Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Sun Ra
Somewhere Over The Rainbow is a live album by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, originally drawn from two 1977 concerts at the Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana, and newly reissued in 2026 in an expanded, remastered edition. Presented across three LPs or two CDs by Strut Records, the set captures the Arkestra at a late‑’70s peak, moving through loosely structured thematic “blocks” that connect reflections on jazz history with cosmic space‑narrative sections, Africa/Egypt‑inspired grooves, and reimagined standards from the Great American Songbook. Sun Ra directs the ensemble through this continuous flow like a host at a cosmic party—conducting improvisations, cueing chants, and threading the band from one mood to the next in a way that feels both spontaneous and carefully shaped.
The tracklist includes newly restored material that reveals more of the concerts’ natural transitions, balancing rarely recorded Ra originals such as “Make Another Mistake,” “Amen Meni Many Amens,” and “Equation Of The Myth” with exuberant, otherworldly takes on “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Yesterdays,” and the title song “Over the Rainbow.” Stylistically, the music ranges from post‑bop and avant‑garde jazz to funk‑inflected vamps and chanted, percussion‑heavy rituals, showcasing core Arkestra players like Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, Michael Ray, and Luqman Ali in long, exploratory performances. With new mastering from the original tapes, extensive liner notes by Chris Cutler, and video stills from the gig, Somewhere Over The Rainbow is framed as a definitive document of Sun Ra’s late‑’70s live aesthetic: a deep, oddball, and often joyful blend of cosmic philosophy and fiercely inventive jazz that invites listeners into the Arkestra’s ever‑expanding universe.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Sun Ra
Somewhere Over The Rainbow is a live album by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, originally drawn from two 1977 concerts at the Bluebird in Bloomington, Indiana, and newly reissued in 2026 in an expanded, remastered edition. Presented across three LPs or two CDs by Strut Records, the set captures the Arkestra at a late‑’70s peak, moving through loosely structured thematic “blocks” that connect reflections on jazz history with cosmic space‑narrative sections, Africa/Egypt‑inspired grooves, and reimagined standards from the Great American Songbook. Sun Ra directs the ensemble through this continuous flow like a host at a cosmic party—conducting improvisations, cueing chants, and threading the band from one mood to the next in a way that feels both spontaneous and carefully shaped.
The tracklist includes newly restored material that reveals more of the concerts’ natural transitions, balancing rarely recorded Ra originals such as “Make Another Mistake,” “Amen Meni Many Amens,” and “Equation Of The Myth” with exuberant, otherworldly takes on “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Yesterdays,” and the title song “Over the Rainbow.” Stylistically, the music ranges from post‑bop and avant‑garde jazz to funk‑inflected vamps and chanted, percussion‑heavy rituals, showcasing core Arkestra players like Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, Michael Ray, and Luqman Ali in long, exploratory performances. With new mastering from the original tapes, extensive liner notes by Chris Cutler, and video stills from the gig, Somewhere Over The Rainbow is framed as a definitive document of Sun Ra’s late‑’70s live aesthetic: a deep, oddball, and often joyful blend of cosmic philosophy and fiercely inventive jazz that invites listeners into the Arkestra’s ever‑expanding universe.