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Sun Ra & His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra: The Intergalactic Thing
by Mark Corroto
If you are a Sun Ra devotee, let's not use the terms “fanatic" or “zealot," you probably measure your collection in board feet instead of inches. Unlike many jazz legends of the 1950s, and 1960s, Herman Sonny Blount had the foresight to record his ensemble's rehearsals and concerts. He even established his own label El Saturn Records in 1957. Yes, nineteen-fifty-seven, when other jazz giants were bound to onerous contracts with major labels, Ra was producing what we now have ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra Arkestra: Live in Ulm 1992
by Enrico Bettinello
Questo concerto dell'Arkestra è stato registrato a Ulm nel 1992, durante l'ultima tournée della band con il suo leader, che -già malato-morirà poi nel maggio dell'anno successivo. Come ben sa chi abbia avuto il piacere di seguire l'orchestra anche dopo la scomparsa di Sun Ra, l'energia non viene comunque mai a mancare, come testimonia (con qualità sonora non eccelsa) questo doppio cd. Sugli scudi alcuni solisti, come i “dioscuri" della tromba, Michael Ray e Ahmed ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra And His Arkestra: In The Orbit Of Ra
by Enrico Bettinello
Nell'anno del centenario della nascita di Sun Ra le iniziative sono state innumerevoli, ma mancava un vero e proprio “Greatest Hits," concetto che in sé sembra certamente piuttosto inadatto (e per certi versi anche antitetico) all'idea musicale dell'indimenticabile pianista e band leader di Saturno, Alabama, ma che risponde comunque a un'esigenza comprensibile. Il destino ha tra l'altro voluto che spesso, in passato, venissero indicati come “il meglio di" Sun Ra dischi che, per un motivo o un ...
Continue ReadingCelebrating Sun Ra at the Painted Bride Art Center
by Victor L. Schermer
The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound and the Sun Ra Centennial Arkestra The Painted Bride Art Center “Still the New Thing" Philadelphia, PA April 19, 2014 This concert concluded a tripartite series curated by saxophonist, band leader, and composer/arranger Bobby Zankel entitled “Still the New Thing" honoring three icons of avant- garde jazz: Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Sun Ra on the occasions of their birth dates and anniversaries of key events in their ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: Jazz in Silhouette
by Robert Mitchell
"A Certain Beat A Sudden Chord These things charm the mind with veiled enchantment That lingers long after the song is done" As with many cult artists, the back catalogue of Sun Ra is long and varied with large, less than bitesize chunks available for consumption if you so desire. Many of Sun Ra's LPs have been re-issued on vinyl, and to anyone curious about Sun Ra (and let's face it--who isn't ...
Continue ReadingThe Rocket Ship Takes Off
by Mark Corroto
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is the big record companies are dead. The good news is the big record companies are dead. Gone are the days of Columbia Records signing trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to a million dollar contract and then promoting the hell out of his vision of jazz, selling his records and supporting his touring. While the major labels were reassessing all forms of music from pop to hip-hop, jazz slipped further and further ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra: The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1
by Skip Heller
Author's note: Michael Ricci has ordained me with the power to come to you once a month and throw a little information your way. A lot of great music falls through the cracks, often enough because the people who make it don't live comfortably in some nice categorical box. If you're someone who prefers music to categorical boxes, this column is dedicated to you. I'm starting things off with a look into a document that embodies the great ...
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