''Lanquidity'' is a 1978 studio album by American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musician

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

Music

The album was recorded by Bob Blank at Blank Studios, entirely on the night of July 17, 1978, following a performance on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

''. Stylistically, the album is markedly different from Sun Ra's earlier recordings, drawing heavily on

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, R&B and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

. ''Lanquidity'' is also unusual in featuring two guitarists, which were seldom used in the Arkestra. "That's How I Feel" features a tenor sax solo by

John Gilmore John Gilmore may refer to: * John Gilmore (activist) (born 1955), co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Cygnus Solutions * John Gilmore (musician) (1931–1995), American jazz saxophonist * John Gilmore (representative) (1780–1845), ...

, Sun Ra's sideman from the 1950s until Sun Ra's death in 1993.

Critical reception

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' magazine called ''Lanquidity'' "a beautiful place to enter Ra's psych-jazz omniverse", while ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' wrote that it is "impossibly funky": "Often compared to

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

' heaviest jazz-rock-funk fusion, ''Lanquidity'' is dense, rhythmic and curiously hypnotic". Music journalist

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

is a fan of the album.

Reissues

The album was first released in 1978 with a reflective foil silver cover. In 2000, it was reissued on HDCD by Evidence Records, with a light grey cover.Jazzlists: Philly Jazz Inc discography
accessed July 9, 2018 In 2021,

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announced a reissue of the album. Four editions were made available: a remastered version of the original album on digital and as a single LP, and a "Special Edition" version as a 2xCD and 4xLP box set, including rare alternate mixes by Bob Blank. In addition, record club Vinyl Me, Please. pressed a limited run of 750 copies of the single-LP version on red vinyl.

Track listing

The 2021 "Special Edition" contains the above tracks, followed by Bob Blank's alternate mixes (with the same sequencing) for a total of ten songs.

Personnel

: organ, synthesizer, piano, arranger, keyboards, Hammond organ, electric piano, vocals, bells, Arp, Fender Rhodes, orchestra bells, Mini Moog *

: tenor saxophone *

Danny Ray Thompson Danny Ray Thompson (October 1, 1947 – March 12, 2020) was an American jazz musician. He played baritone saxophone with the Sun Ra Arkestra and managed the band for a period of time. Early life Thompson was born in New York City, to Elgie and O ...

: flute, baritone saxophone *

Eddie Gale Edward Gale Stevens Jr. (August 15, 1941 – July 10, 2020), known professionally as Eddie Gale, was an American trumpeter known for his work in free jazz, especially with the Sun Ra Arkestra. Life and career Born in Brooklyn, New York on August 1 ...

: trumpet *Michael Ray: trumpet, flugelhorn *

Marshall Allen Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company). Allen is best ...

: flute, oboe, alto saxophone *

Luqman Ali The Sun Ra Arkestra is an American jazz group formed in the mid-1950s and led by keyboardist/composer Sun Ra until his death in 1993. The group is considered a pioneer of afrofuturism. As of 2022, the Arkestra is led by saxophonist Marshall Alle ...

: percussion *Michael Anderson: percussion *Artaukatune: drums, tympani *Disco Kid: ( Slo Johnson ) guitar *Dale Williams: guitar *Atakatun Odun: congas *Elo Omoe: Flute, bass clarinet *Julian Pressley: baritone saxophone *Richard Williams: bass *James Jacson: oboe, basson, flute, voices *

June Tyson June Tyson (February 5, 1936 – November 24, 1992) was an American singer, violinist, and dancer who performed with bandleader Sun Ra. Biography A native of Albemarle, North Carolina Albemarle () is a small city and the county seat of Stanly ...

: voices

References

External links

Extensive Sun Ra discography
{{Authority control 1978 albums Sun Ra albums Evidence Music albums Philly Jazz albums