The Sun Ra discography is one of the largest discographies in music history.[1][2] Jazz keyboardist, bandleader and composer Sun Ra recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, and making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century.[3]

History

His own El Saturn Records albums were usually printed in editions of 75 copies per album, and were sold primarily at live performances. Many of Sun Ra's early albums were recorded at home by Ra himself on wire or early tape recorders, and are decidedly lo-fi. Despite the technological limitations, Ra used some innovative recording techniques, and these recordings provided an unprecedented level of documentation, and were inspirational in showing how artists could take control of production and distribution of their works.

Prior to the 1970s, most of these albums were produced in Chicago through the "El Saturn Records Research" enterprise established by Ra and his colleague Alton Abraham, while later El Saturn Records were produced in Philadelphia. A batch of the most significant recordings were licensed to Impulse! Records in the mid-1970s. They were not as successful as hoped, and were deleted from the Impulse catalog, becoming available around the world as inexpensive "cut-outs" and making the music more widely available.

Most El Saturn Records were hand-decorated by Arkestra members,[4] and these LP records sometimes sell for high prices among collectors. These El Saturn Records releases, dating from the 1950s to at least the late 1980s, typically had little or no information as to performers or recording dates, and sometimes didn't even list the songs on the album, often pressing one LP side from one era with another from a different decade, leading to some confusion among completists and fans.

After Sun Ra's death, many of his recordings were released on compact disc for the first time by Evidence Records, Ihnfinity Music, ESP Disk / ZYX Music, or Impulse!. As is the case with an artist whose output is so extensive, there is quite a bit of debate regarding his "best" albums. Of all these recordings, many critics and enthusiasts feel that the 1959 big band album Jazz In Silhouette is the best entry-point into his work,[5] with The Penguin Guide to Jazz naming the album as part of a recommended "Core Collection" for any serious jazz fan and as "one of the most important jazz records since World War II."[6]

Albums

Studio Albums

Year Title Credit Label
1957 Jazz by Sun Ra (aka Sun Song) Sun Ra and His Arkestra Transition
Super-Sonic Jazz (aka Super-Sonic Sounds) Le Sun Ra and His Arkestra El Saturn
1959 Jazz in Silhouette Sun Ra and His Arkestra
1962 The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (aka We are in the Future) Savoy Records
1963 When Sun Comes Out Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn
1965 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk
The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two
1966 The Magic City El Saturn
1967 Strange Strings Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra
1968 Monorails and Satellites Sun Ra
1969 Atlantis Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra
1970 My Brother the Wind
The Night of the Purple Moon Sun Ra
1971 My Brother the Wind Volume II (Otherness) Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra
1972 Solar Myth Approach Vols 1+2 Sun Ra and His Solar Myth Arkestra BYG Actuel
1973 Astro Black Sun Ra Impulse!
Space Is the Place Blue Thumb Records
Discipline 27 Sun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra El Saturn
1975 Pathways to Unknown Worlds Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra Impulse!
1976 Cosmos Sun Ra Cobra
1977 Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue El Saturn
Solo Piano Improvising Artists
1978 New Steps Sun Ra Quartet Horo
Other Voices, Other Blues
Visions Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson SteepleChase Records
Lanquidity Sun Ra Philly Jazz
1979 The Other Side of the Sun Sun Ra and His Arkestra Sweet Earth Records
God Is More than Love Can Ever Be Sun Ra Trio Saturn 72579
Omniverse Sun Ra El Saturn
On Jupiter Sun Ra and His Arkestra
Sleeping Beauty (aka Door of the Cosmos)
1981 Aurora Borealis Sun Ra El Saturn 10480
1983 A Fireside Chat with Lucifer Sun Ra and His Outer Space Arkestra Saturn Research B1984SG-9
1984 Celestial Love El Saturn 19842
Nuclear War Sun Ra Arkestra Y Records
1987 Reflections in Blue Black Saint
Hours After
1988 Hidden Fire 2 Sun Ra Saturn 13088A / 12988B
Hidden Fire 1 Saturn 13188III / 12988II
1989 Blue Delight A&M Records
1990 Mayan Temples Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint

Archival Releases

Released Title Recorded
1965 Angels and Demons at Play 1960
Fate In A Pleasant Mood
Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow 1962
Secrets of the Sun
1966 Visits Planet Earth 1958
The Nubians of Plutonia (aka The Lady with the Golden Stockings) 1959
Interstellar Low Ways (aka Rocket Number Nine) 1960
When Angels Speak of Love 1963
Other Planes of There 1964
1967 We Travel the Space Ways 1961
Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy 1963
1968 Sound of Joy 1956
1970 Sound Sun Pleasure!! 1959
Holiday For Soul Dance 1960
Continuation 1968
1972 Bad and Beautiful 1961
1973 Deep Purple aka Dreams Come True) 1973–1953
1974 Monorails and Satellites Vol. 2 1966
The Invisible Shield (aka Janus, A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 2, Satellites are Outerspace) 1970–1962
Space Probe (aka A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 1) 1969–1970
1975 What's New? 1962
Pathways to Unknown Worlds 1973
1980 Strange Celestial Road 1979
1989 Out There a Minute 1970–1961
1990 Purple Night 1989
1993 Soundtrack to the Film Space Is the Place 1972
Somewhere Else 1989

Posthumous releases of studio material and rehearsals

RecordedAlbumArtistRelease date & notesOriginal Label(s)
1963Blue YorkSun Ra2014 as a bonus disc for the Continuation album re-release and 2016 as the Blue York Album. Previously unreleased recording from 1963[7]Jeanne Dielman
1965Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (The Lost Tapes)Sun Ra2005. Previously unreleased recording from the Heliocentric Worlds Volume II sessions[8]ESP Disk
1965Other Strange WorldsSun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra2014. Previously unreleased recording made in Sun Ra's apartment in New York City[9]Roaratorio
1966Thunder of the GodsSun Ra and His Arkestra2017. Previously unreleased live and studio recordings[10]Modern Harmonic
1968–1969Sun EmbassySun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra2018. Archival recordings from the Sun Ra Philadelphia house, Sun Studios, from May 1968 to October 1969[11]Roaratorio
1969The Intergalactic ThingSun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra2016. A dozen previously unreleased recordings from rehearsals at the Sun Ra Philadelphia house[12]Roaratorio
1973Crystal SpearsSun Ra2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s[13]Evidence
1973CymbalsSun Ra2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970s[13]Evidence
1973Friendly LoveSun Ra2000. Previously unreleased album which was planned for release and shelved by Impulse! in the 1970sEvidence
1973Sign Of The MythSun Ra And His Astro-Infinity Arkestra2014. Previously unreleased Impulse! recordings from the Pathways To Unknown Worlds sessions[14]Roaratorio
1974Dance of the Living Image: The Lost Reel Collection Volume 4Sun Ra2007. Previously unreleased reel-to-reel rehearsal sessions made in San Francisco[15]Transparency

Live albums

RecordedReleasedAlbumCredited artistOriginal label(s)
19602002Music from Tomorrow's World: Chicago 1960Sun Ra and His ArkestraAtavistic
1964-12-311976Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold (aka Judson Hall, New York, December 31, 1964)Sun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn Records
1966-051970Nothing IsSun RaESP-Disk
19681971Pictures of Infinity (aka Outer Spaceways Incorporated)Sun Ra and His ArkestraBlack Lion Records
1970-08-03/051971Nuits de la Fondation MaeghtSun Ra ArkestraShandar
1970-10-17/11-071970It's After the End of the WorldSun Ra and His Intergalactic Research ArkestraMPS
1970Black Myth/Out in SpaceSun Ra and His Intergalactic Research ArkestraMotor Music
1971NidhamuSun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn
1971Live in Egypt 1Sun Ra and His Astro Intergalactic Infinity ArkestraEl Saturn
1971HorizonSun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn
1971The Paris Tapes - Live at Le Theatre Du Chatlet 1971Sun Ra and His Mythic Science ArkestraKindred Spirits / Art Yard
19731999Outer Space Employment AgencySun Ra And His Intergalactic ArkestraTotal Energy
1973What Planet Is This?Sun Ra and His Space ArkestraLeo
1973Concert for the Comet KohoutekSun RaESP-Disk
1973Live in Paris at the "Gibus"Sun RaAtlantic Records
1973Planets Of Life Or Death: Amiens '73Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research ArkestraStrut
1974Out Beyond the Kingdom OfSun Ra and His Outer Space ArkestraEl Saturn 61674
1974The Antique BlacksSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn 81774
1974Sub UndergroundSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn 92074
1976Live at MontreuxSun Ra and His ArkestraInner City Records
1976A Quiet Place in the UniverseSun Ra and His ArkestraLeo
1977Taking a Chance on ChancesSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn
1977Somewhere Over the RainbowSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn
1977The Soul Vibrations of ManSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn
1977St. Louis Blues (solo piano)Sun RaImprovising Artists
1977Some Blues But Not the Kind That's BlueSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn
1977Solo Piano Recital Teatro La FeniceSun RaLeo
1977UnitySun Ra and His ArkestraHoro
1978Springtime in ChicagoThe Sun Ra ArkestraLeo
1978Disco 3000Sun Ra QuartetEl Saturn
1978Media DreamsSun Ra QuartetEl Saturn
1978The Sound MirrorSun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn
1979Of Mythic WorldsSun RaPhilly Jazz[16]
1979I, PharaohSun Ra and His ArkestraEl Saturn 6680[17]
1979[18]Live from SoundscapeSun Ra and His ArkestraDIW Records
1980Sunrise in Different DimensionsThe Sun Ra ArkestraHathut Records
1980The Complete Detroit Jazz Center ResidencySun Ra And The Omniverse Jet Set Arkestra
Limited issue of 500 copies, 28-CD Box Set		Transparency
1981Beyond the Purple Star ZoneSun Ra And His Omniverse Jet-Set ArkestraEl Saturn 123180
1981Dance of Innocent PassionSun RaEl Saturn
1982Oblique Parallaxprimarily Sun Ra on keyboardEl Saturn SR72881
1983The Sun Ra Arkestra Meets Salah Ragab In EgyptThe Sun Ra Arkestra / Salah Ragab / The Cairo Jazz BandLeo
1983Love in Outer SpaceSun Ra and His ArkestraLeo
1983HiroshimaThe Sun Ra All Stars BandArt Yard Records
1984Cosmo Sun ConnectionSun Ra and His ArkestraSaturn/ Recommended Records
1984Live at Praxis '84The Sun Ra ArkestraLeo
1985Live at Club LingerieThe Sun Ra ArkestraTransparency
1985Live at Myron's BallroomThe Sun Ra ArkestraTransparency
1986A Night in East BerlinSun Ra and His Cosmo Discipline ArkestraLeo
1987John Cage Meets Sun RaSun Ra and John CageMeltdown
1988[19]Cosmo Omnibus Imagiable IllusionSun Ra ArkestraDIW
1989Second Star to the Right (Salute to Walt Disney)Sun Ra & His Intergalactic ArkestraLeo
1989Stardust from TomorrowSun Ra & His Intergalaxtic ArkestraLeo
1990Live in London 1990Sun Ra and His Year 2000 Myth Science ArkestraBlast First
1990Live at the Hackney EmpireSun Ra And The Year 2000 Myth Science ArkestraLeo
1990Pleiades[20]Sun Ra and His ArkestraLeo Records
1991At the Village VanguardSun Ra SextetRounder
19911993Friendly GalaxySun Ra ArkestraLeo
1991-04-202016-11-25At Inter-Media Arts, April 1991Sun Ra and His ArkestraModern Harmonic
1992Destination UnknownSun Ra & His Omniverse ArkestraEnja Records

Posthumous compilations

RecordedReleasedAlbumCredited artistOriginal Label(s)
1956–19732000Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic TravelSun Ra and His ArkestraEvidence
1970-10-17/1970-11-071998Black Myth/Out in SpaceSun Ra and His Intergalactic Research ArkestraMPS Records/Motor Music
2007The Creator of the Universe (Lost Reel: Volume 1)Sun RaTransparency
2007Intergalactic Research (Lost Reel: Volume 2)Sun RaTransparency
2007The Shadows Took Shape (Lost Reel: Volume 3)Sun RaTransparency
2007Dance of the Living Image (Lost Reel: Volume 4)Sun RaTransparency
2009Interplanetary MelodiesSun Ra and His ArkestraNorton
2009The Second Stop Is JupiterSun Ra and His ArkestraNorton
2009Rocket Ship RockSun Ra and His ArkestraNorton
2014In the Orbit of Ra[21]Sun Ra and His ArkestraStrut
2015To Those of Earth... And Other WorldsSun Ra and His ArkestraStrut
1952–19612016-11-25Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection, Vol. 1—1952–1961Sun RaStrut
1958–19852018-03-27The Space Age Is Here To StaySun Ra and His Interplanetary Vocal ArkestraModern Harmonic/Sundazed Music
RecordedAlbumCredited artistOriginal Label(s)
1954–1960Spaceship Lullaby: Chicago 1954-60Sun Ra/the Vocal Groups featuring Nu Sounds, the Unitels & the Cosmic RaysAtavistic
1966Impressions of a Patch of BlueWalt Dickerson Quartet with Sun Ra on harpsichordMGM
1966Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and DaleUncredited, but featuring Sun Ra & members of the Arkestra and the Blues ProjectTifton
1968A Black MassImamu Amiri Baraka with Sun Ra and His Myth Science ArkestraJihad Productions[22]
1988Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney FilmsSun Ra & His Arkestra perform "Pink Elephants On Parade" from DumboA&M Records
1992A Tribute to Stuff SmithBilly Bang with Sun Ra, John Ore and Andrew CyrilleSoul Note
2013ARTPOPWriting credit with Lady Gaga for the song "Venus"Interscope

References

  1. ↑ "Sun Ra discography". Allmusic.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Robert L. & Trent, Christopher (2000). The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra (2nd ed.). Redwood, NY: Cadence Jazz Books. ISBN 978-1-881993-35-3.
  3. ↑ Szwed, John F. (1997). Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra. New York City: Pantheon Books. p. xvii. ISBN 978-0-679-43589-1.
  4. ↑ Holley Jr., Eugene (2023-01-04). "The DIY Cosmic Cover Art of Sun Ra". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  5. ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "Jazz In Silhouette". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  6. ↑ Cook, Richard & Morton, Brian (2006) [1992]. "Sun Ra". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (8th ed.). New York City: Penguin Books. p. 1245. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
  7. ↑ "Sun Ra Continuation". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  8. ↑ "Sign Of The Myth". Roaratorio. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  9. ↑ "Other Strange Worlds". Roaratorio. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  10. ↑ Pearce, Sheldon (2017-04-13). "Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Thunder of the Gods". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  11. ↑ "Sun Embassy". Forced Exposure. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  12. ↑ "The Intergalactic Thing". Roaratorio. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  13. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals & Crystal Spears". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  14. ↑ "Sun Ra – Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3 (The Lost Tapes)". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  15. ↑ Nastos, Michael G. "Dance of the Living Image". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  16. ↑ "Sun Ra - Of Mythic Worlds". Discogs.
  17. ↑ Campbell, Robert (2013-01-30). "Sun Ra Discography: Items 76-127". University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20.
  18. ↑ "Live from Soundscape". AllMusic.
  19. ↑ "Live at Pitt-In, Tokyo". AllMusic.
  20. ↑ Campbell, Robert. "Sun Ra discography". University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  21. ↑ Westergaard, Sean. "In the Orbit of Ra". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  22. ↑ "LeRoi Jones / Le Sun Ra* - A Black Mass". Discogs.
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