Photo Credit: Dead Currencies
Sun Ra was many things. As a pianist, composer, inventor, bandleader, philosopher and a revolutionary, Ra’s creation knew no bounds; even still, three decades after his ascent to the stars, his powerfully prolific artistic expression continues to result in a steady stream of new recordings, artifacts and tributes from his devotees. Today, Nashville, Tenn.-based upstart indie label Dead Currencies continues this current with the announcement of Kingdom of Discipline, a new compilation of unheard sounds from the vault of Ra.
Set to arrive on Oct. 25, Kingdom of Discipline paints a portrait of the avant-garde icon with seven tracks. Sourced from across two decades of his artistic output, the compilation etches some of the many sides that the artist embraced throughout his career, ranging from his swing and blues-inflected melodic works to the limitless free jazz odysseys that became a calling card for his Arkestra. Today’s announcement is accompanied by the preview track “Tone Poem #9,” which bridges these poles and provides a captivating window into Ra’s working habits and aims as a bandleader.
On today’s track, Dead Currencies label owner JR writes, “‘You’ve got a solo, John…’ Sun Ra directs John Gilmore on the fly. Tone Poem #9 drops all of us right in the middle of a rehearsal at Saturn House on Morton Street in West Philadelphia in the summer of 1978. The opening track of the new collection of previously unreleased tunes by the legendary Sun Ra, Kingdom of Discipline, is a mood unto itself, with vibes to spare. ‘You ain’t got it right, Charlie, that’s wrong…’ We’re offered a peek behind the curtain at the musical genius at work. Featuring Marshall Allen, John Gilmore & Charles Davis.”
JR goes on to detail the video released today alongside the new song, which sources archival footage and cuts from Edward Bland’s 1959 film “The Cry of Jazz” to contextualize Sun Ra’s work, setting an image to the pioneering first gusts of the artist’s earth-shaking creative torrent. “The video itself is meant as a sort of ‘tone poem,’ which reflects the vibe of the song,” he writes. “Intermixing shots of 1950’s Chicago, with a heavenly jazz band, it grounds Sun Ra in the streets of Chicago, where he rehearsed & played for a time, while alluding to his celestial birth and resting place.”
Other standout selections from the seven-track collection include a solo piano recording from 1990–just three years before Ra left this plane–and a treatment of “Sophisticated Lady” by Duke Ellington, who influenced Ra tremendously not only as a chief voice of the swing era, but a fearless pioneer of new sounds in jazz himself. Recalling the roots of Sun Ra’s recordings on his home-grown El Saturn label, which would distribute hand-made records in batches of typically no more than 75 units per, Kingdom of Discipline will be released in a limited batch of 75 pressings.
For more information on Kingdom of Discipline, visit deadcurrencies.com. Listen to “Tone Poem #9” below.
Kingdom of Discipline – Sun Ra & His Arkestra
1. Tone Poem #9
2. Love in Outer Space
3. The Schimmel Impromtpu
4. Pleiades (1980)
5. Reel 191 Blues
6. The Kingdom of Discipline
7. Sophisticated Lady