Overview
“Lanquidity” is a 1978 studio album by American jazz musician Sun Ra with the musical collective The Arkestra.
Commentary
The album “Lanquidity” was recorded at Bob Blank’s Blank Tapes Studios, New York City on the night of July 17th, 1978, following a performance on Saturday Night Live, and was released as a LP with a reflective foil silver cover by Philadelphia record label Philly Jazz in the same year.
It is a psychedelic jazz fusion album featuring Sun Ra’s keyboards (ARP synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ, Mini-Moog, and piano), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone), Eddie Gale (trumpet), two guitarists and three percussionists.
It is one of the most impressive albums recorded by Sun Ra during the 1970s.
Unlike Sun Ra’s earlier recordings, it completely incorporated the elements of funk, R&B and jazz fusion, and it featured two guitars, which were seldom used in the Arkestra.
The album is characterized by its slow tempo, loose groove, repetitive rhythm, hypnotic beat, and meditative effects.
The title of the album “Lanquidity” is a coined word, which is a composition of “languid” and “liquidity”.
The title track “Lanquidity” is a spacey and ambient tune featuring an elegiac melody.
The middle three tracks, “Where Pathways Meet”, “That’s How I Feel”, and “Twin Stars of Thence” are funky numbers in the jazz fusion style.
The last track “There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)” is a spiritual space jazz tune in Sun Ra’s original style.
Overall, Sun Ra’s cool electric piano and synths, Eddie Gale’s trumpet, and the bassline by Richard Williams are impressive.
In 2000, the album was reissued on HDCD by Evidence Music.
In 2021, British independent label Strut released the remastered version of the album on digital and as a single LP, and a “Special Edition” as a 2xCD and 4xLP box set.
Personnel
- Sun Ra: organ, synthesizer, piano, arranger, keyboards, Hammond organ, electric piano, vocals, bells, Arp, Fender Rhodes, orchestra bells, Mini Moog
- John Gilmore: tenor saxophone
- Danny Ray Thompson: flute, baritone saxophone
- Eddie Gale: trumpet
- Michael Ray: trumpet, flugelhorn
- Marshall Allen: flute, oboe, alto saxophone
- Luqman Ali: percussion
- Michael Anderson: percussion
- Artaukatune: drums, tympani
- Disco Kid: ( Slo Johnson ) guitar
- Dale Williams: guitar
- Atakatun Odun: congas
- Elo Omoe: Flute, bass clarinet
- Julian Pressley: baritone saxophone
- Richard Williams: bass
- James Jacson: oboe, basson, flute, voices
- June Tyson: voices
Track Listing
All tracks are written by Sun Ra.
Side One
- Lanquidity – 8:19
- Where Pathways Meet – 6:30
- That’s How I Feel – 8:09
Side Two
- Twin Stars of Thence – 9:30
- There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of) – 10:58