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Jazz Sahara is the debut album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in late 1958 and originally released on the Riverside label.

Abdul-Malik switches between bass and oud; interacts closely with the droning violin of Naim Karacand, Jack Ghanaim's kanoon (a 72-string instrument), and Mike Hamway's darabeka (a percussive drum); and mixes in Al Harewood's drums and (on three of the four selections) the tenor of Johnny Griffin.

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Decades before the advent of 'world music', bassist-composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik introduced Arabic music into jazz, creating a distinct, unique sound that was far beyond its time. Best known in jazz circles for his solid work with Randy Weston and Thelonious Monk, Abdul-Malik, who is of Sudanese descent, was also the first to use the oud, a pear-shaped, traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument similar to a lute, as a jazz instrument. Recorded in 1958, with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin (his bandmate in the Monk quartet), and originally out on the Riverside label, Abdul-Malik's debut solo album Jazz Sahara was a burning fusion of Middle East and West. On 180 gram vinyl. - Soundohm

Travelogue through a cybernetical soundscape! The future rendered here by Ra seems more dystopian than utopian, and these 1975 guided improvisations are imbued with an underlying violence, alternate twists, bank turns, headchoppers, loops, rolls, sidewinders, and drops. It's a dark & glorious journey. Featuring the debut of the complete version of "Extension Out," Pathways has been exquisitely mastered from the 4-track session reel!

"This recording captures Sun Ra's thirteen-piece Astro-Infinity Arkestra on a stirring free-jazz date. A studio outing it may be, but the music bristles with the visceral energy of a live blow-out. Saxophonists John Gilmore, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis squeal, bray and generally over-blow bullishly, notably on 'Extension Out,' on the torrid mid-section of 'Cosmo Media' and on the heady blowout that is 'Of Mythic Worlds.' But there are also more subtle currents at play beneath the maelstrom." — All About Jazz

Pathways to Unknown Worlds was the final album in a trio of works to have been mixed in quadraphonic sound. While the three free jazz instrumental improvisations are in many respects quite similar to the laissez-faire sonic free for alls that had become synonymous with Ra's concurrent Arkestra, there are quite a few discernible distinctions. Chief is the presence of Ronnie Boykins (bass). Much like Marshall Allen (alto sax/oboe) and John Gilmore (tenor sax/percussion), Boykins had come up through Ra's ranks and his brilliant and expressive offerings to the Arkestras garnered the bassist favorable notice among his peers. As such, by the early '70s his contributions had significantly tapered off. However, Boykins' appearance on this effort seems to be neither lauded nor maligned. True to form, his solos make him a focus of this album. Another sonic element that immediately puts the project into perspective is Ra's incorporation of Moog synthesizer keyboards, which augment his various combinations of electric piano and organ. His perpetual experimentations with the instrument's textures, and its seemingly endless array of frequency responses, provide one of the more consistent motifs on "Pathways to Unknown Worlds," "Extension Out," and "Cosmo-Media." They would remain a source of inspiration and presumably amusement for Ra, both on-stage and in the studio. - All Music

Two outstanding performers, Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane, collaborated to record their fantastic trip through time called Illuminations. Santana's interest in the Indian culture and different musical styles led him to the musician Alice Coltrane. They shared their vision of expressing their spirituality through music. Illuminations is the wonderful outcoming of the work they recorded together. Guitar, harp and saxophone forming the strong basis on which this album is founded. “Angel Of Sunlight “is the album's centerpiece, showcasing the outer limits of their musical ideas. It was Santana's ultimate trip into the jazz, as he stepped back into the commercial music only a few years later. The package includes an insert. – Music On Vinyl

“Cykada is a band of established musicians on the London scene, having played in groups including, Myriad Forest, EZRA Collective, Maisha, Where Pathways Meet, Family Atlantica and Don Kipper. Bassist Jamie Benzies is the spine of the project, along with Tilé Gichigi-Lipere, also a fellow former member of the legendary band Myriad Forest and Drummer Tim Doyle aka Chiminyo, together were the first members of Cykada. Jamie mentioned in one interview:

'I became more keen on doing something which has a longer vision. Where you get together with people you know you can work with, people you love sharing a space with and you take your time, you make sure you’re enjoying your music and as that comes, everything else comes.'

Trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lidstrom, Saxophonist James Mollison and secret weapon Guitarist Javi Pérez complete the ensemble. Tilé shows a unique and indispensable role within the band, aside from playing keys, he is programming, processing and modifying the sounds of the instruments, a massive factor in creating the distinctive vibe of the band. Cykada’s unique vibe is a testament to its members and the crucial role they each play in the creative process.” – Bandcamp

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“Recorded in ’73 and rejected by tin-eared major label execs in ’75, Crystal Spears (or “Crystal Clear” as it appears on the tape box) subsumes a cathartic brawl between Minimoog and Yamaha combo organ, with percussionists providing tonal textures, and plaintive oboe colliding with roaring electronic keyboards over waves of rollicking marimba, devilishly chattering below the fray. Crystal Spears is Ra’s once lost aural cinematheque! Includes a quad-ra-color Sun Ra poster!

Crystal Spears, intended for release in 1975 by ABC/Impulse! and assigned catalog # AS-9297, was ultimately rejected by the label. Ra and business manager Alton Abraham retained the rights, rechristened the album Crystal Clear and assigned Saturn Records catalog # 562—but they never got around to issuing it. The first three tracks on this album were mastered from that tape, a 1/4-inch four-track (15 ips) brand favored by home recording enthusiasts—and generally disfavored by pro engineers. The sessions took place at Variety Recording Studio in New York on February 3, 1973, a month before the Ark returned on March 8 to record Cymbals, as well as tracks issued decades later under the title Sign Of The Myth (and perhaps even Pathways To Unknown Worlds).” – Sundazed

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