I’ve never been much allured by Zappa and his prolific lunacy, but Sun Ra’s long and varied career continues to fascinate me. As composers and musical innovators, they’re similar: One plays to the mind, the other plays to the heart. I’ll always take Sun Ra’s solar soul over Zappa’s sonic contortionism. Still, Ra’s catalog is so vast that it’s hard to know where to break in.

Here’s a start.

The above link is an hour-long mix compiled by a pair of DJs, 1.1 and Max Cole, at London’s Other Worlds record store label. It runs through over 25 songs from Sun Ra’s oeveure — vocal chants, sax solos, electric abstraction, percussion breaks, and truly gorgeous melodies. You can find the entire track list and some great photos here.

I know the man was a genius and I’m only now beginning to understand why.