Recommendations for Sun-Ra? (tips & friendly chat)

hjames

hjames

We are all just walking each other home.
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Picked a title to avoid adversarial and flame wars posts -
If you don't like his stuff, just find another thread to vent, please.

Got to admit I don't know a lot about him. Saw a video on the web a few years back (1980 - Sun-Ra - A Joyful Noise),
here's a YouTube Link -

So I bought some CDs of his mid-50s recordings: Super Sonic Jazz and Jazz in Silhouette.
I read his wikipedia page this morning, plus I just bought a stack of 5 Sun-Ra CDs from Northwinds yesterday - as yet unheard.

I like what I've heard- but I gather he goes pretty far away from that sound as he travelled his life.

Maybe someone can point me to some must-have highlights from his career?
 
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Wow, where to start...

Sun Ra went through several stages in his sound(s). Super-Sonic Jazz is one of my favorites, as is Jazz in Silhouette, and then Jazz by Sun Ra is (I think) a classic. On the other hand, Space is the Place is a must-have. And then there is Nubians in Plutonia...

I lean toward the albums which are easier to listen to, but it is always nice to get something challenging. I tend to put Jackie McLean into a similar category: His earlier, more conventional works are easier to listen to; his later works are more challenging but also enjoyable. Sun Ra, on the other hand, rarely ever fit into a mainstream.

That said, I must show off: Sun Ra did a three-night gig back in the 1990s (maybe it was the late 1980s) comprising of three different themes: Tribute to Disney, Tribute to Ellington, and Space is the Place. I could only afford one show, so I attended the Duke Ellington tribute. The show was... Unforgettable. Everyone on stage (it was a 150-200 seat club) was an experienced master of his instrument. They were blowing the proverbial doors off the club when Sun Ra majestically comes in and joined in (on the piano) with no perceptible hitch in the performance. At the break, I met the bass player (my guess is that he was younger by at least 20 years to the rest of the band) and offered to buy him a drink. I praised his playing and his reply was, "It's all I can do to keep up with [the rest of the band]."

Sun Ra was absolutely one-of-a-kind. Kudos to you and anyone else willing to give his music a serious audition.
 
Very adventuresome - good for you!
Wow, again...a cascade down memory lane!

Danomar pretty much nailed it, but FWIW:
I grew up in Philly during his time there, and IIRC, he would occassionally do live sets on WRTI-FM (what got me hooked on jazz, 'hifi', and open reel tape decks, so I could record their (24hr) jazz broadcasts!).
I had several of his LPs, some of which I enjoyed a lot, but were all stolen years back, don't recall which ones, and have not been successful in tracking down replacements, so can't contribute recommendations, sorry.
He seemed to attract many excellent musicians to his band, too, so the solos were frequently amazing - that I DO recall.
The comparison to Jackie McLean's evolving style is very apt.

Other very unique musicians from that era/time/place I remember are/were:

Rufus Harley:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Harley
Courage: The Atlantic Recordings is still a favorite.

and Rahsaan Roland Kirk:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahsaan_Roland_Kirk
We Free Kings still stands out in my re/collection!

And, of course, Mongo Santamaria was a local favorite...Marty Sheller's trumpet work inspired me to take lessons on it for several years. Ah, the boundless energy of high school!!

Enjoy!!!
 
hjames said:
Picked a title to avoid adversarial and flame wars posts -
If you don't like his stuff, just find another thread to vent, please.

Got to admit I don't know a lot about him. Saw a video on the web a few years back 1980 - Sun-Ra - A Joyful Noise), reread his wikipedia page this morning,
and I have some old CDs of his mid-50s recordings: Super Sonic Jazz and Jazz in Silhouette.
Plus I just bought a stack of CDs from Northwinds yesterday - as yet unheard.

I like what I've heard- but I gather he goes pretty far away from that sound as he travelled his life.

Maybe someone can point me to some must-have highlights from his career?
Click to expand...

Thanks for starting this thread! Sun Ra used to play relatively often in Lexington Kentucky, back when I was a student there in the early 80's. I never knew what to make of his music and, in later years, I wish that I had paid more attention.
 
danomar said:
Wow, where to start...

Sun Ra went through several stages in his sound(s). Super-Sonic Jazz is one of my favorites, as is Jazz in Silhouette, and then Jazz by Sun Ra is (I think) a classic. On the other hand, Space is the Place is a must-have. And then there is Nubians in Plutonia...

I lean toward the albums which are easier to listen to, but it is always nice to get something challenging. I tend to put Jackie McLean into a similar category: His earlier, more conventional works are easier to listen to; his later works are more challenging but also enjoyable. Sun Ra, on the other hand, rarely ever fit into a mainstream.

...
Click to expand...

This seems like a great "beginner's guide"!
 
I saw some of his stuff on the TV but that is all I know. He seemed to be good at mixing jazz, but that is all I know. Any thing on u tube?
 
I bought my first Sun Ra record in '84 or '85...at a little shop that only lasted a year or two called the Record Cabinet. Real nice guy ran it, don't remember his name, had a lot of European jazz and Canterbury stuff, which I was very curious about.

I held up two records, Fletcher Henderson and Sun Ra and asked the owner which one. He shrugged and asked me what I was listening to in the car on the way over. I think I said Bauhaus or the Cure or something. He said to get the Sun Ra, which I did and never looked back! The album was "Cosmos" on the Inner City label.
I played it for my mom when I got home and when I asked her what she thought, she said it sounded like they needed to practice more.

The early 50's stuff is great because it's relatively simple and straightforward but just weird enough. "Sun Song", "Jazz In Silhouette", "Futuristic Sounds Of" are some of my favorites.
Then there's a "The Singles" double CD that is kind of a disappointment. But covers his early, early stuff like doo wop and more commercial recordings he made with other band leaders.

In the 90's when much of his music was being reissued on CD, many titles got different cover art and even different titles but the same recordings which makes collecting his music a real mine field.

He had a Chicago period, a Philly period, a New York period as well as others. And really began to stretch in the mid 60's with albums like "Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy", "Helocentric World's Vol.2", "The Magic City", and "Nothing Is".

The recording quality is somewhat questionable on many of his albums but even still there are some jaw dropping preformances on many of these. One that comes to mind is "The Soul Vibrations Of Man" Lp. Incredible sax solo on side two. Many of the Saturn releases are horrible recordings of practices and live dates but are highly collectable. One that seems to be a favorite of many but I personally can't stand is "Atlantis".

The early 70's were a boon for Sun Ra with many exceptional preformances with only a couple of clinkers such as "Concert For Comet Kohoutek". The keyboard on this is so loud it distorts and really detracts from the rest of the preformance.

The late 70's and 80's were, again, real strong and much of his studio recordings actually sound rather intimate. One of my favorites is "New Steps", with Sun Ra in a five piece.

I had the privilege of witnessing The Sun Ra Arkestra in 1989 in Kansas City. It's still one of my most memorable concerts. He had on a headdress that had a little fake bird on the front. And when he'd get to really pounding on the keyboard that little bird would start bouncing up and down to the beat of the song. So fun! Everyone was in full regalia and at the end of the show they all followed single file with precussion instruments and chanting and snaked their way through the audience and then back onto the stage for a final dizzying encore. SPACE IS THE PLACE!!!

Of his later period stuff I can recommend "After Hours", "Reflections in Blue" and his last studio album "Blue Delight". All real strong and somewhat conventional...for Sun Ra.

I am still amazed by the prolific amount of Sun Ra records STILL coming out. It seems like there is something just about every month. Many of which I want!
And they actually have new Sun Ra records in the retail shops. Who would have thunk it. Grab 'em while you can!
 
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As I said, I already owned
1956 - Jazz in Silhouette and
1958 - Supersonic Jazz .

The pack of 5 CDs I got from Northwinds arrived today - seems like a nice variety of stuff from early to late 60s ... plus a '75 mix recording

1963 - When Angels Speak of Love
1966 - The Magic City
1966 - Monorails and Satellites
1967 - Atlantis
1975 - Pathways to Unknown Worlds / Friendly Love

All of these have much later dates on the CDs - but the dates I listed are apparently when they were first recorded (most are from vinyl, I'd gather)
I just dumped them into iTunes but it may be a while before I can sit and give them a serious listen, and make comments on them.
 
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Thanks for starting this thread, Heather. I had heard of Sun Ra but hadn't heard him. The informative posts inspired me to look for a some of his music. I just received "Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra And His Arkestra: In The Orbit Of Ra" from Amazon. I've only had a chance to listen to a couple of tracks but first impression is positive. Pretty cool stuff.

Thanks, everyone!
-Dave
 
After Sun Ra's passing on to Saturn and points beyond in 1993, the Arkestra still toured and made annual stops in Kansas City for several years after. Always on or around Halloween, they would play in the historic 18th & Vine jazz district at the renovated Gemm Theater.
Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and Pat Patrick were with him for most of his Earthly visit. And then Gilmore left us in 1995.
All three, true masters and innovators of their instrument.

hjames, I'm not familiar with Northwinds. Is this a label or a distributor?
Of the list you have, they're all right in there, that excellent mid 60's period. Should make for a great shuffle play list!
The "Pathways to Unknown Worlds" I haven't heard. It came out during his short stint with Impulse!. I'm betting it's another great one, though.
 
Sorry, Northwinds is an AK member, Ron, who offered a stack of 5 Sun Ra CDs a week or so back.
I think I replied SOLD the moment he posted and its inspired me to dig deeper ... and to start this thread!

Anyway I dumped them all onto my iphone this morning (Lossless) -
if I get a chance I'll try some of the newer (to me) stuff this afternoon!


noisefreq said:
After Sun Ra's passing on to Saturn and points beyond in 1993, the Arkestra still toured and made annual stops in Kansas City for several years after. Always on or around Halloween, they would play in the historic 18th & Vine jazz district at the renovated Gemm Theater. Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and Pat Patrick were with him for most of his Earthly visit. And then Gilmore left us in 1995.
All three, true masters and innovators of their instrument.

hjames, I'm not familiar with Northwinds. Is this a label or a distributor?
Of the list you have, they're all right in there, that excellent mid 60's period. Should make for a great shuffle play list!
The "Pathways to Unknown Worlds" I haven't heard. It came out during his short stint with Impulse!. I'm betting it's another great one, though.
Click to expand...
 
hjames, your thread really inspired me to pick up John Szwed's biography
"Space is the Place--The Lives and Times of Sun Ra".

I'm about 2/3's the way through (up to the early 70's) and really enjoying "Sonny's" single minded intellectual exploration of ancient Egypt, Afrocentrism, and interplanetary travel.

I recently found "The Magic City" vinyl re-issue on the Cosmic Myth record label.

IMG_20170904_170316.jpg

I've heard the 1990's CD version on the Evidence label which is half mono and half stereo.
With this clue, it was determined that the b-side material was recorded from a different session around the same time period.

The Magic City was recorded between the "Heliocentric Worlds" ESP Disk sessions at a different recording studio but is very much in line with those recordings. Sun Ra was notorious for mixing up recordings togather to make complete albums for his El Saturn label, names and dates be damned. Therefore, The Magic City was a mix 'n match of different recording sessions put on one record.

The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 2 (Base Record re-issue) was the second Sun Ra album I bought in my journey following his career.
At the time, it confounded me and I struggled to understand how this was even jazz.
It seemed to have more in common with Stravinsky or Stockhausen than Coltrane or Miles Davis.

But this re-issue of The Magic City is a joy to hear and even though I know where it's coming from, it still confounds me! The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 1&2 bookends The Magic City very well. This re-issue is lovingly put together, the pressing is superb and it comes with an informative tri-fold booklet.
 
Over the weekend I picked up a box set at the local used bookstore for $12, The box was shelf-worn, but all 5 of the CDs were still in cellophane. Big Band Renaissance: The Evolution of the Jazz Orchestra is a Smithsonian collection of big band music from the late 40s up to the 90s, past the prime "swing" era of big bands. The first three sections of the compilation are Road Bands, Part-Time Bands, and Studio Bands. The last of the four sections (most of CD5) is Avant Garde Bands, and starts with "A Street Named Hell" by Son Ra & his Solar Arkestra. I have a feeling that this box set is going to send me down a slew of threads after new music, and Sun Ra is one of those. The Charlie Haden And The Liberation Music Orchestra selections are also intriguing.
 
jwrauch said:
WHO ??? Sorry , never heard of him !!
Click to expand...
Then this thread is plainly not for you ;)

Go follow the Google link provided in Post #7 above to find out more ...
 
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