Sun Ra, the eccentric jazz legend has over a hundred releases to his name, but even for some hardened jazz fans, quite a few of those sounded too avant-garde. Still, there are plenty that are quite accessible for a wider audience and have acquired legendary status.
One of those albums is Lanquidity from 1978, which British monthly Uncut calls his “funkiest.” Now, this album is getting the deluxe box set treatment. It features the widely distributed version of the album – remastered and cut at 45 rpm over two LPs – alongside an alternative mix of the album by producer Bob Blank, originally released in limited quantities for a 1978 Sun Ra Arkestra gig at Georgia Tech.
The package also includes unseen photos and extensive sleeve notes by Bob Blank, Michael Ray, and Danny Ray Thompson of Sun Ra Arkestra, and Tom Buchler of Philly Jazz. In its review of the album, AllMusic says that “while one can’t quite call it the Sun Ra dance album, this 1978 recording, made for a tiny Philadelphia record label, finds the Sun Ra Arkestra’s rhythm section settling into a steady groove on each of the lengthy tracks, while horns, reeds, guitars, and Sun Ra’s keyboards solo in overlapping patterns on top.”
Here is the alternate mix of “Twin Stars Of Thence” from the album:
