A great live recording of Sun Ra and his Arkestra from 1980 in Switzerland, originally released as a double LP, and remastered for CD in 2010 (two pieces have been excluded from the original LP release). The concert featured a ten piece ensemble playing a mix of originals, standards and modern jazz compositions, including pieces Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis/Tad Dameron, Coleman Hawkins, Billy Strayhorn, and Duke Ellington. This is a good example of later Sun Ra configurations, with Sun Ra still in his prime and the Arkestra, under the influence of Marshall Allen and John Gilmore, in excellent form.
"Sun Ra & the Arkestra live in Willisau, Switzerland... In addition to diverse and generally adventurous originals by Ra, the ensemble performs ragged and eccentric versions of such 1930s pieces as "'Big John's Special," "Yeah Man," "Queer Notions," "Limehouse Blues," and "King Porter Stomp." For the remainder of his life, Sun Ra would alternate between reinventions of swing tunes and his outer space originals... this was one of the better examples of his late-period band."-Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Recorded live on Sunday February 24, 1980 at Gasthof Mohren Willisau/Switzerland
2010, 3rd edition.