Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". ~ Dusty Groove
Really wonderful work from a very overlooked talent – reedman Roscoe Weathers, a player who worked the west coast in the 60s before settling in LA – then led a group with a very strong flute sound in the lead! Roscoe's music here has plenty of echoes of the spiritualism of Yusef Lateef, mixed with some of the groovier styles of Roland Kirk – and the cuts here are from a range of small label 45s that really stand as an overdue testament to Weathers' beautiful music! There's occasionally touches of Latin, a strong dose of soul jazz, but also this ear for higher ideas in his music, even on shorter tracks – with a vibe that almost makes this work a precursor to the 70s recordings of Lloyd McNeil – a high recommendation from us. Hats off to Jazzman for such a great job – and titles include "Afro Latin Junto II", "Poem For Anna", "Blue Cha Cha", "I'll Remember Clover", "The Bob White Bird", "Echoes", "Dandelion Wine", "Root Flute", and "Yours Alone". ~ Dusty Groove
A compelling step forward for Sam Prekop – a key member of Sea & Cake for many years, but maybe an even more engaging artist on his own! This set's different than some of Sam's previous records – in that it's all electric, really electronic – with modes that hearken back to early ambient experiments, and some of the Japanese work of the 80s – but which also ties things in more strongly to the crucial contemporary vibe of his scene! These aren't retro electronic modes – as some are freewheeling in rhythm, almost evoking the early Thrill Jockey records of Oval – while others are tuneful and more direct, but still with edges around the sides – a subtle rasp that makes it clear that the record is as much a project of Prekop the visual artist as it is the musician. Titles include "Comma", "September Remember", "Never Met", "Above Our Heads", "Circle Line", "Summer Places", "The New Last", and "Park Line". ~ Dusty Groove
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