Sun Ra Live At Praxis '84 CD

This two-CD set (reissued from a triple LP) is by no means indispensable Sun Ra, but it does give a sense of what the Arkestra sounded like live in the mid-1980s. All the excesses are there, including the silly, repetitive lyrics that made the group such a blast to watch. A healthy portion of the tunes are standards, including "Mack the Knife" (with a hilarious Louis Armstrong imitation), "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "Satin Doll," and "Days of Wine and Roses." The band could swing mightily, and it harbored an uncanny ability to perform virtually the entire history of jazz in a single set. This version of the Archestra (recorded in Athens, Greece) includes mainstay saxophonists Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and Danny Ray Thompson; three percussionists; and only a single brass player (trumpeter Ronnie Brown). A must for Sun Ra collectors and aficionados of the exotic, but for others, there is better Ra available. ~ Steven Loewy

2-CD set features the high priest of outer space recorded live at the Orpheus Theatre in Athens, Greece in 1984, playing improvisations as well as unique versions of standards, joined by a galaxy of musicians including Ronnie Brown, Marshall Allen, Eloe

Recorded at the Orpheus Theatre in Athens, Greece in 1984.

Personnel includes: Sun Ra, Ronnie Brown, Marshall Allen, Eloe Omoe.

The Wire (4/00, p.69) - "...As good as it gets....It starts with some ferocious blowing that augurs well....offering plenty of chanting, quirky renditions of standards...and a few Arkestra favorites...For committed acolytes..."