Jazz

Astro-Black mythology, astro-timeless immortality! Astro Black has long been known as a cornerstone of the Ra catalog. It is well recorded, features a superb Arkestral lineup, and successfully combines several of the styles in which Sun Ra orbited, from Saturnic jazz to astro-funk. Pressed on colored vinyl at Third Man Pressing and packaged with new cover art with liner notes by Robert Campbell (author of The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra)!Although Astro Black was obviously professionally...

Pink Elephants on Parade will be available November 15th, 2024. Please note that orders containing any items that are on preorder will ship in full when all items are in stock. When you wish upon a star… that turns out to be Saturn! Previously unheard Ra culled from the archives and compiled based on their association to that children's film corporation with the cartoon rodent. Pressed on earth on pink vinyl! Jazz aficionados and Disney nerds alike will marvel at how seamlessly Sun Ra and his...

Katharine Whalen of Squirrel Nut Zippers fame, makes a triumphant return with her Jazz Squad featuring Austin Riopel on guitar, Danny Grewen on trombone, and the great Griffanzo on piano. This time the chanteuse delivers an entire album of breezy west coast jazz sounds in the form of a tribute to Chet Baker. It was around 1996 when Katharine Whalen first made her grand entrance onto culture’s collective radar as the sultry, yet effervescent voice of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, where she remained...

Katharine Whalen of Squirrel Nut Zippers fame, makes a triumphant return with her Jazz Squad featuring Austin Riopel on guitar, Danny Grewen on trombone, and the great Griffanzo on piano. This time the chanteuse delivers an entire album of breezy west coast jazz sounds in the form of a tribute to Chet Baker. It was around 1996 when Katharine Whalen first made her grand entrance onto culture’s collective radar as the sultry, yet effervescent voice of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, where she remained...

Trying to define what it is that makes Dr. John special is much like trying to define the word "soul'—you can surround it. But nailing it down is a whole ‘nother smoke. You can point to his sense of history, how he's never forgotten from whence he came, how his music always returns to his roots, even honoring the proud heritage of his native New Orleans. You can dissect his technique, marveling at the adroitness of the hands right and left; admiring the strong second line; respecting the...

This extended edition boasts 6 tracks making their vinyl debut, plus an extended alternate of the title track!  “Although it’s unlikely, one gets the sense that Dr. John poured a drink, lit a cigarette, cracked his knuckles and just started to play. It Is this charming saloon quality that makes Brightest Smile so special.” - Eric Snider (Jazziz, 1984) "Trying to define what it is that makes Dr. John special is much like trying to define the word "soul'—you can surround it. But nailing it...

A new Sun Ra LP touches ground in the earthly bins, 50 years after its creation! Sun Ra is still trying to get our attention 50 years after dispatching this transmission. Humanity's path since then makes his message even more urgent today. Years after Herman Poole "LeSony'r Ra" Blount "left the planet" he's still trying to reach us, to wake us up and to change our destiny. Sun Ra and the Arkestra weren't a traditional studio band, and every star in the vast galaxy of their discography reflects...

A lost solo piano record from the Night Tripper! Originally put to tape in ‘82 & ‘83 for the Clean Cuts label, these tracks have remained unheard until now. Two numbers feature the doc's raspy growl while his solo piano navigates us through the rest of the train ride, past touches of blues, jazz, and foot stompin’ boogie-woogie jive. It's the kind of magic that can only come from a dusty tape box. The CD includes two CD-only bonus tracks! In 1981, Dr. John began recording his first of two solo...

A lost solo piano record from the Night Tripper! Originally put to tape in ‘82 & ‘83 for the Clean Cuts label, these tracks have remained unheard until now. Two numbers feature the doc's raspy growl while his solo piano navigates us through the rest of the train ride, past touches of blues, jazz, and foot stompin’ boogie-woogie jive. It's the kind of magic that can only come from a dusty tape box. The CD includes two CD-only bonus tracks! In 1981, Dr. John began recording his first of two solo...

A lost solo piano record from the Night Tripper! Originally put to tape in ‘82 & ‘83 for the Clean Cuts label, these tracks have remained unheard until now. Two numbers feature the doc's raspy growl while his solo piano navigates us through the rest of the train ride, past touches of blues, jazz, and foot stompin’ boogie-woogie jive. It's the kind of magic that can only come from a dusty tape box. The CD includes two CD-only bonus tracks! In 1981, Dr. John began recording his first of two solo...

The outsized sounds emerging from the Excelsior Mill organ captured here constitute a unique chapter in the Sun Ra story, a dizzying phantasmagoria that offers a whole new view on what Ra could do. It might thrill you; it might unnerve you; it might strum your heartstrings; it might spook the living daylights out of you. Most likely you’ll experience all of the above before the jolting musical jeremiad is done. Contains the entire uncut show! When you’re Sun Ra, you don’t need synthesizers to...

The outsized sounds emerging from the Excelsior Mill organ captured here constitute a unique chapter in the Sun Ra story, a dizzying phantasmagoria that offers a whole new view on what Ra could do. It might thrill you; it might unnerve you; it might strum your heartstrings; it might spook the living daylights out of you. Most likely you’ll experience all of the above before the jolting musical jeremiad is done. Pressed on violet vinyl!  When you’re Sun Ra, you don’t need synthesizers to...

When you wish upon a star… that turns out to be Saturn! Previously unheard Ra culled from the archives and compiled based on their association to that children's film corporation with the cartoon rodent. Pressed on earth on pink vinyl! Jazz aficionados and Disney nerds alike will marvel at how seamlessly Sun Ra and his Arkestra put their own unique twist on both well-known and overlooked Disney songs. Pink Elephants on Parade takes nine songs from Disney’s storied catalog and recontextualizes...

Williams was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, but she was also a victim of geography. Her technical brilliance, complete control of the piano, creative imagination, wit, and constant desire to stretch herself put her at the top of her field although relatively few (beyond her fellow pianists) seemed to realize it during her lifetime. Born and raised in Baltimore, she recorded her first three albums in her hometown. But other than a few lesser-known sets in Europe, a handful of...

Williams was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, but she was also a victim of geography. Her technical brilliance, complete control of the piano, creative imagination, wit, and constant desire to stretch herself put her at the top of her field although relatively few (beyond her fellow pianists) seemed to realize it during her lifetime. Born and raised in Baltimore, she recorded her first three albums in her hometown. But other than a few lesser-known sets in Europe, a handful of...

Jazz snare & ride cymbal meet classical Indian tabla & pakhawaj! What happens when one of the best jazz drummers of all time combines efforts with one of India’s most renowned tabla players? Voilà! Rich À La Rakha. Calypso-flavored compositions, spontaneous jams, and a genuine instrumental dialogue between the two greats truly makes this a one-of-a-kind listen. Cut all analog! In 1968, as young America’s interest in Indian classical music was surging to its peak, Alla Rakha made a landmark...

Jazz snare & ride cymbal meet classical Indian tabla & pakhawaj! What happens when one of the best jazz drummers of all time combines efforts with one of India’s most renowned tabla players? Voilà! Rich À La Rakha. Calypso-flavored compositions, spontaneous jams, and a genuine instrumental dialogue between the two greats truly makes this a one-of-a-kind listen. Cut all analog! In 1968, as young America’s interest in Indian classical music was surging to its peak, Alla Rakha made a landmark...

Jazz snare & ride cymbal meet classical Indian tabla & pakhawaj! What happens when one of the best jazz drummers of all time combines efforts with one of India’s most renowned tabla players? Voilà! Rich À La Rakha. Calypso-flavored compositions, spontaneous jams, and a genuine instrumental dialogue between the two greats truly makes this a one-of-a-kind listen. Cut all analog and pressed on colored vinyl! In 1968, as young America’s interest in Indian classical music was surging to its peak,...

An F-bomb saturated hip-hop call & response club cut...from Sun Ra?! • An iconic demonic slice of Saturnian splendor, one of the most coveted releases in the Ra canon!• Features the emblematic “Nuclear War” anthem, earmarked to be played like an air raid siren when we as a society decide to pack up and call it a planet. A cut further popularized by Yo La Tengo.• Stunning new cover art blending favorite elements from the handmade original Saturn pressings.While the most renown track in...

Soothing Sounds for Saturnians! Sun Ra, notorious for his aggressive keyboard attack and seemingly schizophrenic stylings, here offers a unique selection playing the celeste-like Fender Rhodes electric piano, which has a distinct sound (think Doors' "Riders on the Storm") and an interesting history. This is Ra sound at his most relaxed and contemplative state. This Sun Ra 1980 solo set at Haverford College has been kicking around the internet and in the digital libraries of Ra collectors for...

Funky, swampy, and soulful solo piano! This 1981 album features pieces Dr. John loved and learned because they were favorites, or composed as dedications. All the selections were interpreted through his uniquely expressive New Orleans, barrelhouse, jazz-blues, rock 'n' roll lens. A landmark album for the jazz musician, Mac Rebennack shows his skill not only as a jazz musician, but as a major influence on the genre as a whole. At age 40, Mac Rebennack had built a unique career as a consummate...

Funky, swampy, and soulful solo piano! This 1981 album features pieces Dr. John loved and learned because they were favorites, or composed as dedications. All the selections were interpreted through his uniquely expressive New Orleans, barrelhouse, jazz-blues, rock 'n' roll lens. A landmark album for the jazz musician, Mac Rebennack shows his skill not only as a jazz musician, but as a major influence on the genre as a whole. At age 40, Mac Rebennack had built a unique career as a consummate...

The creation myth behind Temptation weaves a tale of reinvention nearly as fantastic (in both meanings of the word) as that of its lead performer Chaino. The clatter of jungle birds, the chatter of frolicsome monkeys, and the gruff bellow of a majestic lion all conspire to challenge the woofer and tweeter of any listener’s hi-fi. Since its initial very limited commercial release exclusively on stereophonic reel-to-reel tape circa 1960, this long-player has occasionally made cameo appearances...

The creation myth behind Temptation weaves a tale of reinvention nearly as fantastic (in both meanings of the word) as that of its lead performer Chaino. The clatter of jungle birds, the chatter of frolicsome monkeys, and the gruff bellow of a majestic lion all conspire to challenge the woofer and tweeter of any listener’s hi-fi. Since its initial very limited commercial release exclusively on stereophonic reel-to-reel tape circa 1960, this long-player has occasionally made cameo appearances...

Across the history of jazz, there is no wilder, more future-forward composer and performer than Herman Poole Blount, aka Sun Ra. Known as much for his wild on-stage persona as his innovative compositions, Sun Ra was the avant-garde bleeding edge of the jazz genre, introducing modal composition and electronic instrumentation before almost anyone else -- not to mention bringing the space age to life with his obsession with all things extraterrestrial. Across more than 100 LPs released in his...

Cool Jazz, beatnik bop, & bossa nova baby! Who was Lisa Marné? A TV personality. A ballerina. A burlesque performer. A political scandal-starter. A plane crash survivor. But most importantly, at least for our purposes, she was one hell of a singer. Those who know her, certainly know her as the “bookend” opposite Vikki Carr on the Ray Anthony Show. From tongue-in-cheek beatnik love songs to bossa nova standards, this unissued album features never-before-heard cuts from the home of Tony...

First ever US BluRay release of this iconic beacon of Afro-futurism!CD Box Set limited to 1100 units world wide.Includes Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full CD of unheard music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson! CD Set Ingredients: 2CDs (one previously unissued)A BluRay Disc of the Entire Film with bonus contentA DVD Disc of the Entire Film with bonus contentA 28 panel booket with photos and liner notes by esteemed Afrofuturism scholars.All secured in a pizza box style package This...

A Sonic Apéritif!This is the apéritif that started the album that helped start the cocktail and exotica rebirth of the ‘90s! It’s hard to call recordings as lush and beautiful as these demos, but that’s what they are. These reels preceded the band’s Subpop debut I, Swinger, and contains early versions of most of that album along with songs you’ve never heard them do on record before!The devil’s in the demos! A singing, dancing tour of the seven wonders of the cocktail world hosted by...

A Sonic Apéritif!This is the apéritif that started the album that helped start the cocktail and exotica rebirth of the ‘90s! It’s hard to call recordings as lush and beautiful as these demos, but that’s what they are. These reels preceded the band’s Subpop debut I, Swinger, and contains early versions of most of that album along with songs you’ve never heard them do on record before!The devil’s in the demos! A singing, dancing tour of the seven wonders of the cocktail world hosted by...

First ever US BluRay release of this iconic beacon of Afro-futurism!LP Box Set limited to 3300 units world wide.Includes Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unheard music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson! LP Set Ingredients: 3LPs (one previously unissued)One Gold LP in its own jacketOne Silver LP in its own jacketOne lime green LP in it’s own jacketA BluRay Disc of the Entire Film with bonus contentA DVD Disc of the Entire Film with bonus contentA large format 8 page booklet with...

Soothing Sounds for Saturnians! Sun Ra, notorious for his aggressive keyboard attack and seemingly schizophrenic stylings, here offers a unique selection playing the celeste-like Fender Rhodes electric piano, which has a distinct sound (think Doors' "Riders on the Storm") and an interesting history. This is Ra sound at his most relaxed and contemplative state. This Sun Ra 1980 solo set at Haverford College has been kicking around the internet and in the digital libraries of Ra collectors for...

Soothing Sounds for Saturnians! Sun Ra, notorious for his aggressive keyboard attack and seemingly schizophrenic stylings, here offers a unique selection playing the celeste-like Fender Rhodes electric piano, which has a distinct sound (think Doors' "Riders on the Storm") and an interesting history. This is Ra sound at his most relaxed and contemplative state. This Sun Ra 1980 solo set at Haverford College has been kicking around the internet and in the digital libraries of Ra collectors for...

A bongo comp with unissued Jill Kroesen, Tak Shindo, and Sun Ra!?!? Bongo Bongo Bongo! The mere uttering of the word conjures up dreams and images of parties, beaches, tropical vacations, beatniks and poets, goatees and cha-cha heels, drinking espresso in coffee shops, and of the freedom of the road while getting your kicks on Route 66. Fuzzy dice, bongos in the back. Bongo Rock! Bongo Fury! Bongo Madness! Beat on a pair of bongos and watch the party begin! SOME SKIN is designed to get that...

A bongo comp with unissued Jill Kroesen, Tak Shindo, and Sun Ra!?!? Bongo Bongo Bongo! The mere uttering of the word conjures up dreams and images of parties, beaches, tropical vacations, beatniks and poets, goatees and cha-cha heels, drinking espresso in coffee shops, and of the freedom of the road while getting your kicks on Route 66. Fuzzy dice, bongos in the back. Bongo Rock! Bongo Fury! Bongo Madness! Beat on a pair of bongos and watch the party begin! SOME SKIN is designed to get that...

Cool Jazz, beatnik bop, & bossa nova baby! Who was Lisa Marné? A TV personality. A ballerina. A burlesque performer. A political scandal-starter. A plane crash survivor. But most importantly, at least for our purposes, she was one hell of a singer. Those who know her, certainly know her as the “bookend” opposite Vikki Carr on the Ray Anthony Show. From tongue-in-cheek beatnik love songs to bossa nova standards, this unissued album features never-before-heard cuts from the home of Tony...

Beatnik Brilliance? Beat-sploitation? Beats me! Before Sesame Street or Yo Gabba Gabba made art for kids that their parents understood on a whole other level, there were Hip Fables. Pop prose originally put to pulp by the pen of Steve Allen circa the ‘50s, which inspired a popular album and even a book titled Hip Fables (Simon & Schuster). The original recording featured Steve Allen on the piano accompanied by King Cool himself, Chicago DJ and Impulse! recording artist Al Jazzbeaux Collins! In...

Featuring what may be his only recordings on the Prophet keyboard, these once lost performances expand the omniverse of Ra across a stellar set of lengthy cuts! All recorded in a single day and finally making their terrestrial debut! Includes notes from Ranthropologist Brother Cleve and two CD-only bonus tracks! What happens when a Prophet meets a Prophet? The answer lies within these grooves. Amongst the hundreds of recordings issued by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, under their various guises, the...

Featuring what may be his only recordings on the Prophet keyboard, these once lost performances expand the omniverse of Ra across a stellar set of lengthy cuts! All recorded in a single day and finally making their terrestrial debut, pressed on colored vinyl and packaged with a Prophet keyboard brochure plus notes from Ranthropologist Brother Cleve! What happens when a Prophet meets a Prophet? The answer lies within these grooves. Amongst the hundreds of recordings issued by Sun Ra and his...

Sax Driven NYC No Wave Post Punk! Finally the recorded studio work of Bill Ylitalo as Otto Kentrol and Faceless has been assembled! Featuring hard to find post punk & no wave cuts, four track demos, and previously unissued gems. Sax, strange electronic instruments, recitative vocals and sporadic bass, guitar and drums, plus liner notes by WFMU’s Erick Bradshaw, host of Spin Age Blasters! In addition creating sought after EPs from the early 80s on German labels and self released cassettes, Bill...

Back in print, now on yellow vinyl! Sultry Tjader jazz! Vibraphone legend Cal Tjader’s fusion of different genres and styles was an acute influence on Carlos Santana (and Latin rock as a whole). On Solar Heat he stirs in tastes of Exotica, Funk, and of course Latin and Jazz elements on this 1968 set of jazzed-up pop chestnuts and original bossas like the delicious “Fried Bananas.” Pressed at RTI, on colored vinyl! A STUNNING RECREATION SOLAR HEAT OF THE ORIGINAL GATEFOLD JACKET!PRISTINE ORANGE...

With Blacknuss, it’s as if Kirk is taking listeners on a trip – from the top forty world of Soul Train to the roots of soul in gospel music and back in Africa. It is a remarkable musical-cultural shift in perspective and one that carries the listener with it. Exploding with near chaotic energy, this album makes a great soundtrack to a party about to teeter out of control. Cut all analog! Dreams run threadlike through the life and mythology of Roland Kirk. In one dream, The Creator spoke to him...

All Analog Roland Kirk, Pre-Rahsaan?! Sightless, peerless, multi-instrumentalist, Roland’s Kirk’s 1967 debut for Atlantic is a monster of a live set from ‘65 featuring pianists Lonnie Liston Smith and Jaki Byard, bassist Major Holley and drummer Charles Crosby- all put to tape in Atlantic Studios NYC. Cut all analog, pressed on orange vinyl! Think of Rahsaan Roland Kirk and a series of images flick through one’s mind. There he is, black beret and shades blowing three saxophones at once, next...

Ra to the Rescue is one of the rarer albums in the Sun Ra canon. There's a reason, and it has nothing to do with quality content (or lack thereof). When Ra and his business partner Alton Abraham launched their pioneering independent Saturn label in Chicago in the late 1950s, and on thru the 1960s—by which time Ra had moved to New York—each new album was carefully curated, titled, packaged with a printed, illustrated sleeve, and promoted in ads and catalogs. By the 1970s, when Ra and his band...

Sax Driven NYC No Wave Post Punk! Finally the recorded studio work of Bill Ylitalo as Otto Kentrol and Faceless has been assembled! Featuring hard to find post punk & no wave cuts, four track demos, and previously unissued gems. Sax, strange electronic instruments, recitative vocals and sporadic bass, guitar and drums all spread over two LPs with liner notes by WFMU’s Erick Bradshaw, host of Spin Age Blasters! In addition creating sought after EPs from the early 80s on German labels and self...

Mose at his beat poet best, on Atlantic! This classic album—known as the moment Mose hit his stride in transitioning from iconic pianist to iconic beat-esque vocalist—features the first versions of two of his sharpest pieces (“Your Mind Is On Vacation” & the title track), bluish versions of standards, instrumentals, and more. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, cut all analog from the original mono Atlantic reels! Mose Allison was already 34 and had recorded nine records as a leader before...

Mose at his beat poet best, on Atlantic! This classic album—known as the moment Mose hit his stride in transitioning from iconic pianist to iconic beat-esque vocalist—features the first versions of two of his sharpest pieces (“Your Mind Is On Vacation” & the title track), bluish versions of standards, instrumentals, and more. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, cut all analog from the original mono Atlantic reels! Mose Allison was already 34 and had recorded nine records as a leader before...

Ra to the Rescue is one of the rarer albums in the Sun Ra canon. There's a reason, and it has nothing to do with quality content (or lack thereof). When Ra and his business partner Alton Abraham launched their pioneering independent Saturn label in Chicago in the late 1950s, and on thru the 1960s—by which time Ra had moved to New York—each new album was carefully curated, titled, packaged with a printed, illustrated sleeve, and promoted in ads and catalogs. By the 1970s, when Ra and his band...

Sultry and sophisticated songbird jazz backed by guitar icon Barney Kessel! Includes culturally corrected cover art & photos featuring the real Claudia Thompson, 2 CD only bonus tracks, and new liner notes from Laina Dawes. “Goodbye to Love is both a collection of re-envisioned Jazz standards, crafted with a delicate touch and more importantly, introduces this young ingenue and highlights Claudia Thompson’s soulful voice to the world. On ‘Gloomy Sunday,’ Thompson's rendition is accompanied by...