Le Sony'r Ra, better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances. For much of his career, Ra led The Arkestra, an ensemble with an ever-changing name and flexible line-up.
Marshall Belford Allen is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and the electronic EWI.
Laurdine Kenneth "Pat" Patrick Jr. was an American jazz musician and composer. He played baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, and Fender bass and was known for his 40-year association with Sun Ra. His son, Deval Patrick, was formerly governor of Massachusetts.
Bob Stewart is an American jazz tuba player and music teacher.
Purple Night is a studio album by free jazz pioneer Sun Ra. It was released in 1990 on A&M Records.
Ahmed Abdullah is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band.
Ronald Boykins was a jazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader Sun Ra, although he had played with such disparate musicians as Muddy Waters, Johnny Griffin, and Jimmy Witherspoon prior to joining Sun Ra's Arkestra.
Alex Blake is a jazz bass player.
Live at Montreux is an album by Sun Ra recorded in the summer of 1976 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland under the billing Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Cosmo Arkestra. It was originally issued in 1977 on the Saturn label, with hand-drawn covers and reissued in 1978 on the Inner City label, with new artwork and song titles and musicians credited. It was first issued on CD by Universe Records in Italy, with poor sound quality and the track "On Sound Infinity Spheres" faded out early by about six minutes. The later Japanese P-Vine and US Inner City CDs both use earlier source tapes and are complete and unedited. A segment of the same Montreux concert appears on the 'Solo Piano & Montreux And Lugano' DVD on Transparency Records.
Vincent Chancey is an American jazz hornist.
Blue Delight is a jazz album by free jazz pioneer Sun Ra.
For the song by Harold Arden and Ted Koehler, see When the Sun Comes Out
When Angels Speak of Love is a music album by the American Jazz musician Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra. Originally released in 1966 on Sun Ra's own Saturn label, the record would have only been available by mail order or sold at Arkestra concerts, and is one of the rarest of all Saturn releases. The record was reissued on compact disc by Evidence in 2000.
Mayan Temples is an album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Sun Ra, recorded in 1990. Released on the Black Saint label, it was Sun Ra's final studio recording as a leader.
Cosmos is an album by jazz composer, bandleader and keyboardist Sun Ra and his Arkestra recorded in France in 1976 and originally released on the French Cobra label in Europe and on Inner City Records in the US.
Unity is a live double album by jazz composer, bandleader and keyboardist Sun Ra and his Arkestra recorded in 1977 and originally released on the Italian Horo label.
Melodic Art–Tet is a live album by the cooperative group of the same name, featuring saxophonist Charles Brackeen, trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, bassist William Parker, drummer Roger Blank, and percussionist Tony Waters. It was recorded on October 15, 1974, at WKCR studios in New York City, and was issued by NoBusiness Records in 2013, nearly 40 years after the concert.
Traveling the Spaceways is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. A tribute to his former employer, Sun Ra, it was recorded on February 27, 2004, at Clinton Studios in New York City, and was released later that year by Planet Arts Records. On the album, Abdullah is joined by members of the band known as Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra: saxophonists Salim Washington and Alex Harding, trumpeter Owuor Arunga, trombonist Craig Harris, violinist Billy Bang, guitarist Masujaa, vocalists Miles Griffith and Monique Ngozi Nri, bassist Radu Oluwu Ben Judah, and drummer Cody Moffett.
Actual Proof is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. It was recorded on January 18 and 19, 1999, at the Spirit Room in Rossie, New York, and was released in 1999 by CIMP. On the album, Abdullah is joined by members of the band called NAM: saxophonist and clarinetist Alex Harding, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer Jimmy Weinstein.
Dedication is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. It was recorded on June 17 and 18, 1997, at the Spirit Room in Rossie, New York, and was released in 1998 by CIMP. On the album, Abdullah is joined by members of his band Diaspora: saxophonist and flutist Carlos Ward, guitarist Masujaa, bassist Alex Blake, and drummer Cody Moffett, son of Charles Moffett, to whom the album is dedicated.
