Sun Ra

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Sun Ra in concert

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Biography

Birmingham AL, United States (1914 – 1993)

Sun Ra (1914– 1993) was an innovative jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesiser player, who came to be known as much for his Cosmic Afro-futurist Philosophy as for his phenomenal musical compositions and performances. As both a black male and an independent producer, Sun Ra defied racist institutions and beliefs.

Born on 22nd May 1914 as Herman Poole Blount, in Birmingham, Alabama, he was nicknamed “Sonny” from his youth. Later, after his release from a detention camp for protesting against World War II, he took on the name and persona of Sun Ra (after the ancient Egyptian sun god). He claimed that he was of the “Angel Race”, not from Earth but from Saturn. Some of his most notable influences were African and African-American theatre, theosophy, and masonic Afro-futurism. His interest in these art forms and principles led to the development of a complicated but consistent set of cosmic philosophies and lyrical poetry, which preached spiritual awareness and peace.

Sun Ra could play many modern and classical works from memory and had worked in country and western bands before moving to Chicago. His personal music collection contained over 10,000 discs, and he was constantly reviewing and studying. Many of his improvisational and compositional innovations were extensions of ideas from twentieth-century European composers. He is responsible for having brought these ideas into jazz decades before many commercial artists popularised the same methods.
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  • jakobdorof

    Lanquidity is his best single album, imo

    14 May 6:29pm Reply

  • jazzthieve

    Spotify playlist Jazz: Bebop, Cool, Swing, Vocal, Fusion, Modal, Stride, Dixieland, Third Stream, Big Band, Hard Bop

    11 May 2:10pm Reply

  • toztizokzndz

    maybe if you like heliocentric worlds: http://duke-s.bandcamp.com/

    15 Apr 12:14pm Reply

  • Mozgovybivashka

    бьютифул

    10 Apr 6:48pm Reply

  • sunheadbowed

    It'd probably depend on the person asking: if you are more familiar with avant-garde and weird music, then you'd likely find your place in the New York/Philadelphia period; whereas if you're more familiar with jazz you'd be best starting with Jazz in Silhoutte and other Chicago stuff, and move onto the more difficult stuff. Maybe Lanquidity would be a good starter for anyone, however. Likewise, I have never heard a bad Sun Ra record. Some are more interesting to me than others, of course, but they're never mediocre.

    1 Apr 7:02am Reply

  • Kristman

    I think Jazz in Silhouette would be a much better place to start. Then move on to the New York period and look at the Heliocentric Worlds and Cosmic Tones; afterward or in conjunction with, Atlantis and SitP would be a good idea. To be honest with you I haven't heard a poor moment yet and I've listened to over 50 of his/the Arkestra's releases. These would probably be good to begin with, though.

    27 Mar 2:00am Reply

  • RealAppleNick

    v Space is the place

    26 Mar 12:05am Reply

  • LinusPojken

    Where do you think is a good place to start for me in his discography?

    25 Mar 11:32pm Reply

  • nacht_vogel

    the guy was certainly out of this world.

    22 Mar 6:21pm Reply

  • MilkLizard92

    Sun Ra is a dude

    19 Mar 2:21pm Reply

  • Kristman

    been listening to Jazz in Silhouette a bunch and I can definitely understand why Enlightenment is right up there in the charts, what a tune

    18 Mar 8:04am Reply

  • Timbo93

    Cosmos, Lanquidity, New Steps and Other Voices, Other Blues are probably the best in my opinion.

    13 Mar 6:14am Reply

  • toztizokzndz

    Try: We travel the spaceways, Interstellar Low-Ways, Nubians of Plutonia, Night of the Purple moon, Space is the place, Heliocentric words, Cosmos, Cosmic tones for mental therapy.

    20 Feb 9:44pm Reply

  • Buhajj

    Guys which Sun Ra album's the best?

    20 Feb 3:06pm Reply

  • toztizokzndz

    No, he left the planet.

    2 Feb 1:57pm Reply

  • CoffeeAfterDark

    He died 20 years ago.

    26 Jan 4:02pm Reply

  • Kristman

    That's how I feel

    24 Jan 5:08am Reply

  • fergalmc

    Lanquidity too is a good point of entry.

    20 Jan 10:00pm Reply

  • ColonelTheSlav

    Check out: Space Probe, The Solar-Myth Approach vol. 1 and vol. 2 and also Atlantis if you haven't already.

    16 Jan 4:59pm Reply

  • Daigo-Sama

    anyone recommend me a crazy album since i cant use spotify in Japan

    14 Jan 3:38am Reply
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