Sun Ra | Celestial Love | Vinyl

Sun Ra was one of jazz’s most singular figures, a bandleader, pianist, and self-mythologized cosmic philosopher who led his Arkestra through decades of self-released recordings on his own Saturn label, blending big-band swing, free improvisation, and early electronic experimentation. Celestial Love draws together vocal-leaning and ballad-adjacent sides from the Arkestra’s catalog, including the title track and a version of the standard ‘Sophisticated Lady,’ offering a more accessible entry point than Sun Ra’s most avant-garde work. This edition was curated as a Vinyl Me, Please exclusive, pressed on orange vinyl in a limited run through Modern Harmonic, the reissue imprint that has worked extensively to bring Sun Ra’s often hard-to-find Saturn label material back into print. It stands as a good introduction to the melodic, song-based side of a catalog otherwise known for its cosmic experimentation.

Track List

Side A

1. Celestial Love
2. Sometimes I’m Happy
3. Interstellarism
4. Blue Intensity

Side B

1. Sophisticated Lady
2. Nameless One #2
3. Nameless One #3
4. Smile
5. Drop Me Off In Harlem (Bonus Track)

Release Details

• UPC: 0090771821812
• Label: MODERN HARMONIC
• Format: LP Vinyl — Orange Vinyl
• Genre: Jazz
• Release Date: 7/31/2020