Sun Ra - The Eternal Myth Revealed

THE ETERNAL MYTH REVEALED- The Story Of A Universal Being And His Music VOLUME 1 -- Covering 1933-1959.

Thirteen hours of unreleased & ultra-rare music. Plus definitive Sun Ra autobiographical commentary. 14 CDs  with a 5" x 5" paperback book (approximately 100 pages) in a sturdy box Audio illustrations showing how Sun Ra's own voice introduces each music section in both volumes can be found in the four Youtube links. This huge album of never-collected recordings features Sun Ra as either arranger, side man or group leader, singer, or composer and are the cornerstone of his entire body of work. The piano sound and Arkestra horn arrangements are all there right from the beginning. Mostly  consisting of unreleased material plus fifty 78-rpm records freshly transferred for this project at Rutgers University. (The 'Influences' tracks comprise less than half a CD and are included to illustrate Sun Ra's autobiographical commentary interspersed between the various Ra music segments.)

The Eternal Myth Revealed (Part One)

Video Demos of a few tracks + Examples of Sun Ra autobiographical commentary Part 1 = 1924 to 1953

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZSlXP_5LsY

Pt. 1 examines Sun Ra's early 1920s Blues Vocal and 1930s Big Band influences, his first recordings in 1946 as a piano sideman, his arrangements and compositions, Sun Ra as a singer in the late 1940s, his trio in 1949, creating the sound for vocalists Laverne Baker and Joe Williams, coaching The Hambone Kids in 1952 and the late 1940s Afro-Cuban influence of band leader Perez Prado and other rare facts and musically unheard inclusions.

Part 2 = 1953 to 1959 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IWYiafSyQo

Pt. 2 examines the solo piano recordings Sunny recorded in his apartment, the R&B Doo Wop influence of the Jazz vocal group The Ink Spots, Sun Ra coaching his R&B Doo Wop group The Nu-Sounds, the Sun Ra Bebop Band live at Bud Land in 1956,  a rare live performance at the Pershing Ballroom featuring Pat Patrick-baritone sax, Gene Ammons-tenor sax, J.J. Johnson-trombone, Sun Ra-piano, Ronnie Boykins-bass and Robert Barry-drums, a feature on tenor saxophonist John Gilmore from a 1958 Bud Land performance, Sun Ra and the band playing the pop tune Tequila and closing with vocalist Hattie Randolph and the 3 takes of  Round Midnight from the 1959 Sound Sun pleasure album.

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!