Cairo Free Jazz + Complete Sun Ra in Egypt + Complete Geerken in Egypt

[Onxidlib]

Two hours ago I had a telephone call with Hartmut Geerken and he confirmed that the upcoming reissue of the Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble's "Heliopolis" is legit and mastered from the original tapes including a 30x90, 6 p. fold-out booklet. It will be edited by Holiday Records in Milan, Italy. Due to Corona restrictions it might need some time to hit the stores. I've a rip of a friend's copy and always enjoyed the music. So I've ordered it now. In the US it will be available through Forced Exposure.

During our conversation he told me about two further releases. First there's a five vinyl set with the complete recordings of Sun Ra's sojourn in Egypt in 1971. Two of the five LPs contain unreleased music. Already announced on the website of Strut Records for the 2020 RSD. Plus there will be a three LP set with the complete recordings of Hartmut Geerken from his time in Cairo (1966 - 72) where he worked for Germany's Goethe Institut.

[clifford_thornton]

cool! I used to have the original of this but sold it to generate some needed cash when I moved. Haven't been able to replace it yet, and would be all right with a finely done reissue.

[Dmitry]

I have the cd. Never have seen the LP. Is this a reproduction of the original cover?

[corto maltese]

Yes, it is.

The original cover is screen printed and designed by Hartmut Geerken. Inside the gatefold are extensive notes (also by HG) and the back cover has some nice pictures of the session.

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by corto maltese

[corto maltese]

10 hours ago, Onxidlib said:

During our conversation he told me about two further releases. First there's a five vinyl set with the complete recordings of Sun Ra's sojourn in Egypt in 1971. Two of the five LPs contain unreleased music. Already announced on the website of Strut Records for the 2020 RSD. Plus there will be a three LP set with the complete recordings of Hartmut Geerken from his time in Cairo (1966 - 72) where he worked for Germany's Goethe Institut.

Great news. Obviously, I'm excited about the unreleased Sun Ra.

But maybe even more about the second release. Over the past few years, a lot of obscure music by Hartmut Geerken, recorded all over the world, has been released. I love all of it.

I suppose the other Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble recordings ("Music For Angela Davis" and the session released on one of the Qbico labels) will be included and probably some more Salah Ragab sessions.

Do you happen to know which label will handle this? Is it also Strut?

[Onxidlib]

9 hours ago, Dmitry said:

I have the cd. Never have seen the LP. Is this a reproduction of the original cover?

Didn't know that there's a CD version of the LP. If so it is definitely a bootleg.

1 hour ago, corto maltese said:

Great news. Obviously, I'm excited about the unreleased Sun Ra.

But maybe even more about the second release. Over the past few years, a lot of obscure music by Hartmut Geerken, recorded all over the world, has been released. I love all of it.

I suppose the other Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble recordings ("Music For Angela Davis" and the session released on one of the Qbico labels) will be included and probably some more Salah Ragab sessions.

Do you happen to know which label will handle this? Is it also Strut?

Not Strut but I believe it will be Holiday Records. At least that's what I recall from our conversation. He did not state it explicitely but when we talked about the Helipolis' reissue he mentioned the 3-LP set. He invited me to visit him at his house in Wartaweil ("Waitawhile" as the translation from the Bavarian dialect goes) which I haven't done since some years but at the moment it is not possible or even recommended.

[ejp626]

Very interesting news.

It isn't clear if there will be a CD release of this material, or it is vinyl only.  And would there eventually be a release to iTunes, Spotify, etc.? 

I'm just feeling a bit pessimistic about the ability to get physical product, particularly vinyl (when a few pressing plants have already gone under) and then having it actually shipped in the next many, many months.  Thanks.

[sidewinder]

I will be interested in the Sun Ra Egypt ‘71 Box on Strut if/when it comes out.

[Onxidlib]

2 hours ago, ejp626 said:

Very interesting news.

It isn't clear if there will be a CD release of this material, or it is vinyl only.  And would there eventually be a release to iTunes, Spotify, etc.? 

I'm just feeling a bit pessimistic about the ability to get physical product, particularly vinyl (when a few pressing plants have already gone under) and then having it actually shipped in the next many, many months.  Thanks.

Wether there will be a CD and / or download available I don't know. But Strut does have a Bandcamp page so who knows maybe there will be a digital version. Regarding the vinyl pressing plants / shipping possibilities I agree.

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, ejp626 said:

Very interesting news.

It isn't clear if there will be a CD release of this material, or it is vinyl only.  And would there eventually be a release to iTunes, Spotify, etc.? 

I'm just feeling a bit pessimistic about the ability to get physical product, particularly vinyl (when a few pressing plants have already gone under) and then having it actually shipped in the next many, many months.  Thanks.

Many Trost releases make it to Spotify

[David Ayers]

19 hours ago, ejp626 said:

(when a few pressing plants have already gone under)

Do you mean that pressing plants have closed recently? I didn’t realise. I read that the few pressing plants in existence were maxed out. Hmmm. 

[ejp626]

Canada Boy Vinyl closed in 2017 and, more significantly, Rainbo Records closed in late 2019.

And then there was a fire back in Feb. at the plant that was the "world's largest supplier of lacquer" for records.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/blaze-california-plant-jeopardizes-global-vinyl-record-supply/VSRIJ2O5ZZF3JLKQ4SFXCCRCWU/

So tough times right now, all the way around.

Edited April 4, 2020 by ejp626

[David Ayers]

2 hours ago, ejp626 said:

Canada Boy Vinyl closed in 2017 and, more significantly, Rainbo Records closed in late 2019.

And then there was a fire back in Feb. at the plant that was the "world's largest supplier of lacquer" for records.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/blaze-california-plant-jeopardizes-global-vinyl-record-supply/VSRIJ2O5ZZF3JLKQ4SFXCCRCWU/

So tough times right now, all the way around.

Oh! I didn’t know any of that. Thank you. 

[barnaba.siegel]

Wow, that sounds awesome! Really looking forward to this set and I hope it will be issuead also on CD (I hate this LP-only craze)

But if anyone had missed, here're the released Sun Ra's albums from Egypt 1971. Available on separate CD's and in 8-CD box set with various 70's gigs.

https://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-And-His-Solar-Arkestra-Horizon/release/1789865

https://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-And-His-Myth-Science-Solar-Arkestra-Nidhamu-Dark-Myth-Equation-Visitation/release/2189759

[barnaba.siegel]

It looks like we've got cover and a full setlist - 2 LP's with previously unreleased material!

https://www.discogs.com/Sun-Ra-Egypt-1971/release/15579788

According to Rough Trade its 86$ and has 12p booklet...

 

... aaand some great news from Strut's Facebook:
"There will be a CD format released in the Autumn, yes"

 

[mikeweil]

If any board member able to read German is interested, I have copy of Geerken's novel "Obduktionsprotokoll" for sale, in which the Cairo performance plays an important part.

[barnaba.siegel]

Sooo, it looks like all the boxes are already gone. I didn't even know, where to look up for them.

[clifford_thornton]

I picked it up at a nearby shop for $80. Great sound, really nice package. I used to own Nidhamu and Nature's God, but neither were in the greatest of condition and I sold them ages ago. Honestly, I'm happy with the box set. For what it's worth, the shop I bought it from was taking appointments at 9AM so I was one of three people at the opening, and we cleaned them out of Ra boxes. I think it must have sold very well yesterday.

An addendum to the Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble, I think that Holidays did an excellent job with that reissue as well; my opinion stands now as I guess it did when I owned an original: the first side is quite interesting, but the second side is (to my ears) rather boring. Better to learn that for $25 than $500 !

[sidewinder]

I’ve got one of the Sun Ra RSD boxes in the mail, consider myself lucky to have found one after the 6pm cutoff.  Failing that, I would have been happy with a copy of the forthcoming CD release.

When I asked my local store today, they said they had been given just 2-3 copies and that they went very quickly on Saturday. That story must have played out everywhere.

In the UK, Juno is showing it as a ‘forthcoming release’ so it might be worth keeping an eye on that.

Edited August 30, 2020 by sidewinder

[djcavanagh]

Handful were available directly from strut but they went in a couple of minutes.

https://sunrastrut.bandcamp.com/

 

cd box available now,shipping in November, plus some individual lps of the first three discs.

Edited September 24, 2020 by djcavanagh

[barnaba.siegel]

And what would be inside this CD box? The description on Bandcamp doesn' tell a lot - it looks for now as a 1CD release with "best of".

[djcavanagh]

My assumption is that it is three cds containing everything but I didn't check before ordering! It is too pricey to be one cd. 

The email strut sent out this afternoon referred to a cd box. 

[jazzbo]

Thanks for the headsup. . . pre-ordered the cd version.

[barnaba.siegel]

Thanks, I missed that email. I'll wait for more info - got all three 'known' albums from the Art Yard box.

[jlhoots]

5 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Thanks for the headsup. . . pre-ordered the cd version.

Where did you pre-order?