“Space Is The Place” is the perfect entry point into Sun Ra’s vast catalogue, and a firm favourite for committed fans too. Its centrepiece is the 21-minute title track: with its chugging sax riff and repeated vocal refrain, it’s both Ra’s signature tune and a manifesto of his space-age escapist philosophy. Across the album, there’s a diverse range of sounds on offer, from the swinging hard bop of “Images” – with John Gilmore blowing a typically muscular tenor solo – to the more abstract shapes of “Discipline” and “Sea Of Sounds,” and the urgent absurdity of “Rocket Number Nine.” It’s vintage Ra.