Sun ra space is the place book

In 2000, szwed published a study of sun ra, space is the place. Space is the place is an 85minute afrofuturist science fiction film made in 1972 and released in 1974. A new edition of john szwed s 1988 biography of sun ra space is the place. Recorded october 19th 1972 at streeterville recording studio, chicago, illinois. It is the cinematic realization of ra s cosmic harmonic consciousness linked to a searing indictment of the political and social realities of the african american urban experience. He and his music are featured in the films the cry of jazz 1959, space is the place 1971, and sun ra.

Offering a holistic overview of sun ra s legacy, space is the place is as much about sun ra s music as it is about his passionate, often wildly unorthodox views on the galaxy. Another book of over 260 of sun ra s poems, sun ra. In 1974 sun ra made his only film, space is the place, directed by john coney, who also never made another movie. During the 1970s and 80s sun ras arkestra made increasing use of earlier compositions of his own and of composers such as henderson, duke ellington, and thelonious monk. The book also presents a thorough exposition of sun ra s life philosophy, one that was informed by works. It is an odd artifact, a hybrid of science fiction, blaxploitation and too little avantgarde jazz. The life and times of sun ra by matthew wuethrich, published on january 24, 2003 at all about jazz. Speaking as a professional jazz musician, i appreciated the compelling insights into the creative processes behind sun ra s innovations in sound.

Sun ras vocal chants, harsh synthesizer and organ blasts along with film dialogue, heavy. An extraordinary documentary about the art of sun ra the. Mugges documentary isnt a biography for that, id highly recommend john f. Gilles petersons top five sun ra albums of all time. The lives and times of sun ra is being published this april. Szweds book also delves deeply into the space influenced philosophy of sun ra and its emphasis on discipline and precision. Space is the place inevitably doesnt do justice to the range of his output across seventy albums or to the full perplexity of the sun ra mindscape. Szweds remarkably wellresearched biography of sun ra. What sun ra meant by anything he said or did remains the central question in studying his body of work. While szwed features direct quotes when possible, he also paraphrases the philosophy of sun ra. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items. In 2003, he published a miles davis biography, so what. It was directed by john coney, written by sun ra and joshua smith, and features sun ra and his arkestra. But this unclassifiable filmic object repays close contact.

Sun ra in space is the place in 30 years as a broadcaster, ive interviewed many of the great men and women of jazz. Jul 11, 2019 in his 1997 biography space is the place. Space is the place is the soundtrack to a film that was made but never released, and the tunes are among his most ambitious, unorthodox, and compelling compositions. Herman poole sonny blount 19141993, has been hailed as one of the great bigband leaders, pianists, and surrealists of jazz new york times and as the missing link between duke ellington and public enemy rolling stone. Sun ra space age prophet, pharoanic jester, shamanphilosopher and avantjazz. Space is the place provides an excellent introduction to sun ra s vast and freeform jazz catalog. While szwed features direct quotes when possible, he also paraphrases the philosophy of sun ra frequently. Sun ras life and music surveyed in space is the place book. Bass clarinet eloe omoe organ space sun ra vocals space ethnic cheryl banks, danny thompson, john gilmore. Offering a holistic overview of sun ras legacy, space is the place is as much about sun ras music as it is about his passionate, often wildly unorthodox views on the galaxy. I would just like to point out though that there is another sun ra album called space is the place which is ostensibly the soundtrack for the. Speaking as a professional jazz musician, i appreciated the compelling insights into the creative processes behind sun ras innovations in sound. Oct 10, 2017 intergalactic voyages from the cosmic jazz wizard. Herman blount was born in birmingham, alabama, but by the time he began composing and performing as sun ra, he believed that he hailed from the ringed planet saturn.

Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. Jul 20, 20 a few years later we see the introduction of herman poole blount. To celebrate the 40th birthday of the legendary 1974 science fiction film space is the place and sun ra s boundary pushing experimental jazz soundtrack, box set specialists harte recording have compiled a comprehensive collection of ephemera. By the time ra recorded space is the place in 1972, many of his contemporaries in jazz were also exploring the very outer reaches hed. Not following a linear plot line, this experimental film is a bizarre combination of social commentary, blaxploitation, science fiction, and concert performance. He arrives from outer space in oakland to take a group of black youths back to his planet, where he intends to convert them to his own unique brand of black power politics. A new edition of john szweds 1988 biography of sun ra space is the place. Albert ayler and cecil taylor that are as carefully researched as szweds study of sun ra. Excerpt from the introduction of space is the place 1974, starring sun ra. Learn more about robert mugges documentary on sun ra at the new yorker. Sun ra started out emulating duke ellington until he got hooked into the martin denny lounge groove while constantly experimenting with thennew keyboards and exotic arrangements. John szweds space is the place includes some interesting discussions on the evolution of sun ras name and the.

Space is the place baritone saxophone danny thompson bass pat patrick bass clarinet eloe omoe organ space sun ra vocals space ethnic akh tal ebah, cheryl banks, john gilmore, judith holton, june tyson, ruth wright. With barbara deloney, sun ra, raymond johnson, erika leder. The book also presents a thorough exposition of sun ras life philosophy, one that was informed by works. Sun ra s collected poetry and prose is available as a book, published may 2005, entitled sun ra, the immeasurable equation. This album was originally issued in lp format on the abc records label, blue thumb records. Sun ra space is the place 2015, 180 gr, gatefold, vinyl. Between june tysons declarative vocals, chants, and dialogue and ra s crashing, flailing synthesizer and organ fills, and with such songs as blackmanlove in outer space, its after the end of the world, and i am the. Szwed wrote doctor jazz, a booklet about jelly roll morton for the 2005 issue of the complete library of congress recordings by alan lomax on rounder records. This limited edition release will include a hardcover book, a dvd of the film with new producer commentary, and a cd of the soundtrack. Originally released in 1974, sun ra s odd neoblaxploitation scifi semirockumentary, space is the place, is a film about time, history, and black america. Writing a biography, reconstructing another persons life after the fact, is an inherently tricky task, complicated incalculably when that person claims to be from the planet saturn.

Szwed does an admirable job reconstructing the sun ra milieu, if not the man himself. Sun ra was born this day, may 22, 1914, a date which wasnt known until the mid1990s when author john szwed dug it up for his excellent book, space is the place. Avantgarde jazz musician sun ra stars in the movie version of his concept album space is the place. Watch the video for space is the place from sun ra s space is the place for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.

Sun ras seminal space is the place reissued on transparent. And like any other chapter in the book of ra, space is the place underscores the notion that sun ra was vague by his own design. Space is the place by sun ra on amazon music unlimited. Apr 06, 2020 mugges documentary isnt a biography for that, id highly recommend john f. The astroblack mythology, which is partly told in space is the place, is sun ra s visionary view of the history and the future of the afroamericans. Szweds readerswhether they are just discovering sun ra or are among the legion of poets, artists, intellectuals, and musicians who consider him a spiritual godfatherwill find that, indeed, space is the place. Sun ras 1973 space is the place lp is being reissued this november by jackpot records. Jan 01, 2004 newman ought not to wonder too much about that. There could have been more music, but this version of space is the place is 20 minutes longer than the one issued in the early 90s on vhs and includes home movie footage of sun ra s 1972 egyptian. In the endless ocean of sun ra recordings, space is the place ranks among the very best but more importantly stands as the most immediately understandable of his records. At the close of the book szwed himself acknowledges the challenge that ra presents. Space is the place by sun ra album, avantgarde jazz.

Described as one of the mythical jazz mavericks most accessible works, space is the place positively glows with the chaotic atmosphere of early 70s jazz cafes and bohemian reckless abandon. Charting the whole of sun ra s life and career, szwed outlines how after years in chicago as a blues and swing band pianist, sun ra set out in the 1950s to impart his views. Szwed details a tour tale from turkey in 1990 where sun ra was approached by a group of mystics who gave him. Given the complexity of the task, yale professor john f. Space is the place the lives and times of sun ra book. To celebrate the 40th birthday of the legendary 1974 science fiction film space is the place and sun ras boundary pushing experimental jazz soundtrack, box set specialists harte recording have compiled a comprehensive collection of ephemera. In addition to space is the place, philip niblocks sun ra short the magic sun 1966 and robert mugges documentary a joyful noise 1980 are most welcome diversions to a bland and normal world, which is about the most apt tribute and description applied to the unique being known as sun ra, who once walked among us. This masterpiece touches flawlessly on elements of many of ras multiple phases and provides both a mission statement for and a gateway to his immaculate body of work.

Sun ra s vocal chants, harsh synthesizer and organ blasts along with film dialogue, heavy. Sun ra space is the place 1973, gatefold, vinyl discogs. Gatefold inner cover contains poems from the book the immeasurable equation by sun ra. The biography follows szweds 2015 billie holiday book, billie holiday. Shamanic avantjazz bandleader sun ra stars in this showcase for both his music and philosophical concerns. Space is the place original motion picture soundtrack sun. Harte recordings is proud to announce the release of the 40th anniversary celebration of sun ra s space is the place. The book also presents a thorough exposition of sun ras life philosophy, one that was informed by works stretching back thousands of years.

Jul 01, 2014 by the time of 1973s space is the placefollowed a year later by sun ras definitive cinematic statement, a featurelength film of the same namethe arkestra had come to fill the liminal. Always riveting, space is the place is the definitive biography of one of the great bigband leaders, pianists, and surrealists of jazz the new york. But at the heart of everything that sun ra did or said was the claim that he was not born, that he was not from earth, that he was not a man, that he had no family, that his name was not what others said it. Sun ra refused to accept a fixed identity, or a locatable. Immeasurable equation was published by phaelos books in november 2005.

John szweds space is the place is the definitive biography of this musical polymath, who was one of the twentieth centurys greatest avantgarde artists and intellectuals. Space is the place, afrofuturist science fiction film space is the place soundtrack, an album by sun ra and his intergalactic solar arkestra. Born herman poole blount in alabama in 1914, he reinvented himself in the 1950s as sun ra, the great surrealist of jazz whose freeform performances with his. This book in no way proselytizes sun ras ideology but spells it out for the curious in the context of his life story. Szweds book also delves deeply into the spaceinfluenced philosophy of sun ra and its emphasis on discipline and precision. In the film, as in life, sun ra is the quintessential outsider and space is a metaphorical eden for this much put upon black man. May 21, 2011 taken from space is the place blue thumb records, 1973. Sun ras life and music surveyed in space is the place book sun ras life and music surveyed in space is the place book. Track listing all written and arranged by sun ra space is the place 21.