Sun Ra - Astro Black (1973/2018)

After years of self-releasing albums, Sun Ra signed with ABC's Impulse! jazz imprint in 1972. A reissue series of earlier hard-to-find LPs was undertaken, along with a few new projects. The first, Astro Black, was recorded and released in the now-obsolete quadraphonic format (tho it was playable on stereo phonographs). The undertaking signaled a noble campaign on the part of Impulse producer Ed Michel to mainstream Sun Ra and broaden his audience, without any sacrifice of artistic integrity.

But the effort was doomed: the label either suffered commercial losses on the project, lost faith in avant-garde space funk, or both. Within two years, after corporate reshuffling involving ABC affiliates, the Sun Ra project was abandoned. ABC clipped the corners off the LP sleeves and dumped the lavishly illustrated gatefold LPs in record store discount bins (or as some disgruntled fans claimed, UNDER the bins). Yet the Sisyphean venture produced some worthwhile new music (which, until this digital reissue, has been long out of print).

Astro-Black was a return to quasi-accessibility, away (tho not completely) from the anti-jazz experimentalism of the late 1960s, and toward synthesizer-driven space jams. The Arkestra's horn skronk was still prominent, but on side one of Astro Black it was largely anchored by the propulsive rhythm section of returning bassist Ronnie Boykins and drummer Tommy Hunter (along with a battalion of African percussion). With Sun Ra perched behind his Minimoog synth, this is very much a 1970s album. But as any listener will attest, it's also very much a Sun Ra album.

On the 11-minute title track, vocalist June Tyson croons a siren song above bassist Boykins' snaking groove. About 3-1/2 minutes in, the Arkestra achieves liftoff, after which they explore some free interplay the rest of the way.

"Discipline 99" is a loose, relaxed space walk with some fine ensemble work by the horns and electro-vibraphone by Sunny. The percussion-trumpet-sax showcase "Hidden Spheres" serves up some steamy African exotica.

Side B of the 1972 LP featured "The Cosmo-Fire," a sprawling 18-minute otherworldly affair of conducted Afro-futuristic improvisation unified by Boykins' inventive bass and punctuated by Sunny's synth and organ. The work provides an uncompromising contrast to the album's A-side, and proves that despite the major label upgrade, Sun Ra was intent on challenging his listeners.

There's a brief chronicle of Ra's Impulse! series in "The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records," by Ashley Kahn. The book includes the following amusing anecdote by Ed Michel, in which he recalls his first Sun Ra mixing session in 1972: "I liked to mix at the pain threshold. It was really loud. We were mixing it quadraphonically in a relatively small room. Sun Ra was sleeping deep and snoring loud. For some reason, I stopped the tape in the middle of the tune. He came awake, wheeled his head like an owl does—all around the room, checking everything out. He said, 'You Earth people sleep too much.' He put his head down and started to snore again." – I.C.

Sun Ra: Moog synthesizer, space organ, electro-vibraphone
June Tyson: lead vocals (1)
Ruth Wright: backing vocals (1)
Cheryl Banks: backing vocals (1)
Judith Holten: backing vocals (1)
John Gilmore: tenor sax, percussion
Danny Ray Thompson: baritone sax, bongos
Pat Patrick: mistro-clarinet
Marshall Allen: alto sax, oboe
Danny Davis: alto sax, flute
Akh Tal Ebah: trumpet, mellophone
Kwame Hadi (Lamont McClamb): trumpet
Charles Stephens: trombone
Alzo Wright: violin, viola
Eloe Omoe: bass clarinet
Ronnie Boykins: bass
Tommy Hunter: drums
Atakatun (Stanley Morgan): conga
Odun (Russell Branch): conga
Chica: conga