SUN RA 'THE FUTURISTIC SOUNDS OF SUN RA' LP (60th Anniversary Reissue)

LABEL: Craft Recordings
VINYL RELEASE DATE: 9/30/2022
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 1962
VARIANT: 60th Anniversary Reissue 180 Gram Black Vinyl LP

This special 60th Anniversary reissue of groundbreaking jazz artist Sun Ra’s iconic 1962 album The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra features all-analog re-mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The package includes Tom Wilson’s original liner notes, plus insightful new essays by jazz historianBen Young, as well as by Irwin Chusid, who is also a journalist, radio personality, and author. 

Engineered by Paul Cady, the sessions featured nine players, including Ra on piano, Bernard McKinney (later known as Kiane Zawadi, on trombone and euphonium), Marshall Allen (alto sax, flute, among other reed instruments), John Gilmore (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Pat Patrick (bass saxophone), Ronnie Boykins (bass), Willie Jones (drums), Leah Ananda (conga), and Ricky Murray (vocals).

Recorded in just one day, on October 10, 1961, The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra featured 11 tracks. Among the selections is the Latin-influenced opener, “Bassism,” the bluesy “Of Sounds and Something Else,” and the aptly named, “What’s That?,” which breaks into a four-saxophone improvisation, stands out as an example of Ra’s early experimental work.