Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy
Encyclopedia
Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy is an album by the American Jazz
musician Sun Ra
and his Myth Science Arkestra. Recorded in 1963 but not released until 1967 on Sun Ra's own Saturn
label, the record has become one of the most discussed of Ra's New York recordings . The record was reissued on compact disc
by Evidence in 2000.
Originally released in a sleeve with a Sun Ra doodle, the better known cover, designed by Richard Pedreguera, was in place by 1969 . Pedreguera also designed the sleeve for The Nubians of Plutonia
at around the same time.
;
When reissued on CD, Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
was added to the disc.
Side A:
Side B:
First two tracks recorded at the Choreographer's Workshop, New York (the Arkestra's rehearsal space) in 1963 . Adventure-Equation, Moon Dance and Voice of Space were recorded at the Tip Top club, Brooklyn, in the same year, at 10 in the morning whilst Tommy Hunter was playing nights there with Sarah McLawler's trio, since the club provided access to a Hammond B-3 organ gratis . Hunter remembers some neighbourhood kids running in during the recording and shouting, "These guys don't know how to play!" .
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
and his Myth Science Arkestra. Recorded in 1963 but not released until 1967 on Sun Ra's own Saturn
El Saturn Records
El Saturn Records is the name of an American record label. The label was one of the most active artist-owned record labels created in 1957 by Alton Abraham. Notable albums produced by the label include works by Sun Ra....
label, the record has become one of the most discussed of Ra's New York recordings . The record was reissued on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Evidence in 2000.
'Cosmic Tones functions as a kind of blueprint for the sort of large-scale jazz weirdness that would inform much of Sun-Ra's subsequent works, featuring the woozy reeds of And Otherness and the afro-jazz experiments of Thither And Yon. On Adventure Equation a space echo treatment on the recording which is reprised for the sax flurries on Voice Of Space making the whole experience even more disorientating than it already would be.'
Originally released in a sleeve with a Sun Ra doodle, the better known cover, designed by Richard Pedreguera, was in place by 1969 . Pedreguera also designed the sleeve for The Nubians of Plutonia
The Nubians of Plutonia
The Nubians of Plutonia is an album recorded by Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra c.1958 - 1959 and released c.1966 on his own Saturn label. Originally released in a blank sleeve under the title Lady With The Stockings, the album had gained its current title, and sleeve by Richard Pedreguera, by...
at around the same time.
Anticipating psychedelia
The album has increasingly been discussed within the context of anticipating psychedelia or pointing towards the funk of George ClintonGeorge Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
;
'Clinton's astral ritual seems as inspired by the Nation of IslamNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
as it is by Sun Ra, and when asked about the Ra in 1979, Clinton said, "This boy was definitely out to lunch - the same place I eat at."
When reissued on CD, Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow is an album by the American Jazz musician Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra. Often considered the first of Ra's 'outside' recordings , the album was the first to make extensive use of a discovery by the Arkestra's drummer and engineer, Tommy Hunter;Art Forms of...
was added to the disc.
12" Vinyl
All songs by Sun RaSide A:
- And Otherness - (5.10)
- Thither and Yon - (4.01)
- Adventure-Equation - (8.26)
Side B:
- Moon Dance - (6.34)
- Voice of Space - (7.42)
Musicians
- Sun Ra - Hammond B-3 Organ, ClaviolineClaviolineThe clavioline is an electronic keyboard instrument, a forerunner to the analog synthesizer.It was invented by Constant Martin in 1947. It consists of a keyboard and a separate amplifier and speaker unit. The keyboard usually covered three octaves, and had a number of switches to alter the tone of...
, Percussion - Marshall AllenMarshall AllenMarshall Belford Allen is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EVI ....
- Oboe, Percussion - Danny Davis - Alto Sax, Flute
- John GilmoreJohn Gilmore (musician)John Gilmore was an American jazz tenor saxophone player best-known for his long tenure as a member of Sun Ra's Arkestra...
- Bass Clarinet, Percussion - possibly Bernard Pettaway - Bass Trombone
- Pat Patrick - Baritone Saxophone
- Robert Cummings - Bass Clarinet
- Ronnie BoykinsRonnie BoykinsRonnie Boykins was a jazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader Sun Ra, although he had played with such disparate musicians as Muddy Waters, Johnny Griffin, and Jimmy Witherspoon prior to joining Sun Ra's Arkestra.-Biography:He joined the Arkestra during the Chicago...
- Bass - Clifford JarvisClifford JarvisClifford Jarvis was an American hard bop and free jazz drummer.After studying at Berklee in the 1950s he established himself in jazz between 1959 and 1966 by recording with Chet Baker, Randy Weston, Yusef Lateef, Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Jackie McLean, and Elmo Hope, and playing with Grant...
- Drums - James Jacson - Pecussion
- Tommy Hunter - Percussion, Reverb
- Ensemble vocals
First two tracks recorded at the Choreographer's Workshop, New York (the Arkestra's rehearsal space) in 1963 . Adventure-Equation, Moon Dance and Voice of Space were recorded at the Tip Top club, Brooklyn, in the same year, at 10 in the morning whilst Tommy Hunter was playing nights there with Sarah McLawler's trio, since the club provided access to a Hammond B-3 organ gratis . Hunter remembers some neighbourhood kids running in during the recording and shouting, "These guys don't know how to play!" .