PLANET

A R T S

The music in this CD is about believing that one can celebrate another Being because of the impact that person has had on one's life. In organizing the music and musicians for this ensemble, I wanted a few people who knew Sun Ra as I had, and who had performed with him. Billy Bang, Craig Harris, and Radu all worked with the Master at some time. The rest of the ensemble members have all been influenced by Sun Ra’s creative vision in many ways and the experience of Sun Ra alumni sharing the music with younger artists has been profound.

AHMED ABDULLAH

PRODUCTION NOTES

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Traveling the Spaceways is a dedication to Sun Ra and features new arrangements as well as lesser known and unrecorded compositions by one of the most intriguing artists of the twentieth century.

THE MUSIC

      We travel the Spaceways (7:14)

      21^st Century part 1 (3:11)

      21^st Century part 2 (1:47)

      21^st Century part 3 (8:17)

     Dancing Shadows (5:31)

     Love in Outerspace (7:57)

     Enlightenment (9:32)

     E ast of Uz (8:30)

     New Horizons (10:12)

     They Plan (8:03) - dedicated to David Baker

THE BAND

Ahmed Abdullah, trumpet, vocals; Billy Bang, violin; Craig Harris, trombone; Salim Washington, tenor sax; Alex Harding, barritone sax; Owuor Arunga, trumpet; Masujaa, guitar; Radu Oluwu Ben Judah, bass; Cody Moffett, drums; Monique Ngozi Nri, vocals, poetry; Miles Griffith, vocals; Louis Reyes Rivera, poetry

PRODUCTION

Thomas Bellino, Executive Producer:

Ahmed Abdullah and Thomas Bellino, Producers

In 1998, I dreamt that Sun Ra came to me and told me that the word Diaspora was an acronym for Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra and that I needed to play his music. For someone who hardly ever remembers his dreams, that one changed my life. Untold controversy, conflict and turmoil coming from several quarters accompanied my attempt to play Sun Ra's music, create a Sun Ra All-Star Project and record some of Sun Ra's lesser known compositions.

The music in this CD is about that dream. It is about believing that one can celebrate another Being because of the impact that person has had on one's life. In organizing the music and musicians for this ensemble, I wanted a few people who knew Sun Ra as I had, and who had performed with him. Billy Bang, Craig Harris, and Radu all worked with the Master at some time. The rest of the ensemble members have all been influenced by Sun Ra’s creative vision in many ways and the experience of Sun Ra alumni sharing the music with younger artists has been profound.

Celebrating our ancestors is what makes us whole. This CD is the realization of that dream and a celebration of my relationship with a master Sound Scientist. Dream with me!