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Travel The Spaceways With Sun Ra

Sun Ra used his space jazz to free the mind and fuel the spirit. Kindamuzik has charted a course back over the past destinations of music's first space traveler. We may hang out on MARS, but 50 years ago Sun Ra claimed to have come from Saturn. It was his metaphor for how music can transport us to different and better places. With dozens of recordings available, it can be a rocky journey navigating Ra's catalog. Join us for this tour, as we visit the brighter stars of Sun Ra's universe.

Tekst: Rick Evans

Publicatiedatum: 16 februari 2001

SUN RA'S ASTRAL PLANE
As is often the case with visionaries, only in death did jazz great Sun Ra finally attain the critical respect he deserves. In the 1950's and 60's his approach to music was just too much for jazz critics, most old school fans, and players, who were more concerned with dexterity, speed, and harmonic complexity. Although John Coltrane paid respects to him at the time, even within the 60's free jazz movement Sun Ra was viewed somewhat as an outsider and a minor player. His music was out of kilter with the rest of the gang as too absurd, and in an unspoken way, too serious, to warrant legitimate jazz credentialing. Yet, the music of Sun Ra offers an ideal array of flavors for the increasingly adventurous tastes of today's engaged music lover bred on the escapism and emotional power of rock, but now digging deeper and beyond rock's boundaries. As free and improv music experiences a rebirth, Sun Ra's time has finally come.

In many ways Sun Ra and his Arkestra are more a part of the new millennium than yesterday's jazz club scene. It's not uncommon to read an old jazz review that struggles with the enigma of Sun Ra, then in exasperation, the critic discounts Ra as a minor unfocussed talent, lacking the chops of the true jazz master. It was Sun Ra's apparent lack of respect for serious jazz conventions that caused problems with his critics. Even his use of spacey song titles and extravagantly unrefined album covers - brought criticism that he was being too overt and suggestive. Of course the less cynical opinion is that the music and the vision behind it was so vivid as to suggest cosmic titles and packaging. That Sonny's covers, titles, liner notes, and of course the music, was all a part of his distinct conception of other and outer spaces. If one is open to it, the power of his vision guides the imagination to better places in the universe within us all. No matter what uncharted territory he was exploring, from the first album to the last, there is a heavy dose of interplanetary jazz. The music evokes not the dark cosmic shots of the Science Channel but of sun drenched places where the Jetsons and Pharoah Sanders go to listen to space congas in an celestial 50s diner.

There is a leap of faith required by the listener with ears rooted in rock. Only on a couple of occasions do we hear a guitar eminating from the Arkestra. Although they used many unconventional tools, including early experiments with synthesizers, for the most part, the Arkestra uses the instruments of a big band. And as much as George Clinton may look like Sun Ra, seldom does the Arkestra get funky. At times the Arkestra sounds very close to the big band music from the 40s. Yet, for listeners open to jazz beyond the fusion of Pat Metheny or Miles Davis, Sun Ra's work, offers immense possibilities for paradigm busting, perspective changing, and ear opening discovery.

Sun Ra was a sonic explorer, a genius with tropicallia rhythms, who held a terrific command of the keyboards, and possessed great abilities as a bandleader. Whether it's the playfully muted tone of a trumpet or the humor of a rollicking arrangement, there is a constant foundation of joy in this music. Even novice jazz listeners can hear an undeniable sound that sets Sun Ra's work apart from more serious sounding jazz. Possibly the most outstanding aspect of his music were his compositions. With a master's respect for tradition and innovator's eye on the future, Sun Ra wrote and arranged great music, that without all the Arkestra's bells and whistles it would still sound timeless.

It's common to point out that Sun Ra and the Arkestra released well over 100 recordings on labels of various sizes, including self-releasing many recordings on his own Saturn label. Many of these recordings however, are unavailable or impossible to find, but if you visit a few good record stores a pattern of forty-plus commonly available Sun Ra albums will emerge.

As diverse as the albums are, it's possible to chart a course of Sun Ra's musical phases over time. Within each phase, there are many available albums. Although not all inclusive, this article intends to discuss many of his more recommendable albums that are available in a catalog as sweeping in scope as Frank Zappa's. No two Sun Ra albums sound the same, making the pursuit of his music an elusive and sometimes addictive endeavor. So beware, if you take that first hit of Sun Ra, you just might descend into a universe of intergalactic jazz, from which you'll never find your way back.

SWINGING THROUGH THE EARLY YEARS: 1953 - 1959
The makings of the Arkestra (among many of other names they went by) began to take hold in the early 50s. The output in these early years - although not as continually groundbreaking as it soon would become - finds Sun Ra and his Arkestra in command of a singular sound. Working most often within established jazz formats, Sun Ra and his Arkestra in these early years Ð even on the most conventional cuts Ð were beginning to blaze a far out trail. At times rather traditional, and even retro for the 1950s, the music is just as often a unique blend of pan-African exotica, edgy instrumentation, with a uniquely updated swing, and a grasp of post-Ellington inspired composition.

Thanks to the Evidence label re-releasing many of the early Saturn recordings, we are now able to hear these wonderful albums that have long been out of print. Although the first Arkestra singles come from 1953 and can be found on "Sound Sun Pleasure", the first LP recording of Sun Ra and his Arkestra didn't appear until 1956 with "Super Sonic Jazz", put out on Ra's own Saturn label. Early on, the band was demonstrating its wonderful post-swing sound.

That same year, Sun Ra and his Arkestra recorded "Sun Song" (originally titled "Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. I"; released in 1957 on the Transition label). "Sun Song", is Ra's first classic, and a terrific place to start for the uninitiated; a swirling celebration of a finely honed band placing their undeniably exotic stamp on jazz. The sun shines brightly from the start. Brainville is a bright number that teems with spinning brass and a deep swing, punctuated periodically with the ensemble re-stating an infectious riff. Lullaby for Realville is an example of the propelling force of Sun Ra's compositions. The title cut is the most "out" number for the time. In the liner notes Sun Ra says that this is "a spacite picture of the atonal tomorrow. A real example of freedom in melody, harmony, and rhythm." Sun Song achieves an effervescent and elusive quality from Ra's floating space organ, alien use of tom toms, chimes, and blocks; a glimpse of what was to come. Highly recommended.

Recorded at the same session as "Sun Song", although not released until 1968, was the excellent "Sound of Joy" (originally titled "Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. II"), which nearly achieves "Sun Song"'s level of distinction.

In 1958, Sun Ra's third album, second on the Saturn label, was "Jazz in Silhouette". It opens with the highly composed and rehearsed "Enlightenment," a testament to the premium Sun Ra placed long daily rehearsals with the Arkestra. The nine-minute Ancient Aiethopia is Ra's first foray into the true avant-garde, going beyond mere harmonic freedom of modal soloing (which in itself wouldn't become a big deal for two more years), into a completely new and open atonal territory. All jazz conventions are dropped to create a free-form multi-dimensional landscape, giving us an exhilarating view through Sun Ra's cosmic window to a world of alien instrumentation, unknown non-melodies, and strange sounds.

The cover art for "Jazz in Silhouette" is a classic Saturn album cover; an endearingly crude rendering of half-naked nymphs floating over a distant moon. Sun Ra's best covers were fun loving 50s sci-fi cartoons - rolling keyboards, clanky spaceships, waves of musical notes, conga drums - part of his joyous vision of the universe. Although recording would continue, "Jazz in Silhouette" was to be Sun Ra's last release for seven years.

Other albums of this period include the excellent "Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways". "Visits Planet Earth" is comprised of numbers also found on the more superior in sound quality, "Sound of Joy". Also, part of the early period is the very good "Holiday For Soul Dance", which includes several Broadway standards recorded in 1959. Both albums would have to wait about ten years to be released.

EXOTICA: 1958 - 1963
Many Sun Ra revisionists enjoy referring to the music of this time as transitional, before his great free period of the mid-60s. In a way, this "transitional" description discounts Ra's music of the time, as it is this period that often comes closest to achieving the sound we most often associate Sun Ra with today; that is, a breezy, sub-tropical, space exotica, grounded in post-swing. Thanks to the work of the Evidence label we can now track Sonny's progress through this important period.

While they must have sounded striking at the time of their initial release in the mid-60s, the following Saturn/Evidence albums were largely recorded (between 1958 and 1963). During a time of dramatic musical change in the world, it's unfortunate these works weren't out even sooner and to a broader audience.

The first four tracks on "Angels and Demons at Play" were recorded in 1960, with the final four tracks recorded in 1956. The ensemble was still there but applied a more minimal touch than before, with the brass taking a muted approach or quietly waiting their respective turns to before snaking the chopped melody through it's progressions. Track five slams us back to earth circa 1956, in a stark contrast to how far the Arkestra had come in just a few years. Recorded in 1958 and 1959, "The Nubians of Plutonia", is very strong and possibly the most easily enjoyable of the Saturn recordings, straddling the swing of the early era with the growing push toward experimentation. Thanks (again) to Evidence's cost efficient packaging, "Angels and Demons at Play" is now available on one CD with "The Nubians of Plutonia", making for 64 minutes of Sun Ra paradise. Highly recommended.

In addition to the classic title track, "We Travel the Spaceways", (recorded in Chicago in 1959/60) opens with the brilliant Interplanetary Music. Both are rare vocal numbers where the Arkestra adds a tilted stagger to the swing. The album also includes more conventional yet notable standout ballads in, Tapestry From an Asteroid, New Horizons, and Space Loneliness; not particularly groundbreaking but very beautiful. Evidence chose to pair "Bad and Beautiful" with "We Travel the Spaceways". "Bad and Beautiful", the Arkestra's first album after moving from Chicago to New York in 1961, is a solid but conservative affair, and pales somewhat in comparison to Spaceways.

"Pleasant Mood /When Sun Comes Out" is also a Chicago/New York match-up by Evidence. Much of Fate was culled from the same 1960 Chicago sessions that produced "We Travel the Spaceways" and "Angels and Demons at Play". Both "Fate" and "When Sun Comes Out" are good, but not essential. "When Sun Comes Out " (recorded 1962/63) contains Dancing Shadows, notable for John Gilmore's fragmented sax lines. A style, which John Coltrane admits, was some influence on him. This point served as great consternation to Gilmore, who felt, understandably, that he never received his due recognition.

In 1961 Sun Ra reconnected with Tom Wilson, the producer of "Sun Song", who arranged a session for the Savoy label. This resulted in the astonishing "The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra". This overlooked, but easy to find, masterpiece wasn't pushing boundaries as much as serving as culmination of Ra's avant-tropical innovations to date. Spanning a broad continuum of swing, be-bop, and free form, the album retains a cohesive unity. Every track is a winner. The most stunning number is the sultry vocal tune, China Gate, with a steamy Polynesian mood created by the oriental and Hawaiian inflected percussion. The album's experimental numbers, such as Looking Outward, highlight the exciting new avant-garde sound, yet retain an infectious listenability thanks to the propulsive congas. With stellar production quality to boot, "The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra" is the best example of Ra's vision during this period. Highly recommended.

Until recently the last readily available CD of this period is another Evidence match-up, "Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms for Dimensions Tomorrow". The reason Evidence did this pairing is obvious, as these two albums are among his most avant-garde for the time. Although "Art Forms" (recorded in 1961/62) possesses some exciting experiments, "Cosmic tones" (recorded in 1963) is the stronger of the two, achieving some brilliant percussion in the undulating cosmic groove of Moon Dance. The two albums are still largely hit or miss affairs, but worth checking out for those who already own the more essential recordings.

THE FREE JAZZ YEARS: 1963 - 1970
Although, Sonny was experimenting with "out" music since "Sun Song", and much of "Cosmic Tones" could fit into his next phase, it's still "When Angels Speak of Love" where Ra finally arrives at his atonal tomorrow. The year 2000 saw Evidence issuing five different Sun Ra releases. "When Angels Speak of Love", from 1963, is the only one that fits into this period. One of the rarest original Saturn albums, and one of Sun Ra's most extreme recordings, "When Angels Speak of Love" unfortunately will only be of interest to lovers of the most abstract and noisy avant-garde music.

It's with the 1964 album "Other Planes Of There" and 1965's "Magic City" (both released in 1966), where Sun blends the earlier sonic experiments with free jazz orchestrations, to achieve near masterpieces of experimental music. He was now reveling in the hidden beauty of dissonance. To be sure, he certainly was not the first musician to utilize atonality. Classical composer Arnold Schoenberg invented twelve-tone composition near the turn of the century; and the 50s saw a burst of creative serial and post-serial composition in France and Germany; and in jazz, Ornette Colemen's seminal "Free Jazz" was released in 1959. Yet, the fact that Sun Ra was one of the very early pioneers of the 60s free jazz movement is still without question. The New Thing; a period of musical freedom and experimentation tied in spirit to the civil rights movement of the time. Although Ornette Colemen and John Coltrane are the titanic figures of free jazz, Sun Ra brought a style so enduring and singular, he warrants equal stature. His sense of stretched out composition, attention to timbre, complex rhythms, and his brand of calm, not to mention the Arkestra was the only experimental big band around, all combined to launch Sun Ra into his most challenging period.

There's an ever present ghost flowing from Sun Ra's piano on "Other Planes Out There" and his clavioline on "Magic City". Both albums begin with opus title tracks that quietly take their time to unfold, as clusters of notes from a piccolo or clarinet appear and disappear. Then the remaining ten minutes of the twenty-seven minute Magic City launches us into a fiery explosion of intense free jazz. Although never quite attaining the dazzling brilliance of his next recording, these two albums serve as the basis for much avant-garde to this day.

The masterpiece of this period is "Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 1". Recorded and released in 1965, Sun Ra and his orchestra were beginning to garner some overdue respect, largely in Europe. "Heliocentric Worlds Vol. I" is momentary music that doesn't swing, which may leave some confused, but for those interested in a landmark recording from one of jazz's most experimental periods, this is a must own. "Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 1", doesn't contain a swirling extended title cut, or much discord, instead it encapsulates and somehow controls its anarchy within seven compartmentalized tracks. Where the collective improvisation on the second half of Magic City revels in pandemonium, "Heliocentric Worlds" is a well rehearsed recording, nipping at the edge of chaos, pulling back before disorder prevails. Much of "Heliocentric Worlds" is very soft, as band members sequentially experiment with the timbres of the tympani, bass clarinet, wood blocks, flutes, piccolo, bells, marimbas, piano, and the electronic cellist.

Some - Miles Davis among them - criticized Ra's music of this period as too European. To a jazz purist, this was Euro-trash. To an adventurous music fan, who isn't offended by cross-pollination, "Heliocentric Worlds" achieved what few albums have - a near middle ground between the intense emotion of American free jazz and the "serious" avant-garde revolutionized by John Cage and Karliheinze Stockhausen in the previous decade. The end result is music of an almost timeless quality. "Heliocentric Worlds" is highly recommended and will be of particular interest to today's avant-music aficionado.

SPACE IS THE PLACE: THE 70s
"My Brother the Wind Volume II", recorded and released in 1970 (before the largely unavailable Vol. I), should be titled, "How Sonny Got His Groove Back". It's a schizophrenic album, with the first half comprised of exhilarating space blues and the second half, raw synth noodling. The first five tracks find Sonny's electric organ having never sounded so soulful, while the brass swings out jazzy rhythm and blues. The remainder of the album however, has more in common with the electronic experiments of Stockhausen and Tod Dockstader. There's no rhythm, no ensemble, just Sonny conducting early experiments with the sounds of his Moog.

The two "Space Is the Place" albums stem from a film project for a low-budget movie of the same name. In it, Sun Ra commands a spacecraft powered by music. The metaphor may hit you over the head, but it is very resonant in its purity. This is both a playful and profound image, driving home his keystone philosophy that music can transport us to different and better places! The "Space is the Place" recordings were made in 1972 and have resulted in what are now two easily available CDs with completely different tracks. Sun Ra and his Arkestra revisit the spirit of their older swing and exotica but with a freer sensibility, and call upon of the many tones reserved for rare occasions, as 21 minutes of chanting "Space Is The Place" is both hypnotic and depending on your mood, irritating. Images, Discipline and Rocker Number Nine are all excellent. Between the two recordings, the nod easily goes to "Space is the Place: Soundtrack to the Film" (Evidence). Not released until 1993, this is a hodgepodge of old and new material, that at times works very well, and other times, not so much. But with 75 minutes, 16 tracks, there's a plethora of vintage Sun Ra to explore on this single CD. The polyrhythmic percussion of Watusa is almost worth the price of admission alone.

The two double discs, "Pathways to Unknown Worlds/Friendly Love" and "The Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals and Crystal Spears", gather four albums that Ra recorded for Impulse in 1973, and are part of Evidence's most recent round of releases (year 2000). Although not highly desirable in light of the entire catalog, they are helpful in filling in some of the 70s, currently the period that's most underrepresented in available releases. "Pathways to Unknown Worlds/Friendly Love" is the less desirable of the two, but the more economical, as it contains one previously issued album and one previously un-issued album on a single compact disc. "The Great Lost Sun Ra Albums" (the previously un-issued "Cymbals and Crystal Spears" in a two-disc set) is a slightly more interesting package, if only for it's very unique sonority, a sort of mature manipulation of the more experimental sounds the Arkestra had developed over the years. With the addition of Sun Ra's Minimoog synthesizer and electronic vibes, it also represents one of the Arkestra's most electric, albeit abstract, releases.

The last of the most recent Evidence re-releases is "Lanquidity", a 1979 effort, and certain to become a favorite of Sun Ra fans. "Lanquidity" was too quickly over-looked as being conventional fusion and funk. Yes, this is an accessible album, but hardly conventional, as it contains those trademark twists and turns Sun Ra always inflected even his most "conservative" albums with. Plus, there's some real discord here. In some ways, "Lanquidity", can be viewed as one of Ra's most significant works, as it finally delivers the sort of electric fusion the Arkestra had been hinting at, but avoiding, their entire existence. To someone who's never heard, but only read about, Sun Ra, "Lanquidity" may sound very much like what they were expecting, yet, there is no other album remotely like "Lanquidity" in the Sun Ra catalog.

The final package in Evidence's most recent releases is the delightful "Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel", a compilation covering 1956 to 1973. Considering the vastness of the Sun Ra universe, no collection can be very representative of the Sun Ra catalog. "Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel " however, does provide a nice sampling of some more accessible work for the Sun Ra novice.

Sun Ra's 1970s phase was as crucial as any of his others, as he continued to push the edges, and at times, allowed the listener a new accessibility not found during much of the 60s recordings. Unfortunately, finding albums like "A Quiet Place in the Universe, St. Lous Blues, Visions and the Other Side of the Sun", are next to impossible; I hear "Live at Montreux" is one of the best, but when you find a copy let me know. Ra's 1977 solo album, descriptively titled "Solo Piano: Vol. 1.", is available, although some will find the missing Arkestra makes for less than compelling music.

SUN RA BRINGS IT ALL BACK HOME: 1980 - 1993
Unlike the previous decade, much of Sun Ra's output in the 80s is available today. Reviewing the recordings sequentially isn't as important as with his earlier leaps and bounds, but the music is no less impressive. To many, the 80s contain his most accessible and enjoyable work. No longer concerned with breaking ground, we now receive the fruits of his life's labor. Sun Ra sweeps breezily across the entire span of his career, creating cohesive and satisfying avant-swing.

Among the best of his later recordings are "Reflections in Blue, Mayan Temples" , and "Somewhere Else". Interestingly, the production quality of these albums is surprisingly polished, only adding to the clarity and the power of the Arkestra's delivery.

"Reflections in Blue" (1990) is Sun Ra's most retro album since "Holiday for Soul Dance". The tight orchestrations still allow for some improvisation, but the arrangements largely stick close to the compositions. Sonny's piano is at its most New Orleans barrelhouse. It's largely conventional big band music, highly enjoyable, with the Arkestra still putting their unique stamp on all the tracks. "Reflections in Blue" is a great place to start for swing fans or those uninitiated to more discordant free jazz.

"Mayan Temples" (1986) catches the Arkestra at a rollicking live date, and at a whopping 80 minutes, the CD is a completely satisfying event. As is the case with most live Arkestra recordings of the period, "Mayan Temples" is more free than the studio recordings, and quickly warms into a Sun Ra classic, with the final two-thirds of the CD being one of the most exhilarating stretches in his entire catalog. Highly recommended.

Probably the best release of the era - and possibly of his career - is "Somewhere Else" Recorded in 1988/89 and released in 1993, "Somewhere Else", has Ra and the Arkestra at the height of their powers, producing a masterpiece which sums up their final period. Although the music swings, this is hardly your grandfather's big band music. The album retains an unsettled edge throughout, and even throws in a couple of collective improvisations for good measure. Once again the music is steeped in yet another twist on the pan-African tropical grooves that provide a whimsical lift to his best music. The centerpiece is Love in Outer Space, eight minutes of glorious mambo majesty. Highly recommended and comes close to catching the elusive protoypical sound of Sun Ra.

In his last decade, Sun Ra finally began to receive wider audience recognition. The Arkestra had more gigs than they could handle, with a very heavy touring schedule in America and Europe. That Sun Ra toured up to six months before his death in May of 1993 at the age of 79, and that he continued to create excellent music right up to the end is truly amazing.

In the subsequent years after his death, the musical legacy of Sun Ra and his Arkestra continues to be sorted out. More of the long out of print recordings are becoming available, some, which probably shouldn't be put out. Increasingly, as young artists and fans seek musical avenues beyond alternative/indie rock into the avant-garde and experimental, they are discovering Sun Ra as an inspiration and source of immense listening pleasure. John Szwed wrote an excellent book, "Space Is the Place", on the life and music of Sun Ra. Even the old jazz guard finally give him his due critical distinction and continue to re-evaluate and elevate his standing in the field of jazz giants. In the end, what's most important, is that Sun Ra left us with a nearly overwhelming treasure trove of recordings, and a philosophy that adventurous music can free the mind and fuel the spirit.

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