Sun Ra

“Sleeping Beauty” (Strut, STRUT474LP) is one of the most cherished corners of the Sun Ra cosmos: a 1979 Saturn era session of velvet soft grooves, celestial soul and luminous horn voicings. From the spacious promise of “Springtime Again” through the devotional sway of “Door Of The Cosmos” to the meditative title piece, Ra gifts us serenity without losing the mystery. This carefully presented reissue restores the original artwork and lets the warm, unhurried production glow on vinyl—Dee Alexander’s vocals and Ra’s keyboards hover like constellations over the Arkestra’s patient rhythm. File next to the most beautiful spiritual jazz records in your crate.