Sun Ra Original Pressings/hand-made labels
$
355
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
“S.B.” was recorded in 1979. It is one of five El Saturn Label one-of-a-kind recordings complete with hand-made art and/or notations I obtained directly from Sun Ra himself in 1984. El Saturn was Sun Ra’s independent Record Label that he co-founded together in the late 1950s and pressing were small and the finished product at times contained the hand-made personalized details that this album contains. These are rapidly seen as collector’s items. I have never seen another copy of this particular album. For further reading on the Sun Ra phenomenon I suggest you read Pathways to Unknown Worlds: Sun Ra, El Saturn and Chicago's Afro-Futurist Underground, 1954-68.
In the late 1960s when the New York building which Sun Ra & his Orchestra had been renting was put up for sale, Sun Ra and the Arkestra relocated to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, where his Morton Street house remained the Arkestra's base of operations until Sun Ra's death. This house was complete with recording equipment for his El Saturn in-house pressings at the time this recording was made.
Often, Sun Ra, philosopher and jazz legend (1914–93), made multiple presentations for the packaging of his recordings. This unique copy of “S.B.” has a hand-designed cover with original markings on the label itself. It has only been played twice (for recording purposes) in 25 years.
The title of the Album is hand-written only on the label of the LP itself in a thick-paste-like blue ink that appears to be from one of Marcel Bich’s disposable ballpoint ink pens (“Bic Pen”) that were extremely prolific at the time of this recording.
A photocopy of an unusual collage adorns the back cover while a “cosmic” comic book- like drawing is on the front. It appears to be a photocopy of a Sun Ra inspired drawing or it may have been made by Sun Ra himself. It is impossible to know without interviewing the remaining band members. Both covers are glued on by hand. The vinyl is in great condition while the cover itself has some light damage around the edges that bespeaks the story of how long Sun Ra kept this album in his archives. The recording is essentially in the same state in which I received it having been kept in a state-of-the-arts plastic album cover ever since I first had possession of the work.
I first met Sun Ra twenty-five years ago at one of his favorite spots during European tours, the world-famous Jazzhus Monmatre in Copenhagen, Denmark. He played there that night with his core entourage of reediest, percussionists, bassists, guitarists and dancers. Even his great vocalist June Tyson was there on that occasion, although, her voice is not heard on this recording.
While relaxing and enjoying a thoughtful conversation on the current state of the universe together with he and Alto Sax player John Gilmore (chief influence upon Coltrane’s “Sheets of Sound”) Sun Ra sent me along with 30-year-band-member (and multiple-reed-player) Danny Thompson to the back of a car filled with El Saturn pressed albums. This is where I received these works. Enjoy your purchase and “Prepare Yourself For The Moon Ship Journey!” A notarized Affidavit/Certificate of Authenticity is provided with this unique record. Please contact me for more info. I love to exchange my thoughts on the secretiveness of his sessions and musical theories.
price rating
