Sun Ra Vinyl Records

With the Arkestra HQ based at Marshall Allen's family home, a period of stability followed that resulted in some of Sun Ra's most well-loved albums like Lanquidity, Sleeping Beauty, and On Jupiter. Philly lit Sun Ra's creative spark from 1968 right up to the early 90s. On Antique Blacks, Sun Ra blends elements of free jazz, off-key synth explorations, and experimental theatre into an other-worldly concoction that doesn't crop up anywhere else in the Arkestra's massive discography. Antique Blacks takes its starting point from the bible and slavery, and throws these issues into the contemporary political frame hurtling up-to-date with and late 60s Civil Rights. At this time the Arkestra typically consisted of twenty to thirty musicians, dancers, singers, and fire-eaters, combined with elaborate lighting effects and playing sets for two to three hours nonstop.

Track Listing:
1. Song No. 1
2. There Is Change In The Air
3. The Antique Blacks
4. This Song Is Dedicated To Nature's God
5. The Ridiculous "I" and the Cosmos Me
6. Would I For All That Were
7. Space Is The Place

1. CLUSTER OF GALAXIES
2. ANKH
3. SOLAR DRUMS
4. THE OUTER HEAVENS
5. INFINITY OF THE UNIVERSE
6. LIGHTS ON A SATELLITE
7. KOSMOS IN BLUE

1. CLUSTER OF GALAXIES
2. ANKH
3. SOLAR DRUMS
4. THE OUTER HEAVENS
5. INFINITY OF THE UNIVERSE
6. LIGHTS ON A SATELLITE
7. KOSMOS IN BLUE

1. Bad And The Beautiful
2. Ankh
3. Just In Time
4. Search Light Blues
5. Exotic Two
6. On The Blue Side
7. And This Is My Belove

1. Bad And The Beautiful
2. Ankh
3. Just In Time
4. Search Light Blues
5. Exotic Two
6. On The Blue Side
7. And This Is My Belove

This novelty album, released in 1966 during the height of the Batman & Robin craze, was initially credited to the The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale and featured an album full of tracks based on the popular TV show like "The Batman Theme Song," "The Penguin Chase" and "The Batcave."

The album is entirely instrumental, except for someone singing "Batmaaaan!" in the theme song. But the interesting thing about this album, and what makes it an absolute cult gem, are the musicians who are behind it all: basically a joint collaboration between Sun Ra's Arkestra and Danny Kalb's Blues Project (one of the first psychedelic rock bands as well as one of the world's first jam bands).

Dan and Dale were actually blues guitarist Danny Kalb and Steve Katz (later of Blood, Sweat & Tears) on dueling guitars, while Sun Ra and Al Kooper take over organ duties (a Hammond B-3) and members of Ra's Arkestra play sax. Gatefold edition.

Track Listing:
1. Batman Theme
2. Batman's Batmorang
3. Batman and Robin Over the Roofs
4. The Penguin Chase
5. Flight of the Batman
6. Joker Is Wild
7. Robin's Theme
8. Penguin's Umbrella
9. Batman and Robin Swing
10. Batmobile Wheels
11. The Riddler's Retreat
12. The Bat Cave

1000 Only Limited Edition

Originally released IN 1977. "Cosmos is Sun Ra's philosophy embedded in plastic, courtesy of Inner City Records. It is an unprecedented look at the inner and outer worlds of sound; a magic mixture of the exotic and the mundane, the supernatural and the material, the solar wind beating against the rings of Saturn and the gentle spring breeze blowing a nearby oak tree. If nothing else, it is a voyage. To the stars. To the cosmos. To the edge of the universe. Beyond the unknown." - Eric Kriss, from the back cover.

Track Listing:
1. The Mystery Of Two
2. Interstellar Low-ways
3. Neo-project #2
4. Cosmos
5. Moonship Journey
6. Journey Among The Stars
7. Jazz From An Unknown Planet

Side B:
1. Watusa

Released on Ras own Saturn label in 1958 and originally only available at gigs, until its re-release on Impulse in 1975. For its unique ability to look both forward and backward at the same time, Silhouette is one Sun Ras finest of the period. Ra is able to revisit swing and be-bop while somehow still managing to stay at the forefront of jazzperhaps Sun Ras music really did come from his own experiences in outer space as he often claimed. Outstanding performances by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, often called Sun Ras Johnny Hodges, particularly on Blues At Midnight. John Gilmore was one of the longest standing members of the Arkestra. Special mention is also due to trumpeter Herbert Dotson who can be heard on this early version of Enlightenment, one of Ras greatest pieces, co-written with Dotson. Its theme was often chanted by Sun Ra & members of the Arkestra as they ran down through the theatre at the end of their sets. Also featuring standout track Ancient Aiethopia, which alone makes this album an important entry in Sun Ras voluminous discography.

Track Listing:
Side A:

1.Enlightenment
2. Saturn
3. Velvet
4. Ancient Aiethopia

Side B:

1. Hours After
2. Horoscope
3. Images
4. Blues At Midnight

Sun Ra was an extremely prolific artist and while hundreds of his recordings exist, there are only a handful where he can be heard playing solo. This amazing and rare solo performance recorded live in 1977 at the world-famous La Fenice opera house in Venice, and featuring Sun Ra playing a mix of standards as well as his own material on piano, is a rewarding journey into the repertoire of one of the most controversial and unorthodox musicians in the history of jazz.

Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Free Improvisation
2. Blues
3. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
4. Take the “A" Train
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Angel Race

Side B:
1. Love In Outer Space
2. Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)
3. Free Improvisation
4. Honeysuckle Rose
5. Friendly Galaxy/Spontaneous Simplicity

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.

Track Listing:
1. El Is A Sound Of Joy
2. Overtones Of China
3. Two Tones
4. Paradise
5. Planet Earth
6. Ankh
7. Saturn
8. Reflections In Blue
9. El Viktor

*Bonus Track

1. PLUTONIAN NIGHTS
2. LADY WITH THE GOLDEN STOCKINGS
3. STAR TIME
4. NUBIA
5. AFRICA
6. WATUSA
7. A IE THO PIA

1. PLUTONIAN NIGHTS
2. LADY WITH THE GOLDEN STOCKINGS
3. STAR TIME
4. NUBIA
5. AFRICA
6. WATUSA
7. A IE THO PIA

1. Space Fling 7:40
2. Flamingo 4:50
3. Space Is The Place 9:50
4. The Sunny Side of the Street 9:40
5. Manhattan Cocktail 10:15

1. Space Fling 7:40
2. Flamingo 4:50
3. Space Is The Place 9:50
4. The Sunny Side of the Street 9:40
5. Manhattan Cocktail 10:15