or bats, when in fact this is a very human-activated, machine-mediated, far-from-natural audio document. Of course at other times on this album that fact is quite evident! Indeed, Supersilent 8 also is the closest these "death-jazzers" have come to making rock album, especially when the super distorted, hazy murk of psychedelic howling almost garage-rock-improv pummel of track 7 is taken into account.
MPEG Stream: "track 3"
MPEG Stream: "track 5"
MPEG Stream: "track 7"

SUPERSILENT 9 (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98
Wow, we're getting old. Our favorite Norwegian electronic/jazz/WTF improvising unit, Supersilent, are already up to number 9 in their discography! Almost into double digits. (Of course, that's not nearly as prolific as some bands, imagine if Circle, Nadja, or good grief Acid Mothers Temple numbered their releases. You'd never be able to recall which one was which, that's for sure. But, hey, you would at least know what order they came in... c'mon AMT fans, do you remember if Ominous From The Cosmic Inferno predated Iao Chant From The Cosmic Inferno, or maybe it was Journey Into The Cosmic Inferno that came first? And where do Demons From Nipples and Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars fit in, chronologically? Not that you really need to know either. Ok, enough with that digression...)
So, what's Supersilent all about this time? As usual, the lack of titles and artwork don't give a lot to go on. The Kim Hiorthoy designed digipak is a bright sort of blue this time, for what that's worth (being about the only design decision Hiorthoy has to make for each otherwise identically generic looking Supersilent release, probably a lot of thought goes into the color choice). Well it turns out that Supersilent 9 is one of their more atmospheric, almost ambient efforts, with band member / producer Deathprod's aesthetic to the fore. There's four tracks, none of 'em short, ranging from 11:43, to the longest at 14:32... plenty of time for the listener to get lost in their carefully improvised, mostly quiet and slowly unfolding soundworlds... Arve Henriksen's breathy trumpet is ultra muted, really we're not sure if we are hearing it or not, and in terms of percussion, Supersilent 9 is entirely without the quirky rhythmic elements that characterized their chaotically skittery debut Supersilent 1-3 or the almost Autechre-ish glitchery of Supersilent 4. Instead, this, when rhythmic at all, evinces more of slow sawing whirr or thick throb, as on the droning and kinda doomy second track (the loudest one here as well), which pulses with shuddering distortion and has a bit of an atonal 20th century classical vibe to it. The tracks on Supersilent 9 are also more "of a piece", not as eclectic as on 6 or 8... There's certainly variation but it's constrained, the group taking a "less is more", minimalistic approach to this disc. The surprise vocals and psych-rock moves of Supersilent 8 are nowhere to be found this time 'round. Instead this hews closest to the glacial bliss of Supersilent 5, if we recall correctly, but in even more of an abstract manner. In parts, this comes quite close to literally living up to the band name. Dreamy and drifty, this is. And so very nice.
What we've since learned about the (even by Supersilent standards) unusual nature of this disc is that their drummer quit the band right before they recorded this... and the remaining three members all decided to play Hammond organ exclusively for this session! Not that you'd guess that's all you were hearing. Ultimately, another very satisfying release from this unique outfit! Leaving us curious about what direction they'll take in the future, when it's time for number 10.
MPEG Stream: "9.1"
MPEG Stream: "9.2"
MPEG Stream: "9.3"

SVALASTOG Woodwork (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
The name sure sounds like one of those Norwegian black metal bands we like so much, doesn't it? Well, Svalastog are indeed from Norway, but they're not a black metal band. Definitely not. (Though we'd love to hear what a black metal band on Rune Gramofon would be like!)
This could go under an electronica/experimental/just-a-wee-bit-folk category, we'd suppose. Svalastog (who is actually a he not a they, being one guy, Per Henrik Svalastog) has taken several traditional Norwegian folk instruments -- very old fashioned indeed, primitive even, including a ram's horn (Bukkehorn) and a cow's horn (Kuhorn, duh), and also a Norwegian zither called a Harpeleik that apparently belonged to his grandfather -- and played them into his computer, chopping and looping and processing them into glitchily rhythmic, swooping, loping electronica. The idea, to bring the sounds of the rustic Nordic past into the modern musical laboratory of bits and bytes, clicks and cuts, works pretty darn well we'd say. This is moody, mysterious, also quite lively and lovely. Given the concept behind this, we -might- have hoped for something a little -less- processed and smoothed-out, a little more obviously "outdoorsy" or ancient-sounding, than what we get here, if only this wasn't so nice and soothing the way it is!
MPEG Stream: "Mouse Tracking"
MPEG Stream: "Cow Goat Goat"

SWORD & SANDALS Good & Plenty (Empty Cellar) lp 14.98
After a couple of live cd-rs, a tape, and numerous live shows, the energetic free music trio Sword & Sandals have decided to shed a member and soldier on as a duo. The trio for this recording was comprised of John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Randy Lee Sutherland (Freak Out label) and visual artist Shaun O'Dell, and finds the threesome closing this first chapter of the band with their most layered, expansive and exciting release to date! Containing seven tracks, their normal instrumental set-up of two saxophones and a drummer is fleshed out with bells, flute, piano, bass clarinet and even a synth. Good & Plenty is definitely channeling the spirit of those BYG Actuel release from the late sixties from the likes of Don Cherry, Sun Ra or Sunny Murray. The dueling dynamic of O'Dell and Sutherland's horn interplay is not one of willful free jazz cacophony, but a means to reach a harmonic connection through disparate starting points, often sounding like the horns are worrying back and forth over the same small tonal point creating a tense movement of sound. But unlike their live shows and recordings, the horns are not always locked in battle. The overall flow of the record tempers the noisy urgent moments with quieter moody tracks of looser and more playful rhythms, sometimes ramshackle and other times more martial with strange washes of bell sounds, out of tune piano, weird bleeps, and minimal plaintive horn drones. It's one of those records where the band has finally come into their own, harnessing the ferocious energy of their live shows into something deeper and more reflective and at times quite beautiful. Limited to 300 copies, each lp comes with a download card. Highly recommended!

SWORD + SANDALS Live #1 + 2 (Freak Out) cd-r 10.98
Sword + Sandals are a two saxophone and drums improv jazz trio comprised of local artists Shaun O'Dell (Corn Silo of Skulls, Beak), Randylee Sutherland (head of cd-r label Freak Out) and the irascible John Dwyer (Coach Whips, The Oh Sees, etc.) on drums! The recordings on their Live #1+2 cdr are circa 2006. Get 'em while you can!

SWORD + SANDALS Live #3 (Freak Out) cd-r 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sword + Sandals are a two saxophone and drums trio comprised of local artists Shaun O'Dell (Corn Silo of Skulls, Beak), Randylee Sutherland (head of new cd-r label Freak Out) and the irascible John Dwyer (Coach Whips, The OhSees, etc.) on drums and they have been creating quite a stir at recent art openings and cafe performance spaces. Like the angel/gladiator/Greek philosopher imagery their name implies, Sword + Sandals engage in tumultuous bouts of free interactivity, wrestling sonic foes in the name of some higher ideal. Here in this live set at 21 Grand in Oakland, the cavernous acoustics of the space allow each of the horn players room to roam without straying far from the core idea. But what is that core? Without relying on a foundation of melody, steady tempo or a calculated harmonic plan, each player manages to defy complete cacophony by intuitively overlapping across similar but microtonally separate aural paths, creating mesmerizing dynamic regimes of sound through tense build-ups with intermittent breaths of space. A refreshing new addition to this city's dearth of inspired free jazz-not-jazz performers.
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"
MPEG Stream: "Track 3"

SWORD + SANDALS Live At Arc (Freak Out) cd-r 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It speaks much to a bands power that a drummer and three guys with saxophones can out assault a line-up of ear-splitting knob twiddling feedback makers and a band of obnoxious Portland kids on acid playing "noise-folk" and screeching "Won't you be our friends?" at the audience. Such was the case of this Sword + Sandals live set at the ARC Cafe, one of San Francisco's many strange and short-lived venues. Adding a third saxophone to their ranks for this set, S+S take full advantage of the Arc's cavernous space to spread out and create dynamic battlements of overlapping sax trills across machine-gun drumming. Seemingly cacophonous and composed at the same time, these free players have quite an intuitive knack for creating swells of tension with only occasionally some release. Bracing but always both visually and sonically compelling.
MPEG Stream: "Track 1"
MPEG Stream: "Track 3"

SZABO, GABOR Jazz Raga (Light In The Attic) cd 14.98
We're so happy that Light in The Attic reissued this, a stellar, newly remastered entry from 1967 in the amazing back catalog of one of our all-time favorite jazz guitarists from the sixties and seventies, Gabor Szabo. As a matter of fact, he was the first true guitar hero for Scott here at AQ, the reason Scott started playing guitar - thus Szabo is indirectly responsible for The Alps!
Releasing an amazing string of albums on Impulse, Skye, Blue Thumb and CTI, Szabo's masterful blending of eastern raga, gypsy and flamenco influences from his native Hungary with western jazz, mod, pop and rock influences created some of the most psych-inflected jazz grooves of the sixties. We suppose if you were only to get one of his records, Jazz Raga is arguably the best albeit strangest of the bunch. Featuring eight originals and three covers (including a version of the Rolling Stones "Paint It Black"), Szabo recorded the whole album with a group, including the funkiest of session drummers, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, then overdubbed sitar on all but two of the tracks. Of course by this time, the sitar was becoming THE instrument of choice in western popular music to channel a mystical spellbinding sound, but the manner in which Szabo employs it in the overall compositions of the tracks here is at times, lyrical, dizzying and truly wacked out. For one thing, the sitar is never quite in tune with the actual songs, making some of the melodies seem a bit warped in a way which is difficult to pinpoint. It's not an off-putting effect, quite the opposite. The slightly off interweaving of tonal shades and melody lines actually enhances the otherwordly mystical vibe on what might otherwise be perceived as a psychsploitative gimmick. Of course Szabo's meticulously intricate but seemingly simple guitar phrasings don't need much help from the sitar (he wasn't called The Spellbinder for nothing!). The sitar just provides an elemental coloring allowing a deeper immersion into whatever Szabo is seeking out, whether it be a quiet call to focus ("Walking on Nails"), a monster mod groover ("Sophisticated Wheels"), or the introduction of one of his signature tunes ("Mizrab"), a driving mantra-like tune of tablas and hypnotic droning open-tuned guitars that never tires. It's a song he would return to a few more times in his relatively short career (he died in 1982). Hopefully, more of his great records will be reissued as lovingly as this. Includes a 40 page booklet with lots of notes and pictures. Highest Recommendation!
MPEG Stream: "Walking On Nails"
MPEG Stream: "Mizrab"
MPEG Stream: "Sophisticated Wheels"
MPEG Stream: "Caravan"