Jazz by Sun Ra

Jazz By Sun Ra
Original Transition pressing, 1957
Studio album by
Sun Ra and his Arkestra
Released1957
RecordedJuly 12, 1956
StudioUniversal Recording Corp. (Chicago)
GenrePost-bop, big band
Length40:14
Label
ProducerTom Wilson
Sun Ra and his Arkestra chronology
Jazz By Sun Ra
(1957) 		Super-Sonic Jazz
(1957)
reissue cover
Delmark reissue 1967, retitled Sun Song
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[2]

Jazz By Sun Ra (later titled Sun Song) is the debut album by Sun Ra.[4] The record label for the first pressing says "07-12-56", presumably when it was recorded.[5] The LP originally appeared on Tom Wilson's short-lived Transition Records. In the mid-1960s it was purchased (along with much of the Transition catalog) by Delmark Records owner Bob Koester, finally being reissued in 1967.

When originally released, it came with an extensive booklet featuring words and photos of Sun Ra and his Arkestra. The LP featured original compositions by Sun Ra along with one by Arkestral bassist Richard Evans. Another composition by Arkestra member Julian Priester has been included in reissues from the session, and additional unreleased tracks (all Ra originals) are known to survive. The single non-Arkestral composition was Possession, by Harry Revel, which had been written for Les Baxter's album Perfume Set to Music; Possession was arranged for the Arkestra by the Texan pianist and composer Prince Shell.

Earlier home recordings by Ra, including one dating from 1948 or 1949, were released with tracks from 1973 on the album Deep Purple.

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 186. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  3. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1356. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  4. ^ Sun Ra Discography Items 1-25
  5. ^ Sun Ra – Jazz By Sun Ra