Sun Ra - The Antique Blacks

When Sun Ra and his Arkestra were based in Philadelphia, a period of stability resulted in some of his most well-loved albums like ‘Lanquidity’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, and ‘On Jupiter’. At this time the Arkestra typically consisted of 20 to 30 musicians, dancers, singers, and fire-eaters, combined with elaborate lighting effects, playing sets for two to three hours non-stop. The vitality heard on ‘Antique Blacks’ is a testament to the unique energy of the band’s community at that time, as Sun Ra blends elements of free jazz, off-key synth explorations, and experimental theatre into an other-worldly concoction that doesn't crop up anywhere else in the Arkestra's massive discography. 'Antique Blacks' takes its starting point from The Bible and slavery, and throws these issues into the contemporary political frame hurtling up-to-date with late ‘60s civil rights. It is one of the key un-reissued Sun Ra albums now available again, including the classic ‘Space Is The Place’. Comes with unpublished photography and new liner notes by the Arkestra’s Michael Anderson on printed inner sleeve.

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