Lanquidity
Lanquidity is a studio album by the American jazz composer, bandleader, and keyboardist Sun Ra and his Arkestra, released on August 14, 1978, on the Philly Jazz label.[1] Recorded in a single overnight session on July 17, 1978, at Blank Tapes studios in New York City by engineers Bob Blank and Joe Arlotta, the album captures the Arkestra's performance following their appearance on Saturday Night Live earlier that year.[1][2][3] The album consists of five original compositions by Sun Ra, totaling approximately 43 minutes, including the title track "Lanquidity" (8:19), "Where Pathways Meet" (6:30), "That's How I Feel" (8:09), "Twin Stars of Thence" (9:30), and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)" (10:58).[4] It features core Arkestra members such as Sun Ra on Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, Minimoog, synthesizer, piano, bells, and vocals; John Gilmore on tenor saxophone; Marshall Allen on alto saxophone, oboe, and flute; Danny Ray Thompson on baritone saxophone and flute; Eddie Gale and Michael Ray on trumpet; Richard Williams on electric bass; and Lucious Ross on drums, among others.[4][5][6] Lanquidity blends avant-garde jazz with late-1970s funk, disco, and soul grooves, incorporating overdubs and an alternate master from a 1978 Georgia concert to create a more laid-back and accessible sound compared to Sun Ra's typically experimental output.[1] Produced by Sun Ra with executive producers Tom Buchler and Richard Barry, it reflects the era's mainstream musical trends while retaining the Arkestra's cosmic and improvisational idiosyncrasies.[1] The album has been reissued multiple times, including CD editions by Evidence in 2000, expanded versions in 2021 and 2023, and a 25th anniversary edition in 2024, and is widely regarded as one of Sun Ra's most popular and commercially oriented works, earning high acclaim for its groovy, impressionistic fusion style.[4][7][8][2]Background and recording
Background
By 1978, Sun Ra had established himself as a veteran leader of the avant-garde jazz scene, guiding the Sun Ra Arkestra through over two decades of experimental compositions that challenged conventional jazz structures.[9] Having emerged from the Chicago jazz milieu in the 1950s and gained notoriety for his innovative big band arrangements in the 1960s, Ra sought to expand his audience beyond niche listeners by incorporating more accessible elements into his work.[10] Lanquidity emerged as a deliberate pivot within Sun Ra's oeuvre toward a pop-oriented sound, fusing his signature cosmic themes with funk and fusion grooves to appeal to broader audiences amid the era's disco and fusion trends.[11] This conception arose from discussions with Philly Jazz Records owner Tom Buchler, emphasizing metaphysical ideas over practical details, resulting in an album that balanced dissonance with rhythmic propulsion.[9] The sessions, held in July 1978, followed closely on the heels of the Arkestra's appearance on Saturday Night Live on May 20, 1978—a rare mainstream television exposure that introduced Ra's interstellar ensemble to a national audience and invigorated the group's creative momentum.[12] At its core, Lanquidity embodied Sun Ra's longstanding philosophy of "space jazz," a sonic mythology blending Afrofuturism, ancient Egyptian symbolism, and interstellar escape as pathways to human enlightenment.[13] Unlike his earlier free-form explorations, the album marked a shift toward groove-based compositions, featuring taut rhythms from an expanded Arkestra rhythm section to evoke a cosmic dance ritual.[9] This evolution reflected Ra's belief in music as a transformative force, drawing listeners into otherworldly realms while grounding the experience in infectious, hypnotic pulses.[10]Recording
The recording sessions for Lanquidity took place overnight on July 17, 1978, at Blank Tapes studio in New York City, following the Sun Ra Arkestra's appearance on Saturday Night Live earlier that year on May 20, 1978.[1][9] The sessions were engineered by Bob Blank and Joe Arlotta, with Sun Ra serving as producer.[1] The studio environment was adjusted to suit Sun Ra's preferences, including the removal of a decorative pyramid above the mixing console, as he remarked, “You cannot harness this music. I’m dealing with the omniverse.”[14] The production emphasized the Arkestra's live performance energy through a largely improvisational approach, with the band developing most tracks from ad hoc jams and horn charts during the session.[14] Basic tracks were captured in this single overnight sitting on 24-track tape, spanning approximately 12 hours from late evening until dawn, before mixdown modifications and some overdubs were applied to select pieces.[1] This efficient, disciplined process reflected Sun Ra's method of harnessing the group's spontaneous flow in a condensed timeframe, yielding the album's core material without extensive retakes.[1]Musical content
Style and influences
Lanquidity is primarily classified as a jazz fusion album, incorporating prominent elements of funk and R&B, while integrating disco and bluesy grooves that set it apart from Sun Ra's earlier free jazz explorations.[8] This blend creates a more accessible sound, characterized by deep pocket rhythms and danceable grooves reflective of late-1970s trends, yet infused with Sun Ra's experimental edge.[1] The album's sonic palette features synthesizers such as the Mini Moog, ARP, and Fender Rhodes, alongside spacey effects like dissonant chords and ethereal textures, evoking impressionistic, cosmic atmospheres.[15] A distinctive aspect of Lanquidity is the inclusion of two guitarists—Dale Williams and Disco Kid—which was unusual for the Arkestra and provided a rhythmic drive through electric funk layers not present in prior works.[16] These guitars contribute interlocking riffs and ethereal chords, enhancing the bottom-heavy funk and soul grooves while maintaining the ensemble's taut, crisp performances.[15] This personnel choice underscores the album's departure toward a bouncier, less carnal funk style, drawing loose parallels to George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic but rooted in Ra's innovative arrangements.[11] The music draws from Sun Ra's broader "Astro-Infinity" mythology, manifesting in otherworldly soundscapes and whispering, spooky effects that ground cosmic themes in hypnotic, accessible pulses.[1] Most tracks emphasize extended jams exceeding eight minutes, built on modal improvisation with sparse, abstract blues lines and interlocking grooves, balancing pop-oriented rhythms with experimental improvisation.[15] This structure allows for a psychedelic, hazy immersion that twists familiar idioms—disco, funk, and R&B—into Ra's idiosyncratic vision, prioritizing conceptual cosmic exploration over overt dissonance.[11]Track listing
Lanquidity is divided into two sides on its original 1978 vinyl release, with all compositions by Sun Ra and published by Enterplanetary (BMI).[4]| Side | No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | "Lanquidity" | 8:19 |
| A | 2 | "Where Pathways Meet" | 6:30 |
| A | 3 | "That's How I Feel" | 8:09 |
| B | 1 | "Twin Stars of Thence" | 9:30 |
| B | 2 | "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)" | 10:58 |