Sun Ra
Sun Ra at the New England Conservatory of Music, February 27, 1992
Background information
Birth name	Herman Poole Blount
Also known as	Sun Ra, Le Sony'r Sun Ra
Born	May 22, 1914(1914-05-22)
Origin	Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Died	May 30, 1993 (aged 79)
Genre(s)	Hard bop, swing, mainstream jazz, avant-garde jazz, free jazz
Occupation(s)	Bandleader, composer
Instrument(s)	Hammond organ, piano, organ, keyboards, Minimoog
Years active	1930s–1990s
Associated acts	Arkestra

Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, legal name Le Sony'r Sun Ra; born May 22, 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama – May 30, 1993 in Birmingham, Alabama) was a jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy", musical compositions and performances. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hard bop is a style of Jazz that is an extension of Bebop (or "bop" music Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Mainstream jazz is a genre of Jazz music that was first used in reference to the playing styles of musicians like Buck Clayton among others performers who once heralded Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz) is a style of music and Improvisation that combines Avant-garde Art music and composition with For the Ornette Coleman album after which this genre was named see Free Jazz A Collective Improvisation. A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The Minimoog is a monophonic Analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language He was known by several names throughout his career, including Le Sonra and Sonny Lee,^[1] and denied his connection with birth name, saying "That's an imaginary person, never existed … Any name that I use other than Ra is a pseudonym. "^[2] He abandoned his birth name and took on the name and persona of Sun Ra (Ra being the ancient Egyptian god of the sun). Ra (pronounced Rah and sometimes as Rê, is an Ancient Egyptian sun god. Claiming that he was of the "Angel Race" and not from Earth, but from Saturn, Sun Ra developed a complex persona of "cosmic" philosophies and lyrical poetry that made him a pioneer of afrofuturism as he preached "awareness" and peace above all. Black science fiction Afrofuturism, or afro-futurism, is an African diaspora cultural and literary movement whose thinkers and artists see Science

He led "The Arkestra" (a deliberate re-spelling of "orchestra"), an ensemble with an ever-changing lineup and name (it was also called "The Solar Myth Arkestra", "His Cosmo Discipline Arkestra", the "Blue Universe Arkestra", "The Jet Set Omniverse Arkestra", and many other permutations; Sun Ra asserted that the ever-changing name of his ensemble reflected the ever-changing nature of his music. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well ) A prolific recording artist and frequent live performer, Sun Ra's music ranged from keyboard solos to big bands of 30-odd musicians; his music touched on virtually the entire history of jazz, from ragtime to swing music, from bebop to free jazz; he was also a pioneer of electronic music, space music,^[3] and free improvisation, and was one of the first musicians, regardless of genre, to make extensive use of electronic keyboards. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody For the Ornette Coleman album after which this genre was named see Free Jazz A Collective Improvisation. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Space music, also spelled spacemusic, is an umbrella term used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the taste or inclination of the musician(s involved in many cases the musicians make An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a type of Keyboard instrument.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Early professional career and college 1.3 "Trip to Saturn" 1.4 New devotion to music (late 1930s) 1.5 Draft and wartime experiences 1.6 Chicago years (1945–1961) 1.7 New York years (1961–early 1970s) 1.8 Philadelphia years (late 1960s–1990s) 1.9 The Arkestra continues 2 Music 2.1 Chicago phase 2.2 New York phase 2.3 Philadelphia phase 2.4 Musicians 3 Philosophy 3.1 Sun Ra and black culture 4 Works 4.1 Music 4.2 Video 4.3 Writing 5 Influence and legacy 6 See also 7 Footnotes 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

Biography

Early life

For decades, very little was known about Sun Ra's early life; much of it was obscured by Sun Ra himself: he routinely gave evasive, contradictory or seemingly nonsensical answers to personal questions and even went so far as to deny his birth name. Even his birthday was unknown, with years ranging from 1910 to 1918 being claimed for his birth. Only a few years before his death, the date of Sun Ra's birth remained a mystery: Jim Macnie's notes for Blue Delight (1989) could only state that Sun Ra was believed to be about 75 years old. However, Ra's biographer John F. Szwed was able to uncover a wealth of information about Ra's early life, including confirming a May 22, 1914 birth date. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Named after the popular vaudeville stage magician Black Herman, who had deeply impressed his mother, Sun Ra would speculate, only half in jest, that he was distantly related to Elijah Poole, later famous as Elijah Muhammed, leader of the Nation of Islam. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Benjamin Rucker (born in Amherst Virginia in 1892-1934 was an American stage magician, better known by his stage name Black Herman. Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Poole, October 7 1897 - February 25 1975) is notable for his leadership of the Black Muslims The Nation of Islam ( NOI) (أمة الإسلام Ummah al-Islāmu) is a group founded in Detroit, Michigan, He was nicknamed "Sonny" from his childhood, had an older sister and half-brother, and was doted upon by his mother and grandmother. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name.

Sun Ra was a skilled pianist as a child. By 11 or 12 years old he was writing original songs,^[4] and was able to sight read sheet music. Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of written Music, specifically when the performer has not seen it before Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of Musical notation; like its analogs -- books pamphlets etc Birmingham was an important stop for touring musicians, and he saw famous musicians like Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, along with less-famous performers who were often just as talented as their better-known peers, with Sun Ra once stating "the world let down a lot of good musicians". Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr ( December 18, 1897 &ndash December 28, 1952) was an American pianist bandleader Arranger Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904 &mdash December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist ^[5] In his teenage years, Sun Ra demonstrated prodigious musical talent: many times, according to acquaintances, he would see big band performances and produce full transcriptions of the bands' songs from memory. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late By his mid-teens Sun Ra was performing semi-professionally as a solo pianist, or as a member of various ad hoc jazz and R&B groups. He attended Birmingham's Industrial High School where he studied under famed music teacher John T. "Fess" Whatley, a demanding disciplinarian who was widely respected and whose classes produced many professional musicians.

At ten years old Sun Ra joined the Knights of Pythias, and remained a member until he graduated from high school. The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and Secret society founded at Washington DC on 19 February, 1864. His family was deeply religious but was not formally associated with any Christian church or sect. Ra had few or no close friends in high school but was remembered as kind-natured and quiet, an honor roll student, and a voracious reader. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution The Black Masonic Lodge was one of the few places in Birmingham where African-Americans had essentially unlimited access to books, and the Lodge's many books on Freemasonry and other esoteric concepts made a large impression on him. A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge in Books of Constitutions is the basic organisation of Freemasonry.

Also by his teens, Sun Ra suffered from cryptorchidism,^[6] a chronic testicular hernia that left him with a nearly constant discomfort that sometimes flared into severe pain. Cryptorchidism is the absence of one or both Testes from the Scrotum. The testicle (from Latin testiculus, diminutive of testis, meaning "witness" virility plural testes) is the male A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained The condition also left him with a sense of shame and increased his sense of isolation.

Early professional career and college

In 1934 Blount was offered his first full-time musical job when Industrial High School English teacher Ethel Harper organized a band and decided to pursue a career as a singer. Blount joined a musicians' trade union and Harper's group toured through the US southeast and Midwest. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Harper left the group mid-tour to move to New York (she later was a member of the modestly successful singing group the Ginger Snaps), and Blount took over leadership of the group, renaming it the Sonny Blount Orchestra. This page is about the biscuit/cookie For the film see Ginger Snaps (film. They continued touring for several months before dissolving the unprofitable group. Though the first edition of the Sonny Blount Orchestra was not financially successful, they earned positive notice from fans and other musicians, and Blount afterwards found steady employment in Birmingham.

The clubs of Birmingham often featured exotic trappings such as vivid lighting and murals with tropical or oasis scenes that were believed to have influenced Sun Ra's later stage shows. The big bands also imparted a sense of pride and togetherness to black musicians: musicians were highly regarded in the black community, and were expected to be disciplined and presentable, and in the segregated south, black musicians arguably had the most acceptance in white society, often performing for white high society audiences (though they were typically forbidden from associating with the audiences).

In 1936 Parker's intercession led to Blount being awarded a scholarship at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is an accredited public historically black university, He was a music education major, studying composition, orchestration, and music theory, but after a year, he dropped out and then attended some other musical college. Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works

"Trip to Saturn"

Finances and his increasing sense of isolation are believed to have been a factor in Sun Ra's leaving college, but perhaps more importantly, he claimed a visionary experience as a college student, a strange event that was to have a major long-term influence on the young pianist. In 1936 or 1937, in the midst of deep religious concentration, Sun Ra claimed that a bright light appeared around him, and, as he later stated,

… my whole body changed into something else. I could see through myself. And I went up … I wasn't in human form … I landed on a planet that I identified as Saturn … they teleported me and I was down on [a] stage with them. Teleportation is the movement of objects from one place to another more or less instantaneously either by Paranormal means or through technological artifice They wanted to talk with me. They had one little antenna on each ear. A little antenna over each eye. They talked to me. They told me to stop [attending college] because there was going to be great trouble in schools … the world was going into complete chaos … I would speak [through music], and the world would listen. That's what they told me. ^[7]

Sun Ra said that this experience occurred in 1936 or 1937, but according to Swzed, even his closest associates cannot date the story any earlier than 1952 (Sun Ra also stated that it occurred when he was living in Chicago, a town he did not regularly inhabit until the late 1940s). With no substantial variations, Sun Ra discussed the vision to the end of his life. The trip to Saturn allegedly happened a full decade before flying saucers entered public consciousness, about 15 years before the contactees and their stories of benevolent Space Brothers were publicized, and almost 20 years before sinister UFO abductions were a public concept. Flying saucer is the name given to a type of Unidentified flying object (UFO with a disc- or Saucer -shaped body usually described as silver or metallic Contactees are persons who claim to be in regular contact with extraterrestrials. Space Brothers aka Space People were the type of "space alien" normallyreported by "classic" Contactees, those who claimed to have had face-to-face Alien Discussions Proceedings of the Abduction Study Conference. Szwed states that "even if this story is revisionist autobiography … Sonny was pulling together several strains of his life. In fiction revisionism is the retelling of a story or type of story with substantial alterations in character or environment to "revise" the view shown in the original work An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" He was both prophesying his future and explaining his past with a single act of personal mythology. ^[8]

New devotion to music (late 1930s)

Even putting Blount's strange vision aside, after leaving college, he became known as perhaps the most singularly devoted musician in Birmingham. He rarely slept, citing Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, and Napoleon as fellow highly productive cat-nappers. He transformed the first floor of his family's home into a conservatory-cum-workshop where he wrote songs, transcribed recordings, rehearsed with the many musicians who were nearly constantly drifting in and out, and discussed Biblical and esoteric concepts with whoever was interested. ^[9]

Blount became a regular at Birmingham's Forbes Piano Company, a white-owned company which—astoundingly for a business in the Deep South—simply ignored the strict Jim Crow laws of the racially segregated era. The Deep South is a descriptive category of cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 Blount visited the Forbes building almost daily to play music, swap ideas with staff and customers, or copy sheet music into his notebooks. He formed a new band, and, like his old teacher Parker, insisted on rigorous daily rehearsals. The new Sonny Blount Orchestra earned a reputation as an impressive, disciplined band that could play sweet and hot music with equal skill.

Draft and wartime experiences

In October 1942 Blount received a selective service notification that he had been drafted into the Military of the United States. The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military Conscription. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States He quickly declared himself a conscientious objector, citing religious objections to war and killing, his financial support of his great-aunt Ida, and his chronic hernia. A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support His case was rejected by the local draft board, and in his appeal to the national draft board, Blount wrote that the lack of black men on the draft appeal board "smacks of Hitlerism". Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German ^[10] His family was deeply embarrassed by Sonny's refusal to join the military, and he was effectively ostracized by many of his relatives. Blount was eventually approved for alternate service at Civilian Public Service camp in Pennsylvania. The Civilian Public Service ( CPS) provided Conscientious objectors in the United States an alternative to military service during World War II The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern However, Blount didn't appear at the camp as scheduled on December 8, 1942, and shortly thereafter, he was arrested in Alabama. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In court, Blount declared that even alternate service was unacceptable to him, and he debated the judge on points of law and Biblical interpretation. Though sympathetic to Blount, the judge also declared that he was clearly in violation of the law, and was risking forcible induction into the U. S. Military. Blount declared that if he were inducted, he would use his military weapons and training to kill the first high-ranking military officer he could. The judge sentenced Blount to jail (pending draft board and CPS rulings), and then declared "I've never seen a nigger like you before;" Blount replied, "No, and you never will again. "^[11]

In January 1943 a desperate Blount wrote to the United States Marshals Service from the Walker County, Alabama jail in Jasper. Walker County is a County of the US state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John W Jasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 14052 He said he was facing a nervous breakdown due to the stress of imprisonment, that he was suicidal, and that he was in constant fear of sexual assault. Mental breakdown (also known as nervous breakdown or snapping) is a non-medical term used to describe a sudden acute attack of Mental illness such as A suicide crisis, suicidal crisis, or potential suicide, is a situation in which a person is attempting to kill him or herself or is seriously contemplating Sexual assault is any Assault of a sexual nature on another person His conscientious objector status was eventually reaffirmed in February 1943 and Blount was escorted to Pennsylvania where he conducted forestry work in the day and was allowed to play piano at night. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Psychiatrists there described him as "a psychopathic personality [and] sexually perverted" but also as "a well-educated colored intellectual". Psychopathy ( is a psychological construct that describes chronic immoral and Antisocial behavior An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, ^[12]

In March 1943 Blount was classified as 4-F due to his hernia. The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military Conscription. He returned to Birmingham embittered and angered by his experiences. He formed a new band and quickly was playing professionally. After his beloved great-aunt Ida died in 1945, Blount felt no reason to stay in Birmingham. He dissolved the band, and moved to Chicago, part of the wave of southern African Americans who moved north during and after World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Chicago years (1945–1961)

In Chicago Blount quickly found work, notably with blues singer Wynonie Harris, with whom he made his recording debut on two 1946 singles, "Dig This Boogie/Lightning Struck the Poorhouse" and "My Baby's Barrelhouse"/"Drinking By Myself;" "Dig This Boogie" was also Blount's first recorded piano solo. Wynonie "Mr Blues" Harris ( August 24, 1915 - June 14, 1969) born in Omaha Nebraska, was an American Blues He performed with the locally successful Lil Green band and played bump-and-grind music for months in Calumet City strip clubs. Lil Green ( December 22 1919 — April 14 1954) was an American Blues Singer and Songwriter. Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. A strip club is a Nightclub or bar that offers Striptease (the erotic removal of a performer's clothing and possibly other related services such as

Blount earned a lengthy engagement at Club DeLisa, where he met bandleader and composer Fletcher Henderson. Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr ( December 18, 1897 &ndash December 28, 1952) was an American pianist bandleader Arranger Blount had long admired Henderson, but Henderson's fortunes were fading (his band comprised of middling musicians rather than the stars of earlier years) due in large part to his instability. Henderson hired Blount as pianist and arranger. Ra's arrangements initially showed a degree of bebop influence, but the band members largely resisted the new music, despite Henderson's encouragement. Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody

In 1948 Blount performed briefly in a trio with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and violinist Stuff Smith, both preeminent swing-era musicians. Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith ( August 14, 1909 - September 25, 1967) better known as Stuff Smith, was a Jazz Violinist There are no known recordings of this trio, but a home recording of a Blount-Smith duet from 1948 or 1949 appears on Sound Sun Pleasure, and one of Sun Ra's final recordings was a rare sideman appearance on violinist Billy Bang's Tribute to Stuff Smith. Billy Bang (b William Vincent Walker, Mobile, Alabama, September 20, 1947) is an American Free jazz Violinist

In addition to professional advancement, Chicago also changed Blount's personal outlook. The city was a center of African American political activism and fringe movements, with Black Muslims, Black Hebrews, and others proselytizing, debating, and printing leaflets or books. Black Hebrew Israelites (also Black Hebrews, African Hebrew Israelites, and Hebrew Israelites) are groups of people of Black African ancestry Blount absorbed it all and was fascinated with the city's many ancient Egyptian-styled buildings and monuments. He read books like George G. M. James's Stolen Legacy (which argued that classical Greek philosophy actually had its roots in ancient Egypt), which convinced Blount that the accomplishments and history of Africans had been systematically suppressed and denied by European cultures. Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of Reason and Inquiry.

By 1952 Blount was leading the Space Trio with drummer Tommy "Bugs" Hunter and saxophonist Pat Patrick, two of the most accomplished musicians he had known. They performed regularly and Sun Ra began writing more advanced songs.

On October 20, 1952 Blount legally changed his name to Le Sony'r Ra. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sun Ra claimed^[13] to have always been uncomfortable with his birth name of Blount, seeing it as a slave name of a family that he was not really a member of. A slave name is a term for a Name given to a person who is or has been enslaved or a name inherited from enslaved ancestors One observer has argued that this change was similar to the way "Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali … [dropped] their slave names in the process of attaining a new self-awareness and self-esteem". Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 ^[14]

Patrick left the group to move to Florida with his new wife; not long after, Patrick's friend John Gilmore (tenor sax) joined the group, and Marshall Allen (alto sax) soon joined the fold. This article is about John Gilmore the jazz saxophonist See John Gilmore for other people with this name Marshall Belford Allen (born in Louisville Kentucky, May 25, 1924) is a Free jazz and Avant-garde jazz Alto saxophone Patrick was in and out of the group until the end of his life, but Allen and Gilmore—who would both earn critical praise for their talents—were the two most devoted members of the Arkestra. Saxophonist James Spaulding and trombonist Julian Priester also recorded with Sun Ra in Chicago, and both went on to notable careers of their own. James Spaulding (born July 30, 1937 in Indianapolis Indiana) is a jazz alto saxophonist and flautist Julian Priester (born 29 June, 1935 in Chicago) is an American Jazz Trombonist and composer He has played with many

In Chicago, Blount met Alton Abraham, a precociously intelligent teenager and something of a kindred spirit who became the Arkestra's biggest booster and one of Sun Ra's closest friends. The men both felt like outsiders and shared an interest in fringe esoterica. Abraham's strengths balanced Ra's shortcomings: though he was a disciplined bandleader, Sun Ra was somewhat introverted and lacked business sense (a trait that would haunt his entire career); Abraham was outgoing, well-connected, and practical. Though still a teenager, Abraham eventually became Sun Ra's de facto business manager: he booked performances, suggested musicians for the Arkestra, and introduced several popular songs into the group's repertoire. Ra, Abraham and others formed a sort of book club to trade ideas and discuss the offbeat topics that so intrigued them. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions likes dislikes etc This group printed a number of pamphlets and broadsides explaining their conclusions and ideas; some of these were collected by critic John Corbett and Anthony Elms as The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Streetcorner Leaflets (2006).

Sun Ra and Abraham also formed an independent record label in the mid-1950s; it was generally known as El Saturn Records, though (as with the Arkestra) there were several variants of the name. An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels El Saturn Records is the name of a US Record label. The label was one of the most active artist-owned record labels created in 1957 by Alton Abraham. Initially focused on 45 rpm singles by Sun Ra and artists related to him, Saturn Records did issue two full-length albums during the 1950s: Super-Sonic Jazz (1956) and Jazz In Silhouette (1958). Producer Tom Wilson was actually the first to release a Sun Ra album, through his independent label Transition Records in 1956, entitled Sun Song. Thomas Blanchard Wilson Jr ( March 25, 1931 – September 6, 1978) was an American Record producer best known for his work in the

It was during the late 1950s that Sun Ra and his band began wearing the outlandish, Egyptian-styled or science fiction-themed costumes and headdresses for which they would become known. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of Clothing which is worn on one's head. These costumes had multiple purposes: they evidenced Sun Ra's abiding fascination with ancient Egypt and the space age; they provided a sort of distinctive, memorable uniform for the Arkestra; they were a way to take on a new identity, at least while onstage; and they provided comic relief (Sun Ra thought avant garde musicians typically took themselves far too seriously). The Space Age is a contemporary period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, Space exploration, space technology and the cultural developments A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work often to relieve tension

New York years (1961–early 1970s)

Sun Ra and most of the core Arkestra (at least Allen, Gilmore, Patrick and Boykins) left Chicago in 1961, staying in Montreal for a few months before settling in New York City. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The City of New York They initially had trouble finding performance venues and began living communally due to New York's higher cost of living. A commune is an Intentional community of people living together sharing common interests Property, possessions Resources, work and Income This frustration fueled the drastic changes in the Arkestra's sound as Sun Ra's music underwent a free jazz-influenced experimental period. For the Ornette Coleman album after which this genre was named see Free Jazz A Collective Improvisation.

In March of 1966 the Arkestra scored a regular Monday night gig at Slug's Saloon. This proved to be a breakthrough to new audiences and recognition. Sun Ra's popularity reached an early peak during this period, as the beat generation and early followers of psychedelia embraced him. Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Regularly for the next year and a half (and intermittently for another half-decade afterwards), Sun Ra and company performed at Slug's for audiences that eventually came to include music critics and notable jazz musicians. Opinions of Sun Ra's music were divided (and hecklers were not uncommon), but high praise came from two of the architects of bebop: trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie offered encouragement, once stating, "Keep it up, Sonny, they tried to do the same shit to me. A heckler is a person who shouts a disparaging comment at a performance or event or interrupting set-piece speeches for example at a political meeting Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( October 21 1917 &ndash January 6 1993) was an American Jazz Trumpeter ",^[15] while pianist Thelonious Monk chided someone who said Sun Ra was "too far out" by responding, "Yeah, but it swings. Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. "^[16]

Philadelphia years (late 1960s–1990s)

In the late 1960s when the New York building they were renting was put up for sale, Sun Ra and the Arkestra relocated to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, where his Morton Street house remained the Arkestra's base of operations until Sun Ra's death. Germantown is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, about six miles northwest from the center of the city Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Apart from occasional complaints about the noise of rehearsals, they were soon regarded as good neighbors due to their friendliness, drug-free living, and rapport with youngsters. Saxophonist Danny Thompson owned and operated the Pharaoh's Den, a convenience store in the neighborhood. When lightning struck a tree on their street, Sun Ra took it as a good omen and multireedist James Jacson fashioned the Cosmic Infinity Drum from the scorched tree trunk. An omen (also called portent or presage) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the Future, often signifying the advent of change They still commuted via railroad to New York for the Monday night gig at Slug's and for other engagements.

In late 1968 Sun Ra and the Arkestra undertook their first tour of the US West Coast. Reactions were mixed; even hippies accustomed to long-form psychedelia like the Grateful Dead were often bewildered by the Arkestra, which included 20–30 musicians, dancers, singers, fire-eaters, and elaborate lighting. The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. John Burks of Rolling Stone wrote a positive review of a San Jose State College concert that led to Sun Ra being featured on the cover of the April 19, 1969 cover of the magazine and introducing Sun Ra's inscrutable gaze to millions. San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This first West Coast tour also led to vibraphonist Damon Choice, then an art student at San Jose, joining the Arkestra.

Starting with concerts in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 1970, the Arkestra began to find opportunities for working outside the US, playing to audiences who had hitherto known his music only through records. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sun Ra continued playing in Europe to nearly the end of his life. Given Sun Ra's unorthodox financial management, saxophonist Danny Thompson became a de facto tour and business manager during this era, specializing in what he called "no bullshit C.O.D.",^[17] preferring to take cash before performing or delivering records. Collect on Delivery or COD is a financial transaction where the payment of products and/or services received is done at the time of actual delivery rather

In early 1971 Sun Ra was artist-in-residence at University of California, Berkeley, teaching a course called "The Black Man In the Cosmos". The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley Rather few students enrolled but the classes were often full of curious persons from the surrounding community. One half-hour of each class was devoted to a lecture (complete with handouts and homework assignments), the other half-hour to an Arkestra performance or Sun Ra keyboard solo. Reading lists included the works of Madame Blavatsky and Henry Dumas, the Book of the Dead, Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons, The Book of Oahspe and assorted volumes concerning Egyptian hieroglyphs, African American folklore, and other topics. Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better Henry Dumas ( July 20, 1934 &ndash May 23, 1968) was an African American Writer and Poet. ' The Book of the Dead' is the common name for the Ancient Egyptian Funerary text known as ' Spells of Coming' (or ' Going') ' Forth By Day' Alexander Hislop (Born at Duns, Berwickshire, 1807 died Arbroath, 13 March, 1865) was a Free Church of Scotland minister The Two Babylons was an Anti-Catholic religious Pamphlet produced initially by the Scottish theologian and Protestant Presbyterian Oahspe A New Bible is a book announcing new revelations from God, which was produced by John Ballou Newbrough (1828&ndash1891 by Automatic Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological

In 1971 Sun Ra fulfilled a long-standing desire by performing with the Arkestra at ancient Egyptian pyramids. The Egyptian pyramids are pyramid shaped structures located in Egypt, and were built as a tomb for dead pharaohs

In 1972 San Francisco public TV station KQED producer John Coney, producer Jim Newman, and screen writer Joshua Smith worked with Sun Ra to produce a 30-minute part-fiction, part-documentary film, entitled Space Is the Place, featuring Sun Ra's Arkestra and filmed in Golden Gate Park. On May 20, 1978 Sun Ra and the Arkestra appeared on Saturday Night Live. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City

In the mid-1970s the Arkestra would sometimes play for free, outdoors in a Germantown park near their Philadelphia home, on a Saturday afternoon. Sometimes at their mid 1970s shows in Philadelphia nightclubs, someone would stand at the back of the room, selling stacks of unmarked LPs in plain white sleeves, pressed from recordings of the band's live performances (including one Halloween show where the salesman was dressed as a golden alien, and the LPs included a cover arrangement of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"). " Over the Rainbow " (sometimes mistakenly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a Song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E The Arkestra continued their touring and recording through the 1980s and into the 1990s, and Sun Ra became a fixture in Philadelphia, appearing semi-regularly on WXPN radio, giving lectures to community groups, or haunting the city's libraries. WXPN (885 FM) is a non-commercial public Radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts

Even after a stroke in 1990, Sun Ra kept composing, performing, and leading the Arkestra. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Late in his career, Sun Ra opened a few concerts for New York-based rock group Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Eventually, Sun Ra grew too ill to perform and tour, and he entrusted Gilmore with leading the Arkestra. Gilmore himself was frail due to emphysema, and when he died, Allen took over leadership of the Arkestra. Sun Ra went back to Birmingham and reconnected with his sister whom he had rarely seen for nearly 40 years. He contracted pneumonia, died in Birmingham on May 30, 1993, and was buried at the Elmwood Cemetery. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) According to the hospital, he had also been affected by circulatory system problems and numerous strokes. This is an article about the rock music band "Circulatory System" ^[1] The small footstone read only "Sonny Blount (aka [sic] Le Son'y [sic] Ra)"^[18] shortly before his death.

The Arkestra continues

Following Sun Ra's death, the Arkestra was led by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore. Following Gilmore's death, the group has performed under the direction of alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 80th birthday on stage during Arkestra performances at the Vox Populi gallery in Philadelphia and the Vision Festival in New York City. Marshall Belford Allen (born in Louisville Kentucky, May 25, 1924) is a Free jazz and Avant-garde jazz Alto saxophone The Vision Festival is the world's premier festival of experimental music (typically Free jazz / Avant-garde jazz) art film and dance In the summer of 2004 the Arkestra became the first American jazz band to perform in Tuva, playing five sets at the Ustuu-Huree Festival. Tyva Republic (Респу́блика Тыва́ Respublika Tyva, rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva Тыва Республика Tyva Respublika) or Tuva ^[19] As of May 2008, the Arkestra continues to tour and perform, with captain Marshall Allen celebrating his 84th birthday on stage at New York City's Sullivan Hall.

Music

Sun Ra's piano technique touched on many styles: his youthful fascination with boogie woogie, stride piano and blues, a sometimes refined touch reminiscent of Count Basie or Ahmad Jamal, and angular phrases in the style of Thelonious Monk or brutal, percussive attacks like Cecil Taylor. Boogie-woogie is a style of Piano -based Blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s but originated much earlier and was extended from piano Stride, also known as New York ragtime, is a jazz piano style where the pianist's left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a bass note or tenth interval on the first and third The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist Ahmad Jamal, born July 2, 1930, is a noted American Jazz Pianist. Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. Cecil Percival Taylor (born March 15 or March 25, 1929 in New York City) is an American Pianist and poet Often overlooked is the range of influences from classical music—Sun Ra cited Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Schoenberg and Shostakovich as his favorite composers for the piano. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов Schoenberg (beautiful mountain is the surname of several persons Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer ^[20]

As a synthesizer and electric keyboard player, Sun Ra ranks among one of the earliest and most radical pioneers. By the mid-1950s, he used a variety of electric keyboards, and almost immediately, he exploited their potential perhaps more than anyone, sometimes modifying them himself to produce sounds rarely if ever heard before. His live albums from the late 1960s and early 1970s feature some of the noisiest, most bizarre keyboard work ever recorded. Sun Ra's music can be roughly divided into three phases, but his records and performances were full of surprises.

Chicago phase

The first period occurred in the 1950s when Sun Ra's music evolved from big band swing into the outer-space-themed "cosmic jazz" for which he was best known. A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Music critics and jazz historians say some of his best work was recorded during this period and it is also some of his most accessible music. Sun Ra's music in this era was often tightly arranged and sometimes reminiscent of Duke Ellington's, Count Basie's, or other important swing music ensembles. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. However, there was a strong influence from post-swing styles like bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, and touches of the exotic and hints of the experimentalism that would dominate his later music. Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody Hard bop is a style of Jazz that is an extension of Bebop (or "bop" music Modal jazz is Jazz using Musical modes rather than chord progressions as its harmonic framework Notable Sun Ra albums from the 1950s include Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth, Interstellar Low Ways, Super-Sonic Jazz, We Travel the Spaceways, The Nubians of Plutonia and Jazz In Silhouette.

Ronnie Boykins, Sun Ra's bassist, has been described as "the pivot around which much of Sun Ra's music revolved for eight years". Ronnie Boykins ( December 17, 1935 - April 20, 1980) was a Jazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader A bass player (bassist is a Musician who plays a Double bass, Bass guitar, keyboard bass or wind This is especially pronounced on the key recordings from 1965 (The Magic City, The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One, and The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two) where the intertwining lines of Boykins' bass and Ra's electronic keyboards provide cohesion.

New York phase

After the move to New York, Sun Ra and company plunged headlong into the experimentalism that they had only hinted at in Chicago. The music was often extremely loud and the Arkestra grew to include multiple drummers and percussionists. Recordings of this era began to utilize new technological possibilities such as extensive use of tape delay systems to assemble spatial sound pieces which are far removed from earlier compositions such as "Saturn". Recordings and live performances often featured passages for unusual instrumental combinations and passages of collective playing which point towards free improvisation—in fact, it is often difficult to tell where the compositions end and the improvisations begin. Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the taste or inclination of the musician(s involved in many cases the musicians make

In this era Sun Ra began conducting using hand and body gestures. This system would inspire cornetist Butch Morris, who would later develop his own more highly refined way to conduct improvisers. Lawrence D "Butch" Morris (b Long Beach, California, February 10, 1947) is an American Jazz Cornetist

Though often associated with avant-garde jazz, Sun Ra did not believe his work could be classified as "free music": "I have to make sure that every note, every nuance, is correct. … If you want to call it that, spell it p-h-r-e, because ph is a definite article and re is the name of the sun. So I play phre music—music of the sun. "^[21]

Seeking to broaden his compositional possibilities, Sun Ra insisted all band members double on various percussion instruments—predating world music by drawing on various ethnic musical forms—and most saxophonists became multireedists, adding instruments such as flutes, oboes, or clarinets to their arsenals. The term world music includes Traditional music (sometimes called Folk music or roots music of any culture that are created and played by indigenous musicians The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Multireedist is a term sometimes used to describe a musician who is a capable performer on more than one Reed instrument. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word In this era, Sun Ra was among the first of any musicians to make extensive and pioneering use of synthesizers and other various electronic keyboards; he was given a prototype Minimoog by its inventor, Robert Moog. An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a type of Keyboard instrument. The Minimoog is a monophonic Analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. Dr Robert Arthur Moog (ˈmoʊɡ to rhyme with "rogue" ( May 23, 1934 &ndash August 21, 2005) was an American pioneer of

Notable titles from this period include The Magic City, Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy, When Sun Comes Out, The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One, Atlantis, Secrets of the Sun and Other Planes of There. The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Volume One is a 1965 album by the Jazz musician Sun Ra. Atlantis is an album by Jazz musician Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra released in 1967

Philadelphia phase

During their third period, beginning in the 1970s and onward, Sun Ra and the Arkestra settled down into a relatively conventional sound, often incorporating swing standards, though their records and concerts were still highly eclectic and energetic, and typically included at least one lengthy, semi-improvised percussion jam. Sun Ra was explicitly asserting a continuity with the ignored jazz tradition: "They tried to fool you, now I got to school you, about jazz, all about jazz" he rapped, framing the inclusion of pieces by Fletcher Henderson and Jelly Roll Morton. Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr ( December 18, 1897 &ndash December 28, 1952) was an American pianist bandleader Arranger Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton ( ca September 20, 1885 or October 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941) was an

In the 1970s Sun Ra took a liking to the films of Walt Disney. Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter He incorporated smatterings of Disney musical numbers into many of his performances from then on. In the late 1980s the Arkestra performed a concert at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels The Arkestra's version of "Pink Elephants on Parade" is available on Stay Awake, a tribute album of Disney tunes played by various artists and produced by Hal Willner. Hal Willner (born 1957, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American Music producer working in recording films TV and live events A number of Sun Ra's 1970s concerts are available on CD, but none have received a wide release in comparison to his earlier music. The album Atlantis can be considered the landmark that led into his 1970s era.

Musicians

Certainly dozens of musicians—perhaps hundreds—passed through Sun Ra's bands over the years. Some stayed with him for decades, while others made only a few recordings or performances.

Sun Ra was personally responsible for the vast majority of the constant changes in the Arkestra's lineup. According to contrabassist Juini Booth, himself a member of the Arkestra, Sun Ra would not confront any musician whose performance he was unsatisfied with. Instead, Sun Ra would simply gather the entire Arkestra minus the offending musician, and skip town, leaving the fired musician stranded. After repeated instances of US jazz musicians becoming stranded in foreign countries, Sun Ra's unique method of dismissal became a diplomatic liability for the United States. The U. S. State Department was compelled to tell Sun Ra to bring any fired musicians stateside rather than leaving them stranded.

The following is a partial list of musical collaborators and the eras in which they played with Sun Ra and/or the Arkestra:

Marshall Allen, saxophone (1950s–present) Ronnie Boykins, double bass (1950s–1973) Arthur 'Juini' Booth, double bass Darryl Brown, drums (1970–1972) Owen "Fiidla" Brown, violin, dance, vocals (1987–1990s and later appearances) Tony Bunn, electric bass (1976) Francisco Mora Catlett (musician), drums (1973–1980) Don Cherry, pocket trumpet (1983–1990) Damon Choice, vibraphone (late 1960s–1990s) Phil Cohran, trumpet (1959–1961) Joey DeStefano, alto saxophone (1968–1969) Eddie Gale, trumpet (1960s) John Gilmore, saxophone (1950s–1990s)

Tommy "Bugs" Hunter, drums, sound engineer James Jacson, bassoon Donald Jones, drums (1973–1974) Wayne Kramer, guitar (2006)[22] Eloe Omoe, bass clarinet Pat Patrick, saxophone (1950s–1990s) Julian Priester, trombone (1950s, 1980s–1990s) Rollo Radford, bass Michael Ray, trumpet (1978–present) Pharoah Sanders, saxophone Alan Silva, double bass, cello, violin (early 1970s) June Tyson, singer, violin

Philosophy

Sun Ra's world view was often described as a philosophy, but he rejected this term, describing his own manner as an "equation"—he claimed that while philosophy was based on theories and abstract reasoning, his method was based on logic and pragmatism. Marshall Belford Allen (born in Louisville Kentucky, May 25, 1924) is a Free jazz and Avant-garde jazz Alto saxophone The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Ronnie Boykins ( December 17, 1935 - April 20, 1980) was a Jazz bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. Darryl Brown (born 18 December, 1973, McBean, Trinidad) is a former West Indian Cricketer who played three ODIs A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Don (Donald Eugene Cherry ( November 18 1936 &ndash October 19 1995) was an innovative African-American Jazz Trumpeter pocket trumpet is a compact size B Trumpet, with the same playing range as the regular trumpet The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a Musical instrument in the mallet subfamily of the percussion family Kelan Phil Cohran (born in Oxford Mississippi in May 8, 1927) is a Jazz musician The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. Eddie Gale (b Brooklyn, New York, 1941 is an American Trumpeter known for his work in Free jazz, especially with the Sun Ra This article is about John Gilmore the jazz saxophonist See John Gilmore for other people with this name Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of Sound through mechanical and electronic means The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally Wayne Kramer (born April 30, 1948 in Detroit Michigan) is an American Guitarist, singer songwriter producer and film and TV composer The bass clarinet is a Musical instrument of the Clarinet family Laurdine K "Pat" Patrick ( November 23, 1929 - December 31, 1991) was a Baritone saxophone, Alto saxophone Julian Priester (born 29 June, 1935 in Chicago) is an American Jazz Trombonist and composer He has played with many The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s Bass (pronounced like the word "base" refers to a variety of Musical instruments that can be collectively regarded as bass instruments since they produce Pharoah Sanders (born October 13, 1940 Alan Silva (born Alan Treadwell da Silva, Bermuda, January 22, 1939) is an American Free jazz Double bassist June Tyson (b February 5, 1936, Albemarle North Carolina - d November 24, 1992, Philadelphia Pennsylvania) was a A comprehensive world view (or worldview) is a term Calqued from the German word Weltanschauung ( Welt is the German Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language An equation is a mathematical statement, in symbols, that two things are exactly the same (or equivalent Many of the Arkestra cite Sun Ra's teachings as pivotal and for inspiring such long-term devotion to the music that they knew would never make them much money. His equation was rarely (if ever) explained as a whole; instead, it was related in bits and pieces over many years, leading some to think his world view was naïve or comprised of nonsensical new-age platitudes. However, Martinelli argues that, when considered as a whole, one can discern a unified world view that draws upon many sources, but is also unique to Sun Ra, writing,

Sun Ra presents a unified conception, incorporating music, myth, and performance into his multi-leveled equations. A comprehensive world view (or worldview) is a term Calqued from the German word Weltanschauung ( Welt is the German Every aspect of the Sun Ra experience, from business practices like Saturn Records to published collections of poetry to his 35-year career in music, is a manifestation of his equations. Sun Ra seeks to elevate humanity beyond their current earthbound state, tied to outmoded conceptions of life and death when the potential future of immortality awaits them. As Hall has put it, 'In this era of 'practical' things men ridicule even the existence of God. Manly Palmer Hall ( March 18, 1901 - August 29, 1990) was a Canadian -born Author and mystic. They scoff at goodness while they ponder with befuddled minds the phantasmagoria of materiality. They have forgotten the path which leads beyond the stars. '^[14]

He drew on sources as diverse as the Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, channeling, numerology, Freemasonry, and black nationalism. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Mediumship is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Louisiana Voodoo, and Numerology is any of many Systems Traditions or Beliefs in a mystical or Esoteric relationship between Numbers and physical Black nationalism (BN advocates a racial definition (or redefinition of black national identity as opposed to Multiculturalism. Sun Ra's system had distinct Gnostic leanings^[23] arguing that the god of most monotheistic religions was not the creator god, not the ultimate god, but a lesser, evil being. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Sun Ra was wary of the Bible, knowing that it had been used to justify slavery. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another He would often re-arrange and re-word Biblical passages (along with re-working many other words, names or phrases) in an attempt to uncover "hidden" meanings. The most obvious evidence of this system was Ra's practice of renaming many of the musicians who played with him.

Bassoonist/multireedist James Jacson had studied Zen Buddhism before joining Sun Ra and identified strong similarities between Zen teachings and practices (particularly Zen koans) and Ra's use of non sequiturs and seemingly absurd replies to questions. Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. ^[24] Drummer Art Jenkins admitted that Sun Ra's "nonsense" sometimes troubled his thoughts for days until inspiring a sort of paradigm shift, or profound change in outlook. Paradigm shift, sometimes known as extraordinary science or revolutionary science, is the term first used by Thomas Kuhn in his influential ^[25] Drummer Andrew Cyrille said Sun Ra's comments were "very interesting stuff … whether you believed it or not. Andrew Charles Cyrille is an Avant-garde jazz Drummer. Biography Andrew Cyrille was born on November 10, 1939 in And a lot of times it was humorous, and a lot of times it was ridiculous, and a lot of times it was right on the money. "^[26]

Some of Sun Ra's songs with words featured lyrics that although simple, were inspirational and philosophical. The most famous example was "Space is the Place!". Another example was the song that went, "You made a mistake. You did something wrong. Make another mistake, and do something right!". Sometimes (typically at the end of a set) the entire Arkestra would snake out through the audience, playing and chanting something like this. Sun Ra even came up once, behind a frightened young audience member, grabbed him in a bear hug, and whispered this in his ear, while the whole band chanted and played along, in a circle around his table, with the rest of the audience watching on in amusement. (1978, in a performance in a small short-lived nightclub on City Line Avenue in Philadelphia)

Sun Ra and black culture

According to Szwed^[27] Sun Ra's view of his relationship to black people and black cultures "changed drastically" over time. Initially, Sun Ra identified closely with broader struggles for black power, black political influence, and black identity, and saw his own music as a key element in educating and liberating blacks. But by the heyday of black power radicalism in the 1960s, Sun Ra was expressing disillusionment with these aims, and he denied feeling closely connected to any race. In 1970 he said:

I couldn't approach black people with the truth because they like lies. They live lies … At one time I felt that white people were to blame for everything, but then I found out that they were just puppets and pawns of some greater force, which has been using them … Some force is having a good time [manipulating black and white people] and looking, enjoying itself up in a reserved seat, wondering, "I wonder when they're going to wake up. ^[28]

Works

Music

Main article: Sun Ra discography

Video

Sun Ra and his Arkestra were the subject of a few documentary films, notably Robert Mugge's A Joyful Noise (1980), which interspersed performances and rehearsals with Sun Ra's commentary on various subjects ranging from today's youth to his own place in the cosmos. The Sun Ra Discography is one of the largest in popular music Robert Mugge (b Chicago, Illinois, United States, May 8, 1950) is an American Documentary film maker There is also a feature film entitled Space Is the Place from 1974 which stars Sun Ra and his band who play themselves. Space Is the Place is an 82-minute Film made in 1972 and released in 1974. The soundtrack, also by Sun Ra, is available on CD.

More recently Don Letts' Sun Ra—Brother from Another Planet reuses some of Mugge's material and includes some additional interviews. Don Letts (born) is a British film director and musician He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and

Writing

Sun Ra wrote an enormous number of songs and material regarding his spiritual beliefs and music. A magazine titled Sun Ra Research was published irregularly for many years, providing extensive documentation of Sun Ra's perspectives on many issues. Sun Ra's collected poetry and prose is available as a book, published May 2005, entitled Sun Ra, The Immeasurable Equation. Another book of over 260 of Sun Ra's poems, Sun Ra: Collected Works Vol. 1: Immeasurable Equation was published by Phaelos Books in November 2005. The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Streetcorner Leaflets, was published in book form in 2005, by WhiteWalls.

Influence and legacy

While some of Sun Ra's experiments may be seen as noble failures, many other innovations remain important and groundbreaking: "Ra was one of the first jazz leaders to use two basses, to employ the electric bass, to play electronic keyboards, to use extensive percussion and polyrhythms, to explore modal music and to pioneer solo and group freeform improvisations. The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a type of Keyboard instrument. In Music, a scale is an ordered series of Musical intervals which along with the key or tonic, define the pitches However mode Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the taste or inclination of the musician(s involved in many cases the musicians make In addition, he made his mark in the wider cultural context: he proclaimed the African origins of jazz, reaffirmed pride in black history and reasserted the spiritual and mystical dimensions of music (all important factors in the black cultural/political renaissance of the 60s). Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity "

George Clinton of P-funk fame drew inspiration from Sun Ra; see P-Funk mythology. P-Funk (also spelled P Funk or P Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic The P-Funk mythology is a group of recurring Fictional characters themes and ideas related in a series of Concept albums and live shows primarily from George He once declared in an interview, "Yeah, Sun Ra's out to lunch. . . same place I eat at!"^[29]

See also

• List of experimental big bands

Footnotes

References

• Szwed, John F. (August 21, 1998). Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra. Da Capo Press. Da Capo Press, a Publishing company with offices in New York City, Cambridge Massachusetts, Philadelphia and Emeryville California ISBN 978-0306808555.  

Further reading

• Ra, Sun; Wolf, James L. ; Geerken, Helmut (September 1, 2006). Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sun Ra: The Immeasurable Equation: The Collected Poetry and Prose. Waitawhile. ISBN 978-3-8334-2659-9.  
• Ra, Sun (August 1, 2006). Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. in Elms, Anthony; Corbett, John: The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Streetcorner Leaflets. John Corbett is a writer musician radio host teacher record producer concert promoter and gallery owner based in Chicago. Chicago, Illinois: WhiteWalls. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. ISBN 978-0945323075.  

External links

• Official website of the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen
• Extensive 1988 interview with Sun Ra

Persondata
NAME	Ra, Sun
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ra, Le Sony'r; Blount, Sonny; Blount, Herman Poole
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Jazz composer, bandleader
DATE OF BIRTH	May 22, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Birmingham, Alabama, United States
DATE OF DEATH	May 30, 1993
PLACE OF DEATH	Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

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