Sun Ra Music CDs

Space Is the Place  (1972)  /  Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow (1992)

Lanquidity (2000)  /  Angels & Demons at Play/The Nubians of Plutonia  (1956, 1993)  / The Magic City  (1965; 1993) 

 Super Sonic Jazz  (1956; 1992)  / Jazz in Silhouette: Music (1958, 1992)  / The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1  (1965, 1999)

/ When Angels Speak of Love  (2000)  / Nuclear War  (1982, 2001)  /  Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways (1956, 1992)

Sunrise in Different Dimensions  (1980, 2007)  / Atlantis (1967, 1993)

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New School Arkestra in Concert
With Sun Ra Alumni 

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The Cosmic-Myth Equations of Sun Ra

Excerpts by David A. Martinellim

In an earlier interview, when asked about his religion, Sun Ra responded "Actually it's not really a religion, but I guess it's the nearest word you'll come to it on the planet" (Townley 1973: 18). Although this doesn't seem like a very strong denunciation, it is apparent from the Primack and Corbett interviews where Sun Ra classified religion. Sun Ra is not a philosopher or a preacher; he characterizes himself as "a scientist, I deal with equations. You might say a spiritual scientist and also a cosmo musical scientist" (Rusch 1984: 66). Sun Ra's poem "A Blueprint/Declaration" describes the nature of these equations:

This poem describes his equations in a way that might not be immediately understandable. The first section describes a simple duality, which is then amplified into a more multi-leveled form in the second part of the poem. Many of Sun Ra's poems do not deal with concrete images, so readers perhaps must deal with the poems on another level of understanding. Sun Ra's poem "Cosmic Equation" describes the type of individual whom these equations are intended for:

    Sun Ra has described some of the sources of his equations. When asked "When did you first start formulating your philosophy?" Sun Ra answered, "Well, I didn't formulate it" (Townley 1973: 18). In his poem "Cosmic Equation", he describes how he received these equations:

In another interview, he says that he ways taught his equations personally by a non-human being who taught him "all kinds of things about Jewish mysticism, Egyptian, everything." Sun Ra adds that the key to using and benefiting from this information is the ability to put it together and use it properly (Steingroot 1988: 50). In the film A Joyful Noise he says "I'm talking about equations that are in their books, books from way back in ancient Egypt and Greece and Rome" (Mugge 1980). In another interview he refers to a course he taught at the University of California:

John Gilmore relates how he became acquainted with these equations (he uses the term "philosophy"):

Gilmore also provides a connection between Sun Ra and the Black Muslims:

This is not the place to decide who influenced whom. Suffice to say, there are several correspondences between Sun Ra's equations and Elijah Muhammad's writings, and these will be explored later in this chapter.

Sun Ra

    Sun Ra has often spoken about himself, in terms of his nature and his mission on this planet. (The role that music plays in this mission will be discussed later in this chapter). Sun Ra's name is also a statement about himself, and it is a name with many implications. Graham Lock has pointed out that "Sun Ra" is a rejection of a slave name (Herman Blount), and is a name taken from "the Sun God of ancient Egypt, one of the first and greatest of human civilizations, and an African civilization, a black civilization" (Lock 1988: 20). Lock also says that such a renaming of one's self in this context has a distinct political implication as well, and mentions Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali in connection with this. Elijah Muhammad, the leader who inspired Malcolm Little and Cassius Clay to drop their slave names in the process of attaining a new self-awareness and self-esteem, has written on the importance of one's name:

    The name "Sun Ra" can be divided into two parts, "Sun" and "Ra". Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, and his attributes will be discussed later in this chapter, on the section on ancient Egypt. The sun is a prominent symbol or deity in many myths and religious beliefs. Instead of attempting a comprehensive overview of sun-symbolism, I will focus on two interpretations of the sun, as outlined by Elijah Muhammad and Manly P. Hall.

    The flag of the Nation of Islam consists of a star and crescent against a red background. According to Elijah Muhammad, the star represents justice, the crescent (or moon) represents equality, and the sun (the red back-ground) represents freedom. Muhammad writes:

Manly P. Hall describes the sun as a symbol of the threefold nature of man. Hall writes that the ancient sages divided the sun into three parts:

In addition, Hall notes that these three aspects, spiritual, soular, and material, correspond to the threefold nature of God as embodied by the Holy Trinity, relating to God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit respectively. Finally, when these three parts of the solar power in man are united, "they form the Divinity in man" (ibid.). This concept of Divinity in man has a parallel in ancient Egypt, and will be discussed later in this chapter.3

    Sun Ra has often been asked about his name, both in terms of what it means and how he came up with it. Most sources give Sun Ra's birth name as Herman or Sonny Blount. In one interview, Sun Ra denies that his given name was Sonny Blount (or Sonny Lee, another name that has been attributed to him), stating that "They be sayin' my name is Sonny Blount but that's not true. . .I got another name, but it's a secret name" (Primack 1978: 15). In another interview, Sun Ra states that his name "Sun Ra" was given to him by the creator. In the same interview, he describes how he derived the name Sun Ra from his given name Herman:

Sun Ra's great-grandfather was named Alexander, which is another source of the name "Sun Ra":

Sun Ra further says that as Herman he was named after a magician named Black Herman. Magic is another important part of Sun Ra's equations, and will be discussed later in this chapter.

Asked to define what his name means, Sun Ra answered "It's a name that has something to do with cosmology, and something to do with a connection with other planets. . .continuation of humanity and continuation of the universe" (Fiofori 1972a). A slightly different answer to this question is given in a later interview, where he says "Sun Ra is not a person, it's a business name. . .and my business is changin' the planet" (Corbett 1989: 28).

Before detailing in more depth how Sun Ra characterizes his mission, it is necessary to look into how Sun Ra characterizes himself. Attali has written

Sun Ra can be considered as a visionary in this regard, and he has found several ways of describing the sort of imprisonment he feels as well as ways out of this imprisonment. Sun Ra has said repeatedly that he is not of this earth, and in analyzing why he feels this way one can interpret this kind of statement both metaphorically and literally. One way Sun Ra has characterized himself is as a member of an Angel Race. Sun Ra has described the characteristics of the Angel Race as follows:

This sounds similar to Manly P. Hall's description of a true philosopher:

Sun Ra has never stated that he is a god. In fact, he has said

Sun Ra's views on humanity will be expanded upon later in this chapter. Regarding his birth, Sun Ra has said that "My home planet is Saturn" (Shore1980: 48) and that the specific day of his birth, or arrival on Earth is very controversial and therefore he doesn't want to talk about it:

Sun Ra thus views himself as different, apart from humanity. Whereas Attali talks about musicians who are imprisoned by totalitarian power structures, Sun Ra feels that he is imprisoned by the human race and planet Earth, and that he is not free. He says "I see myself as P-H-R-E but not F-R-E-E. That's the name of the sun in ancient Egypt. I'm not really a person at all" (ibid.: 66) and "Some people are controlled by forces on other planets. I am, so I'm not really free" (Lyons 1983: 91). Sun Ra also views himself as a leader, and as such is restricted by the rules of humanity:

Sun Ra's talk of being a leader and an Angel can be taken as an egocentric view of himself versus humanity. However, note that Sun Ra has said that he is not free, but is controlled by forces from other planets. Also, long time Arkestra member James Jackson has commented on the characteristics of a good leader as follows:

Sun Ra's poems "Of Kindred Folks" and "The Differences" address Sun Ra in relation to others. In "Of Kindred Folks" Sun Ra writes of trying to find others like him, using trees as a metaphor for himself and these others. The trees he seeks neither dwarf or are dwarfed by him, and are attuned to he "Whose leaves rustle with music to the soft accompaniment of the winds" (Sun Ra 1985). The poem "The Differences" approaches this feeling of otherness from another angle:

Sun Ra has also characterized this situation in a matter-of-fact way, stating "It's hard for a man to really give proper respect to anyone who says they're an angel or someone who says they're from other dimensions" (Steingroot 1988: 47).

Sun Ra, then, views himself as different, and this difference has obligated him to change humanity, a mission which he reluctantly accepts. His mission concerns "the destiny of humanity and what I possibly could do to help" and he feels that "I should always be doing what I was supposed to do on this planet, regardless of whether the planet responded or not" (Fiofori 1970a: 16). This mission is to help mankind, who "has failed spiritually, educationally, governmentally" and he is "right here as a bridge for them to get help" (Mugge 1980). Sun Ra sees that the way for humanity to improve itself is "to recognize the myth and become part of my mythocracy, instead of their theocracies and their democracies and the other -ocracies they got, they can become of a magic myth, the magic touch of the mythocracy" (ibid.).

    Sun Ra recognizes that this is a difficult task. He has said that "What I'm doing is something that a lot of people have tried to do, but they have met defeat from humanity" (Townley 1973: 18). In more bitter words, he describes other reasons for his reluctance in accepting this task:

In fact, in one interview Sun Ra declares that

Sun Ra's mission can be seen as an enormous undertaking, and in spite of resistance from people and his self-professed failure, he continues. Sun Ra views his music as the method whereby he will help humanity . . .

http://www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/staff/martinelli/Sun%20Ra.htm

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Sun Ra's recording career as a bandleader began in Chicago, in the early 1950s.

The first period of the 1950s was when his music evolved from big-band swing into the outer-space-themed "cosmic jazz" for which he was best known. Music critics and jazz historians say some of his best work was recorded during this period. 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. There were, however, touches of the exotic and hints of the experimentalism that would dominate his later music.

Even from his earliest recordings, Sun Ra's band was centered around three talented saxophonists: Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and Pat Patrick. Each would devote over forty years to Sun Ra's bands.

By 1952, his "cosmic philosophy" was developed, and Blount had legally changed his name to "Le Sony'r Ra." 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." [3]

Sun Ra formed an independent label in the mid-50s (along with his business partner Alton Abraham), generally known as Saturn, though (as with the Arkestra) there were several variants upon the name. Though it initially focused on 45s by Sun Ra and other artists related to him, they did issue two albums during the 1950s through the label: 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 (Delmark Records, a Chicago-based label, reissued the album following the label's demise).

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.

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 (among many others).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra 

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In 1960, Sun Ra moved his earthbound base of operations to New York, then in 1968 settled in Philadelphia. In both cities, as in Chicago, the band lived and worked as a sort of collective, with the hard-core nucleus sharing living quarters with the leader and assuming the role of cosmo-friends to the master. Throughout the 60's Sun Ra continued to record for his own deliberately poorly distributed Saturn Records label, and also on various European labels, while touring widely and continuing to spread the fame of his live performances. In recent years Sun Ra has steadily returned to the music of the near past - the standards and jazz classics he grew up with - although it is all filtered through his delighfully off center perspective.

In an interview with Jazziz magazine, Sun Ra recalled, "They really thought I was some kind of kook with all my talk about outer space and the planets. I'm still talking about it, but governments are spending billions of dollars to go to Venus, Mars, and other planets, so it's no longer kooky to talk about space". For Sun Ra, though, it has never been a matter of mere oddness. When he talks of his Saturnian origins, of observing the planets and travelling the spaceways, and of "going into space", it is really a lavishly elaborated metaphor, or so it seems to those who are not aware of the spiritual side of things. Sun Ra's music transcends earthbound limitations by riding the flights of imagination, and his message is that all of us are free to ride those flights with him if we have the precision and discipline to do so.

Source: http://www.elrarecords.com/sunra.html

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The New School Sun Ra Arkestra in Concert!

The New School University will showcase a unique take on the Sun Ra phenomenon with two concerts that feature New School students standing in as the Sun Ra Arkestra. Under the direction of Sun Ra veteran Ahmed Abdullah, the student Arkestra will have its debut on Thursday, April 24, at Up Over Jazz Cafe, in Brooklyn, followed by a Spring Recital concert at the University on Monday, May 5.

"These two concerts represent a milestone in the legacy of Sun Ra," says Mr. Abdullah, a highly respected trumpeter and bandleader in his own right. "This ensemble class, now in its second year, will clearly demonstrate the genius of Sun Ra. He always said that he intended to create a music for the 21st Century, an interplanetary music designed to awaken musicians and audiences alike to their unlimited potential. Given the opportunity to study both the music and philosophy of Sun Ra, the New School students have created their own unique ensemble sound. They are the second group of students I have worked with to accomplish this, and their performance will astound you," Mr. Abdullah added.

The booking at Up Over Jazz Cafe is part of the ongoing 24/7 Jazz Brooklyn festival now taking place, and one of forty venues offering concerts throughout April. Located in Brooklyn's Park Slope area, at 351 Flatbush Avenue (near Seventh Ave.), Up Over Jazz Cafe has been a steady fixture in the Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival for the past four years, which annual event eventually gave rise to a borough-wide fest. The April 24 debut, featuring poet Louis Reyes Rivera, will offer one show only, beginning at 9:30pm.

Having cut its teeth at a reputable Jazz club, the student Arkestra will be joined by two other Sun Ra alumni, bandleaders Craig Harris and Vincent Chancey, that will augment its Manhattan premiere on Monday, May 5. Part of the New School University's Spring Recital, this second concert takes place at Tishman Auditorium, located at 66 West 12th Street (bet. 5th and 6th avenues), beginning at 7pm.

The addition of Sun Ra alumni French hornist Vincent Chancey and trombonist Craig Harris, along with trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, represents an exciting reunion of the Arkestra's brass section on Cosmos and Live at Montreux, two classic mid-1970's Sun Ra recordings.

Both the April 24 and May 5 concerts features the music, poetry and lyrics of Sun Ra as well as several rarely heard compositions by the late great composer with new arrangements by Salim Washington and Ahmed Abdullah. Award winning poet Louis Reyes Rivera has rewritten some of Sun Ra's original poems for the occasion.

Sun Ra, one of the true geniuses of the twentieth century, is a person whose life is still shrouded in mystery. He spoke of himself as an Agent of the Creator, an Angelic Being just visiting Earth from his home planet Saturn, arriving in Birmingham, Alabama on May 22, 1914, and departing from Birmingham on Memorial Day in 1993. During his earthly sojourn, he created an intriguing repertoire of music that has hallmarked the history of Jazz, linking spirituality, politics, science fiction, music, family, numerology, astrology, and business acumen into one gigantic concept. The net result is a legacy of nearly 200 records released, an ensemble of musicians that has played together for over forty years, traveled four continents, and earning numerous awards, with countless articles and several books written about Sun Ra. The music itself has earned an international following that crosses all boundaries and that has only increased since his departure.

Admission for the April 24 concert at Up Over Jazz Cafe is $10.00, and $5.00 for those with student IDs. For more information, call (718) 398-5413.

Admission for the May 5 performance at Tishman Auditorium is $10.00; the Tishman box office is open Monday thru Thursday from 1-to-8pm, and on Friday until 7pm. For ticket information, call (212) 229-5488.

The New School Sun Ra Arkestra in Concert!
Directed by Ahmed Abdullah
with guest poet Louis Reyes Rivera (4/24 and 5/5)
and Sun Ra alumni Craig Harris and Vincent Chancey (5/5 only)

CBJC--24/7 Jazz Festival
Thursday, April 24@9:30pm (one show only)
Up Over Jazz Cafe
351 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission $10 and $5 (with student id)
info: (718) 398-5413

New School University Spring Recital,
Monday May 5, 2003@7pm
Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12th Street (bet. 5th and 6th ave.), Ground Floor
Admission: $10

(Box office is open Mon-Thurs from 1-8pm and Fri 1-7pm) or charge tickets by calling (212) 229-5488

Contact: Ahmed Abdullah / Ahmedian@aol.com / (718) 237 1246

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DVD Performances

Space Is The Place (, 1974, 2003)  /   Live in Oakland  (2006) / The Magic Sun (2005)  /  A Joyful Noise  (1980, 1999)

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update 6 July 2008