SUN RA – THE UNIVERSE SENT ME (LOST REEL 5)

Imagine the suspense and anticipation one would feel when loading a 1970s Sun Ra reel onto a deck for the first time in more that 30 years & not knowing what to expect. As the tape starts, familiar sounds of the Arkestra begin to be heard from that magical time period so long ago. There is a great sense of relief and accomplishment to know music that laid dormant for far too long, and was from one of the most original creators ever, would now be preserved for all to finally hear. Volume 5 of “The Lost Reel Collection” features music from two separate tapes. The first tape is from a 1972 short recording at the Seaport Museum in New York City. The acoustics sound like an outdoor concert. The featured track is Discipline 27-ll, which is purely instrumental and may be the earliest recording of this particular version. In 1973, Ra declamations like “Life is Splendid” and “What Planet Is This?” were added on top of the music theme. The second tape is from a 1973 recording in Paris, France. Although the acoustics are quite different, it’s a natural segue from the Seaport Museum tape. Opening with the Discipline 27-ll theme and the by-now more familiar declamation there which we title as “The Universe Sent Me” with this release. The beauty of the “reed” section is clearly heard during this track due to the apparent close proximity of the tape machine and the microphone setup. Once again, as with the first 4 volumes of “The Lost Reel Collection”, the listener is in for a real treat.