La discografia di Sun Ra è una delle più ampie nella storia della musica moderna.[ Sun Ra discography at Allmusic]Campbell, Robert L., & Trent, Christopher. The Earthly Recordings of Run Ra (2nd edition). Redwood, NY: Cadence Jazz Books, 2000. ISBN 978-1-881993-35-3 Il pianista jazz e direttore d'orchestra Sun Ra incise, insieme alla sua Arkestra, dozzine di singoli e circa un centinaio di album, componendo più di 1000 brani, cosa che lo rende uno degli artisti più prolifici del ventesimo secolo.Szwed, John F. Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra New York: Pantheon, 1997. ISBN 978-0-679-43589-1; pag. 17
Storia L'etichetta El Saturn Records di sua proprietà, abitualmente stampava i dischi in edizioni da sole 75 copie per album, e gli stessi venivano venduti per corrispondenza oppure durante i concerti dell'Arkestra. Molti dei primi album di Sun Ra furono registrati a casa da Sun Ra stesso su wire o sui primi registratori a nastro disponibili, ed erano forzatamente in bassa fedeltà audio. Nonostante le limitazioni tecnologiche di allora, Sun Ra fece uso di alcune tecniche di registrazione innovative.
Prima degli anni settanta, la maggior parte di questi album furono prodotti a Chicago attraverso la El Saturn Records Research, società fondata da Sun Ra con il suo socio Alton Abraham, mentre successivamente la produzione si spostò a Filadelfia. Alcuni dei dischi più significativi di Sun Ra furono dati in licenza alla Impulse! Records nel 1973-74 per un piano di ristampe con nuove copertine a colori e sonorità migliorate. Le prime ristampe non godettero del successo sperato, e le successive uscite furono cancellate e il contratto rescisso consensualmente, anche se rimasero in circolazione alcune prove di stampa complete di numero di catalogo e copertine, divenute con il tempo oggetti molto costosi ambiti dai collezionisti.
Le edizioni originali El Saturn Records dei dischi di Sun Ra avevano spesso copertine disegnate in maniera amatoriale e note scritte a mano dai membri dell'Arkestra, e sono oggi le più rare e ricercate dai collezionisti. Questi album, sono datati dalla fine degli anni cinquanta alla fine degli ottanta, hanno frequentemente scarse o nessuna informazione su registrazione, musicisti, ecc..., ed in alcuni casi non indicano nemmeno i titoli dei brani su disco, abbinando facciate di LP incisi in epoche diverse, o intitolando con lo stesso nome brani completamente differenti ingenerando non poca confusione negli appassionati.
Dopo la morte di Sun Ra, molte delle incisioni furono ristampate su compact disc per la prima volta da Evidence Records, Ihnfinity Music, ESP-Disk / ZYX Music, o Impulse!.
Album in studio Data incisione Titolo Artista accreditato Etichetta1956 Jazz by Sun Ra (ristampato in seguito come Sun Song) Sun Ra and his Arkestra Transition1956 Super-Sonic Jazz Le Sun Ra and his Arkestra El Saturn Records1956 Sound of Joy Sun Ra and the Arkestra Delmark Records1956-58 Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra Visits Planet Earth Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra El Saturn Records1958-59 The Nubians of Plutonia (alias The Lady with the Golden Stockings) Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1959 Jazz in Silhouette Sun Ra and his Arkestra El Saturn Records1959 Sound Sun Pleasure!! Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1959-60 Interstellar Low Ways (alias Rocket Number Nine) Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1960 Fate in a Pleasant Mood Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1960 Holiday for Soul Dance Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra El Saturn Records1956-60 Angels and Demons at Play Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1956-61 We Travel the Space Ways Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1961 The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (alias We are in the Future) Sun Ra and his Arkestra Savoy Records1961 Bad and Beautiful Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1962 Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra El Saturn Records1962 Secrets of the Sun Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra El Saturn Records1962 What's New? Sun Ra El Saturn Records1963 When Sun Comes Out Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1963 Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1963 When Angels Speak of Love Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra El Saturn Records1964 Other Planes of There Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra El Saturn Records1965 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk1965 The Magic City Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra El Saturn Records1965 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk1966 Strange Strings Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1966 Monorails and Satellites, Vol 1 & Vol 2 Sun Ra El Saturn Records1968 Continuation Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1967-69 Atlantis Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1961-70 Out There a Minute Sun Ra and his Arkestra Blast First1962-70 The Invisible Shield (alias Janus, A Tonal View of Times Tomorrow, Vol. 2, Satellites are Outerspace) Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra1970 My Brother the Wind Sun Ra and his Astro-Solar Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1970 The Night of the Purple Moon Sun Ra El Saturn Records1970 My Brother the Wind Volume II (Otherness) Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Arkestra El Saturn Records1971[ Allmusic review Volume 1][ Allmusic review Volume 2] Solar Myth Approach Vols 1+2 BYG Actuel 1972 Astro Black Sun Ra Impulse!1972 Discipline 27 Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra El Saturn Records1972 Space Is the Place Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra Blue Thumb Records1972 Space Is the Place (colonna sonora) Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Solar Arkestra Evidence Music (1993)1972 Crystal Spears Sun Ra 1972 Cymbals Sun Ra 1953-73 Deep Purple Sun Ra and his Arkestra featuring Stuff Smith on violin El Saturn Records1973 Outer Space Employment Agency Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra1973 Pathways to Unknown Worlds Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra Impulse! Records1973 Friendly Love Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra Evidence Music, Inc.1976 Cosmos Sun Ra Cobra1977 Unity Horo Records1977 Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue Sun Ra El Saturn Records1977 Solo Piano Volume 1 Sun Ra Improvising Artists Inc1978 New Steps Sun Ra Quartet Horo1978 Other Voices Other Blues Sun Ra Quartet Horo1978 Visions Sun Ra and Walt Dickerson SteepleChase Records1978 Lanquidity Sun Ra Philly Jazz1978 Disco 3000 Sun Ra and his Arkestra El Saturn Records1979 Of Mythic Worlds Sun Ra Philly Jazz1979 Omniverse Sun Ra El Saturn Records1979 On Jupiter Sun Ra and his Arkestra El Saturn Records1979 Strange Celestial Road Sun Ra Arkestra Rounder Records1979 I, Pharaoh Sun Ra and his Arkestra1979 Sleeping Beauty Sun Ra and his Arkestra El Saturn Records1979 The Other Side of the Sun Sun Ra and His Arkestra Sweet Earth Records1979 God Is More than Love Can Ever Be Sun Ra and his Arkestra 1980 Aurora Borealis Sun Ra 1982 A Fireside Chat with Lucifer Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra 1982 Celestial Love Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra 1982 Nuclear War Sun Ra Arkestra Y Records1986 Reflections in Blue Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint1986 Hours After Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint1988-89 Somewhere Else Sun Ra Rounder1989 Blue Delight Sun Ra A&M Records1990 Purple Night Sun Ra A&M Records1990 Mayan Temples Sun Ra Arkestra Black Saint1993 Pleiades Sun Ra and his Arkestra Leo Records
Album dal vivo Data incisione Titolo Artista accreditato Etichetta 1960 Music from Tomorrow's World: Chicago 1960 Sun Ra and his Arkestra Atavistic1964 Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold Sun Ra ESP-Disk1966 Nothing Is Sun Ra ESP-Disk1966-68 Outer Spaceways Incorporated Sun Ra and his Arkestra Black Lion Records1968 Pictures of Infinity Sun Ra Black Lion1970 It's After the End of the World Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra MPS Records1970 Historical Masters - Fondation Maeght Nights, Volume 1 Sun Ra Arkestra JazzView / FONAC1970 Historical Masters - Fondation Maeght Nights, Volume 2 Sun Ra Arkestra JazzView / FONAC1971 Nidhamu Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra 1971 Live in Egypt 1 Sun Ra and his Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra 1971 Horizon Sun Ra and his Arkestra 1971 The Paris Tapes - Live at Le Theatre Du Chatlet 1971 Sun Ra and his Mythic Science Arkestra 1973 What Planet Is This? Sun Ra and his Space Arkestra Leo1973 Concert for the Comet Kohoutek Sun Ra ESP-Disk1973 Live in Paris at the "Gibus" 1974 Out Beyond the Kingdom Of Sun Ra and his Outer Space Arkestra 1974 The Antique Blacks Sun Ra and his Arkestra Saturn1976 Live at Montreux Inner City Records 1976 A Quiet Place in the Universe Leo1977 St. Louis Blues (solo piano) Sun Ra Improvising Artists 1977 Some Blues But Not The Kind That's Blue Sun Ra and his Arkestra Saturn 1977 Solo Piano Recital Teatro La Fenice Leo 1978 Springtime in Chicago Leo 1978 The Sound Mirror Sun Ra 1979[ Allmusic Live from Soundscape review] Live from Soundscape Sun Ra and his Arkestra DIW Records1980 Sunrise in Different Dimensions The Sun Ra Arkestra Hathut Records1980 The Complete Detroit Jazz Center Residency Box set da 28 CD in edizione limitata di 500 copie Transparency 1983 Sun Ra Meets Salah Ragab (Recorded in Egypt) Leo 1983 Love in Outer Space Leo1984 Cosmo Sun Connection Sun Ra and his Arkestra 1984 Live at Praxis '84 Leo1985 Live at Club Lingerie Transparency1985 Live at Myron's Ballroom Transparency 1986 A Night in East Berlin Sun Ra and his Cosmo Discipline Arkestra Leo 1987 John Cage Meets Sun Ra Sun Ra and John Cage Meltdown1988[ Allmusic Live at Pitt-In, Tokyo review] Live at Pitt-In, Tokyo Sun Ra Arkestra DIW 1989 Second Star to the Right (Salute to Walt Disney) Sun Ra & his Intergalactic Arkestra Leo 1989 Stardust from Tomorrow Leo1990 Live in London 1990 Sun Ra and his Year 2000 Myth Science Arkestra Blast First 1990 Live at the Hackney Empire Leo1991 At the Village Vanguard Sun Ra Sextet Rounder 1991 Friendly Galaxy Sun Ra Arkestra Leo1992 Destination Unknown Sun Ra & his Omniverse Arkestra Enja Records
Compilation Data Titolo Artista accreditato Etichetta2000 Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel Sun Ra and his Arkestra 2001 Out in Space Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Research Arkestra 2005 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Three - The Lost Tapes Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra ESP-Disk2007 The Creator of the Universe (Lost Reel: Volume 1) Transparency2007 Intergalactic Research (Lost Reel: Volume 2) Transparency2007 The Shadows Took Shape (Lost Reel: Volume 3) Transparency2007 Dance of the Living Image (Lost Reel: Volume 4) Transparency2009 Interplanetary Melodies Norton Records2009 The Second Stop Is Jupiter Norton Records2009 Rocket Ship Rock Norton Records2014 In the Orbit of Ra Sun Ra and his Arkestra Strut2015 To Those of Earth... And Other Worlds Sun Ra and his Arkestra Strut
Album correlati Data Titolo Artista accreditato Etichetta 1954-60 Spaceship Lullaby: Chicago 1954-60 Sun Ra/gruppi vocali comprendenti Nu Sounds, The Unitels & The Cosmic Rays Atavistic1966 Impressions of a Patch of Blue Walt Dickerson Quartet con Sun Ra al clavicembalo MGM1966 Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale Non accreditato, ma comprendente Sun Ra & membri dell'Arkestra e dei Blues Project Tifton1968 A Black Mass Imamu Amiri Baraka con Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra Jihad Productions1992 A Tribute to Stuff Smith Billy Bang con Sun Ra, John Ore & Andrew Cyrille Soul Note2013 Artpop Credito compositivo di Sun Ra insieme a Lady Gaga per la traccia Venus Interscope
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Collegamenti esterni [ Discografia di Sun Ra su Allmusic]
Sun Ra