Sun Ra - Cosmos (1976)

Sun Ra has always been an explorer, venturing out among the cycles and frequencies of the musical cosmos like a wild astronaut, bent on rejoicing and celebrating the wonders of the universe. The extended metaphor of space travel permeates the emotional climate of this masterful recording, as Sun Ras Arkestra reaches out to express the vibrations of the stars as in Interstellar the adventure of travel as in "Moonship" and "Unknown Planet." Sun Ra has always been ahead of his time, musically and spiritually, and has suffered somewhat at the hands of fashionable critics who disdained his attempts at cosmic communications.

LeRoi Jones, in his perceptive book Black Music, understood Sun Ras quest better than most contemporary observers, and made these comments in 1966. All the concepts that seemed vague and unrealized in the late 1950s have come together in the mature and profound music and compositions of this philosopher-musician. Sun Ras Arkestra is really a black family. The leader keeps fourteen or fifteen musicians playing with him, who are convinced that music is a priestly concern and vitally significant aspect of black culture. Some of the musicians like tenor man John Gilmore, might have jobs with other bread bands, but their strongest dedication is to the beautiful black sound-world of Sun Ra.

"Recorded in Paris in 1976, this album is one of Ra's more accessible efforts - and no less enjoyable for all that. The line up includes such luminaries as John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, Danny Thompson, Elo Omoe and others in a full brass section, backed by some absolutely stomping rhythm section work from electric bass and drums played by a couple of unknown session musicians. In fact, this rhythm section lends the album much of its flavour - supplying a driving, urgent, up-tempo, post-bop backbone to most of the tracks. Throughout, Ra plays just one instrument - the Rocksichord - which sounds very much like a harpsichord filtered through various electronic processes. Indeed, some of the album's more reflective moments come in two unaccompanied pieces which maintain a calm and almost melancholy tone, while never straying far from Ra's cosmic vision.
The highlight of the album, however, has to be 'Moonship Journey', a rolling mid-tempo romp which features the band singing in broad Bronx accents the refrain: 'Prepare yourself for the moonship journey, Journey of the moonship,' with such verve and syncopation that you can almost imagine Sinatra adopting the tune.
A rare corker!" - Mr. Daniel Spicer

"A hard-to-find, alternately chaotic and tightly organized mid-'70s session that was issued on the Cobra, and then Inner City labels. Sun Ra provided some stunning moments on the Rocksichord, while leading The Arkestra through stomping full-band cuts of atmospheric or alternately hard bop compositions, peeling off various saxophonists for skittering, screaming, at times spacey dialogues."  - allmusic  

Tracklist:

A1	The Mystery Of Two	5:47
A2	Interstellar Low-Ways	4:45
A3	Neo Project #2	5:15
A4	Cosmos	2:50
B1	Moonship Journey	6:30
B2	Journey Among Stars	5:50
B3	Jazz From An Unknown Planet	8:10

Sun Ra - Cosmos (1976)      
(320 kbps, cover art included)