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December 22, 2014 5:40 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend some classic or contemporary jazz albums with the same aesthetic as Sun Ra's "Sleeping Beauty"?
One example, for me, is "In a Silent Way" - spacey arrangement and strange chords. Dissonance.
One example, for me, is "In a Silent Way" - spacey arrangement and strange chords. Dissonance.
"Conference of the Birds" by the Dave Holland Quartet.
posted by solarion at 6:19 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by solarion at 6:19 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
Some Other Stuff, or really anything at all, by Grachan Moncur III.
posted by Alex Voyd at 8:01 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Alex Voyd at 8:01 PM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
I haven't heard that particular Ra album but I think I know what you're getting at. Try his Cosmos album, one of his spacier outings for sure, and a true classic.
At my computer I could give you a longer list of recommendations, but just off the top of my head, one of my favourite spacey and dissonant jazz albums is Out To Lunch! by Eric Dolphy. Imho, nobody in jazz rides the line between dissonance and assonance quite like Dolphy. His music is always teetering on the edge, but always beautiful and controlled. What makes this album particularly spacey is Bobby Hutcherson's vibraphone playing. Just give it a listen, it's brilliant.
Miles' last album befor Silent Way, Filles De Kilimanjaro, is also worth a listen. It's not as spacey but it has some great, open arrangements. It's not always one of the best rated Miles albums of the 60s but it's a personal favourite - the last track in particular.
posted by Ted Maul at 2:06 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
At my computer I could give you a longer list of recommendations, but just off the top of my head, one of my favourite spacey and dissonant jazz albums is Out To Lunch! by Eric Dolphy. Imho, nobody in jazz rides the line between dissonance and assonance quite like Dolphy. His music is always teetering on the edge, but always beautiful and controlled. What makes this album particularly spacey is Bobby Hutcherson's vibraphone playing. Just give it a listen, it's brilliant.
Miles' last album befor Silent Way, Filles De Kilimanjaro, is also worth a listen. It's not as spacey but it has some great, open arrangements. It's not always one of the best rated Miles albums of the 60s but it's a personal favourite - the last track in particular.
posted by Ted Maul at 2:06 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Other Ra albums from that time period that you may enjoy include Strange Celestial Road and On Jupiter, which were recorded at a similar time, and with similar personnel. If you want to err on the slightly more controlled fusion-y side there's Lanquidity. If you want to err on the slightly more dissonant side, there's Discipline 27-II. I love all these records, but I probably reach for Strange Celestial Road most.
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:37 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:37 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
For the In a Silent Way sound, you probably already know the Miles records to follow (I love Agharta and Get Up With It), and the Hancock records (Mwandishi and Sextant).
One lesser known, but still excellent, album is Julian Priester's Love Love.
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:43 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
One lesser known, but still excellent, album is Julian Priester's Love Love.
posted by .kobayashi. at 6:43 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Check out this thread, and I will immodestly recommend my answers in this one (I spent much of 2012 adding responses).
(Hi, .kobayashi.!)
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on December 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
(Hi, .kobayashi.!)
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on December 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions folks! Thelonius, I listened to that Weather Report last night - until then I had only heard 8:30 and Heavy Weather. Those are great obviously, but its clear that I Sing the Body Electric is just closer to the Silent Way sessions (temporally and aesthetically).
Looking forward to the Graham Holland Quartet, as well as Grachan Moncur, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy - none of them were on my radar previously!
I'd already done some poking through Ra's oeuvre, but I appreciate the specific suggestions. That guy was one prolific-ass extra-terrestrial, and frankly the discography gets a little intimidating.
Dig the Miles tips as well- I always love to hear what other folks' favorites are, especially since the post-Brew stuff can be a little controversial. In particular I'm excited to give Agharta a fresh spin. The last time I listened to that I called my friend swearing that it was a direct inspiration for David Byrne writing the music on Remain in Light.
Best answer goes to languagehat, though - I love how that one askme wormed around in your brain for a whole year! Keep listening and exploring, everyone....
posted by stinkfoot at 2:47 PM on December 23, 2014
Looking forward to the Graham Holland Quartet, as well as Grachan Moncur, Julian Priester, and Eric Dolphy - none of them were on my radar previously!
I'd already done some poking through Ra's oeuvre, but I appreciate the specific suggestions. That guy was one prolific-ass extra-terrestrial, and frankly the discography gets a little intimidating.
Dig the Miles tips as well- I always love to hear what other folks' favorites are, especially since the post-Brew stuff can be a little controversial. In particular I'm excited to give Agharta a fresh spin. The last time I listened to that I called my friend swearing that it was a direct inspiration for David Byrne writing the music on Remain in Light.
Best answer goes to languagehat, though - I love how that one askme wormed around in your brain for a whole year! Keep listening and exploring, everyone....
posted by stinkfoot at 2:47 PM on December 23, 2014
Hi 'hat! We had an exchange a long time ago -- I forget the thread -- where I promised to share my investigations into the spacey June Tyson era Sun Ra records. It was an exchange I totally forgot about until right now. Anyway, um, the records I mention above were my favorite of the lot I investigated.
posted by .kobayashi. at 5:07 PM on December 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by .kobayashi. at 5:07 PM on December 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thelonius at 6:06 PM on December 22, 2014 [1 favorite]