Bleep

By the early ‘70s, Sun Ra and his Arkestra were drawing to the end of their ultra-free period. On a small handful of records on the Impulse! label, he and the band moved closer to more traditional music gestures, folding in influences from contemporary jazz of the time as well as rock and funk. Astro Black (which is being reissued on LP by Modern Harmonic) provides a particularly clear image of the Arkestra at this time, siphoning the cosmic spirit of their sonic journey into forms that sounded great in a smoky jazz club.