Sun Ra guitar albums?

That delayed out guitar on the first Lanquidity track brings some of my favorite Ra moments.

Supposedly Sun Ra disliked the guitar, which is why there was never a regular guitarist in the Arkestra. But one of the DVDs (I think it's the first one that was released, from a German show) has an Arkestra member playing an electric bass. With a chair.

Some of the 80s/90s live recordings have guitar. I'm not sure I'd really recommend any of them though? Does Cosmos have guitar, or just great bass? I can't remember. A good album, anyway.

Strange Celestial Road has guitar on it, according to the credits.

I think he used a keyboard that sounds like a bluesy guitar, theres a few tracks on that singles compilation that sound like demos that use it. I think.

pretty sure there's guitar on at least one of the other Lanquidity-period albums ("On Jupiter" maybe? "Strange Celestial Road"?)

And Wayne Kramer's been playin with the Arkestra lately.

But yeah I can't think of anything where the guitar plays a central part, much less an interesting one.

x-post to RS

I've seen Charles Ellerbee play (and quite wonderfully) with the Arkestra since Ra's death. Not sure if he ever played with them earlier.

Really nice recording from '72 with some really full-on amplified gtr storm section. Can't remember the title except I got it on green coloured LP. I can't see how Sun Ra could 'dislike it'. I haven't heard that one before.

Yesterday I went to a concert which had this (pretty bad, although it must've been a lot of fun to play) composition for jazz ensemble which sounded just a bit like Sun Ra at the beginning in its full-on blast. A space ws made for electric guitar, that reminded me of this LP.

that's one of the John Sinclair/Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz festival ones right...? I seem to remember a guitarist in a sleeve photo on one of those but I can't remember which one (not in front of my collection at the moment)... Life is Splendid? It Is Forbidden?

'it is forbidden', yes.

I grew up with Dale Williams (from Languidity) practically living at my house. Repping the southside again up in this ILM bitch!

Dale played in the Arkestra for a couple/few years but there are a relative few albums upon which he is actually credited.

Mr. Ra liked to keep it low in the mix, but he liked having a guitar from what I can gather from this period anyway.

I have seen Sun Ra about a dozen times and there was usually no guitarist though, that's why I say it might have just been that era. Can we attribute that to the "disco era" of rhythm guitar??!! dunno....

Dale was like a god/big brother to me when I was about 14-15. (also one of the funniest people ever!). I bumped into him in DC in the late 80s. He was awesome then too.

I think Dale is also the guy on "It Is Forbidden" from 1974 - which I listened to last night. There is some totally smoking guitar freakout shit on the second tune, real noisy, good stuff.