Jazz by Sun Ra

Jazz By Sun Ra (later titled Sun Song) is the debut album by Sun Ra.[4] The record label for the first pressing says "07-12-56", presumably when it was recorded.[5] The LP originally appeared on Tom Wilson's short-lived Transition Records. In the mid-1960s it was purchased (along with much of the Transition catalog) by Delmark Records owner Bob Koester, finally being reissued in 1967.

Jazz By Sun Ra
Original Transition pressing, 1957
Studio album by
Sun Ra and his Arkestra
Released1957
RecordedJuly 12, 1956
StudioUniversal Recording Corp. (Chicago)
GenrePost-bop, big band
Length40:14
LabelTransition
Delmark
ProducerTom Wilson
Sun Ra and his Arkestra chronology
Jazz By Sun Ra
(1957)		 Super-Sonic Jazz
(1956)
reissue cover
Delmark reissue 1967, retitled Sun Song
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]

When originally released, it came with an extensive booklet featuring words and photos of Sun Ra and his Arkestra. The LP featured original compositions by Sun Ra along with one by Arkestral bassist Richard Evans. Another composition by Arkestra member Julian Priester has been included in reissues from the session, and additional unreleased tracks (all Ra originals) are known to survive. The single non-Arkestral composition was Possession, by Harry Revel, which had been written for Les Baxter's album Perfume Set to Music; Possession was arranged for the Arkestra by the Texan pianist and composer Prince Shell.

Earlier home recordings by Ra, including one dating from 1948 or 1949, were released with tracks from 1973 on the album Deep Purple.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sun Ra except where noted

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Brainville" 4:29
2."Call For All Demons" 4:30
3."Transition" 3:40
4."Possession"Harry Revel5:00
5."Street Named Hell" 3:55
Total length:21:34
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Lullaby For Realville"Richard Evans4:40
7."Future" 3:15
8."New Horizons" 3:05
9."Fall Off The Log" 4:00
10."Sun Song" 3:40
Total length:18:40

When reissued on Compact Disc in 1991, "Swing a Little Taste" was added. This was originally released on the Transition sampler Jazz in Transition alongside tracks by artists such as Cecil Taylor, Donald Byrd and John Coltrane.

CD version
  1. "Brainville" (Sun Ra) 4:29
  2. "Call for all Demons" (Sun Ra) 4:30
  3. "Transition" (Sun Ra) 3:40
  4. "Possession" (Harry Revel) 5:00
  5. "Street Named Hell" (Sun Ra) 3:55
  6. "Lullaby for Realville" (Richard Evans) 4:40
  7. "Future" (Sun Ra) 3:15
  8. "Swing a Little Taste" (Sun Ra) 4:25
  9. "New Horizons" (Sun Ra) 3:05
  10. "Fall off the Log" (Sun Ra) 4:00
  11. "Sun Song" (Sun Ra) 3:40

Musicians [6]

Recorded Universal Recording, Chicago, July 12, 1956

Pressings
Year Format Region Label Title
1957 LP US Transition Jazz By Sun Ra
SE Sonet
1967 US Delmark Sun Song
1968 UK
1971 FR Goody
1972 JP Trio Jazz By Sun Ra
1990 CD US Delmark Sun Song
1993 Cass
2001 LP
2003 CD JP P-Vine
2009 LP NL 6 Spices, Music & Words
2012 CD JP P-Vine
2014 US Delmark
2015 LP UK Poppydisc & Rev-Ola Jazz By Sun Ra
2016
2019 Not Now Music

External sources

References
  1. AllMusic review
  2. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1356. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 186. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. Sun Ra Discography Items 1-25
  5. Sun Ra – Jazz By Sun Ra
  6. Reissue sleeve notes, Delmark
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