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Did you know that the first LPs in the short history of the Transition label were the first sessions as leader for three of the greatest performers of modern jazz? We are talking about Donald Byrd's “Byrd Jazz,” Cecil Taylor's “Jazz Advance” and Sun Ra's “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. 1” (Transition TRLP 10). Tom Wilson, founder of Transition, had to close the label after only two years of operation (1955–1957). He went on to produce pop and rock artists such as Frank Zappa, Simon and Garfunkel, The Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan, to name but a few. Fortunately, most of the recordings he produced for Transition – including unreleased material – were later acquired by other labels or the musicians themselves, and some of them were given a second chance to be heard. “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. 1” and “Vol. 2” are arguably the most accessible works in the Sun Ra catalog and are among the most fascinating albums created by this extraordinary artist.
Although “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. 1” is known as Sun Ra's first LP, the brilliant composer, pianist and keyboardist had been active as a performer since the late 1940s and had already recorded numerous tracks with his own Arkestra, which can be found on Saturn releases. Nevertheless, it seems that Sun Ra had never had such extensive resources at his disposal as Tom Wilson provided for this recording session. During the first session on July 12, 1957, the Arkestra, which at that time consisted of eight musicians, grew to eleven members. The sound quality of these recordings, made at Universal Recording in Chicago, is also a step above the Saturn productions from the same period. Sun Ra explains in the original liner notes: "I always strive to write the sounds that I hear both internally and externally. I use the simple rules of harmony as a basis, but I also apply my own rule. My rule is that every note written or played must be a living note. To achieve this, I use notes like words in a sentence, making each sequence of sounds a thought in its own right. My motto is precision. I never forget that a sound is just as important as a sound in a non-musical field. Every day, we rehearse new sounds and new approaches to projection. Projection is very important. Dynamics, melodies that tell a story, chords that appeal to the ear, contrapuntal rhythms – all of this comes together in my creations to form a new form of modern jazz."
For the reissue of “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. 1,” Sam Records commissioned legendary sound wizard Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) to produce the lacquer cuts. St François Lê Xuân (Studio 101) is responsible for the lovingly crafted remastering based on the original tapes, demonstrating just how outstanding stereophonic mono recordings can sound. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Simon Garcia at Garcia & Co in Marciac, France, the LP is strictly limited to 1.000 copies and comes with a detailed 24-page booklet. The faithful reproduction of the original record cover was produced by Pozzoli, Italy, using a screen printing process.
Sam Records is a non-profit, independent jazz label based in Paris, France, founded in 2011 by Fred Thomas. The label is dedicated to reissuing jazz records recorded and produced in France in the 1950s and 1960s. All record covers are recreated using the original photos, paintings, and/or drawings.
Side A
1. Brainville
2. Call For All Demons
3. Possession
4. Street Named Hell
Side B
1. Lullaby For Realville
2. Future
3. New Horizons
4. Fall Off The Log
5. Sun Song