Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
Download available in 24-bit/96kHz.
£7GBP or more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Comes in a deluxe matte laminate gatefold sleeve and polylined paper inner sleeve
Original 1969 BYG album
Restored and remastered from the original BYG tapes
Insert featuring exclusive liner notes by jazz writer Kevin Le Gendre
Includes unlimited streaming of Luna Surface
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 24-bit/96kHz.
ships out within 5 days
Purchasable with gift card
£25GBPor more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Comes in a deluxe matte laminate digi sleeve and printed inner wallet
Original 1969 BYG album
Digitally mastered from restored BYG tapes
16-page booklet featuring archival photos & exclusive essay by jazz expert Kevin Le Gendre
Includes unlimited streaming of Luna Surface
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
A landmark in avant-garde jazz returns: the definitive, remastered edition of Alan Silva’s 1969 Paris session for BYG’s Actuel series. Leading his 11-piece Celestial Communication Orchestra — with titans like Anthony Braxton, Archie Shepp, and Grachan Moncur III — Silva channels the raw, boundary-pushing energy of the New York free jazz explosion. Deluxe packaging, restored artwork, and new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre complete this long-sought treasure.
Originally released in 1969, this explosive, large-scale work by Silva’s Celestial Communication Orchestra remains a towering achievement in free jazz and avant-garde composition.
Born in Bermuda and raised in Harlem, Alan Silva was a key figure in the New York avant-garde scene, performing with visionaries such as Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor.
With Luna Surface, he reached new creative heights, leading a transatlantic ensemble of American and European improvisers. Together, these musicians create a sound that is richly layered — uproarious, torrid, and intensely moving.
Comprising two lengthy pieces, From the Luna Surface (Parts 1 & 2), the album unfolds like a constantly shifting landscape of sound, full of the boundless originality one would expect from such a talented group under Silva’s skilled direction.
Rooted in the legacy of Charles Mingus yet boldly forward-looking, Silva’s music reflects not just the unrest of the late '60s, but a yearning for unity, transcendence, and deeper cosmic understanding.
Luna Surface was — and remains — a radical proposition: music not just to entertain, but to transform.
This deluxe reissue offers a timely rediscovery of a work that still feels futuristic — a sonic reminder that the search for new worlds, whether musical or metaphysical, remains as urgent as ever.
credits
released October 10, 2025
PERSONNEL
Bernard Vitet (trumpet, French horn)
Grachan Moncur III (trombone)
Archie Shepp (soprano sax)
Kenneth Terroade (tenor sax)
Dave Burrell (piano)
Alan Silva (violin)
Leroy Jenkins (violin, viola)
Beb Guérin and Malachi Favors (basses)
Claude Delcloo (drums)
Produced by: Jean Karakos and Jean-Luc Young.
Coordination: Jacques Bisceglia.
Engineer: Claude Jauvert.
Recorded August 17, 1969, Paris.
Photos: Jacques Bisceglia.
All tunes published by: Charly Publishing Ltd
All tunes arranged by: Alan Silva
Listening to the album over and over on Tidal and finally decided to buy it.
Two hours of escapism, amazing solos and improv sections.
Perfect. TomerEitan
This record is truly unique experience. I can’t really describe the feeling of it. A very inspiring record that any free improviser should listen to and take notes from. “Children of the Forest” along with the recently released “WEBO” have greatly influenced my drumming and flute playing, and my general outlook on music. Thank you to Black Editions Archive for releasing this masterpiece. josh bullard
The boundless avant-garde trio's EFG London Jazz Festival performance is captured on this 12-track release.https://hanearlpark.bandcamp.com/ Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 26, 2025
I had the pleasure of meeting Henry and spending an evening with his circle at the 2024 Big Ears Festival. The spirit of that gathering was as beautiful as this music. Very grateful for Poof and all that has preceded it and come after. walkerkevinf