Tell Me About... Sun Ra

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Hofstadter
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Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by Hofstadter »

Okay I have a lot of stuff that I am backed up on for new listening, and even more that I am backed up on for writing about on here (most importantly m b v and also the Pretty Things stuff sent to me courtesy of redcloud), but in lieu of the miles thread (which hopefully I can contribute to when I get some time...really its just been me being lazy lately), how bout a sun ra/free jazz thread? Things I have been meaning to get into for a while, but yeah don't really have any idea where to start because there is just sooooo much material. The only other name i really know is Pharaoh Sanders.

Free jazz is the type their thing that I see musicians I like reference frequently and I definitely have a very defined idea/conception/aural image of the sound, but no real/concrete knowledge.

Hopefully somebody has it in them to make as awesome a post as Bza's in the Miles thread!
Hofstadter
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by Hofstadter »

Also, mr. angelsighs, hope you don't mind me posting this thread, just figured it might be cool to get the dialogue going on both fronts.
angelsighs
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by angelsighs »

no probs I think this thread will be very interesting!

on the Sun Ra front I got 'Lanquidity' recently which I can highly recommend. the drums are big, funky and groovy (I just thought the other day, definitely more Buddy Miles than Mitch Mitchell :) ) with all the other instruments floating and skimming on top.. it really takes me to another world. I know space is the think with Sun Ra but it makes me think more of being underwater...
Jasonsmith
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by Jasonsmith »

There's a good BBC4 documentary here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZHzpAYVIk
redcloud
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by redcloud »

I have one album by Sun Ra called 'Out There A Minute'. It is a compilation of hand selected tracks (by the man himself) of rare Arkestra recordings from the late 60's. It's pretty out there but well worth hearing. "Free form" jazz is an apt description as it follows abstract time signatures and weaves in and out of space. BZA mentioned Beefheart in his Miles reply....this Sun Ra album is definitely the space jazz equivalent of 'Trout Mask Replica' meets Hawkwind.

Sun Ra had a big influence on MC5 too. "Starship" from KOTJ probably being the best known example but also live versions of tunes that didn't make the first LP often descended into free form exploratory freakout. The Sinclair endorsed "Power Trip" album has some good examples on it.
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

ah

see, alot of Sun Ra i wouldnt class as 'Free' , alot of it seems specifically orchestrated, not that i dont love him mind, especially like his transitional late 50's early 60's stuff.
i dont know much about free jazz but i know i love it and i'm listening to as much of it as i can. i love the energy of it...on a good day/ session you can really hear each musician inspiring each other to climb higher.

wading through a lot of Brotzmann at the mo.... Chicago Tentet 3 nights in Oslo is great.

try this : Where is Brooklyn? Don Cherry and Pharoah Sanders

and um John Coltrane Live in Japan Box...jap import.
angelsighs
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by angelsighs »

was trying to track down Brotzmann's Machine Gun but it's very much out of print- had a listen on youtube though and it sounds properly evil and violent! 8)

does anyone know where I can buy any of the Treader releases nowadays too? I think they may be out of print too.
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

help me.

free jazz is taking over my life.
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

angelsighs wrote:was trying to track down Brotzmann's Machine Gun but it's very much out of print- had a listen on youtube though and it sounds properly evil and violent! 8)

does anyone know where I can buy any of the Treader releases nowadays too? I think they may be out of print too.
yes. this is the attraction the violence and chaos.

theres quite a lot of good contemporary stuff, especially on the ECM label, incorporating electronics and field recordings blah blah
redcloud
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by redcloud »

spunder wrote:ah
see, alot of Sun Ra i wouldnt class as 'Free' , alot of it seems specifically orchestrated,
I guess it depends on your definition of "free". The stuff I have is late 60's...definitely much more abstract and less structured. "Free" is a good term to describe it.
purespace
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by purespace »

Jasonsmith wrote:There's a good BBC4 documentary here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZHzpAYVIk
that was great, thanks for sharing the link.
I think I feel it coming on
Jasonsmith
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by Jasonsmith »

[quote="angelsighs"]was trying to track down Brotzmann's Machine Gun but it's very much out of print- had a listen on youtube though and it sounds properly evil and violent! 8)

Machine Gun recorded on 24 March 1968 in Frankfurt is on the B-side of the "Fuck de Boere" CD which seems to be pretty freely available.
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

redcloud wrote:
spunder wrote:ah
see, alot of Sun Ra i wouldnt class as 'Free' , alot of it seems specifically orchestrated,
I guess it depends on your definition of "free". The stuff I have is late 60's...definitely much more abstract and less structured. "Free" is a good term to describe it.
fair enough...i dont have much after Heliocentric Worlds....what would you recommend?
davedecay
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by davedecay »

here's something offbeat...

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/02/s ... _the_.html

In 1966, a toy company in Newark, New Jersey released a children's record called Batman and Robin to cash in on the popular Adam West TV series of the same name. The music on the LP was credited to "The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale," but in fact the band was one of the greatest uncredited session combos of all time, including the core of Sun Ra's Arkestra and Al Kooper's Blues Project. To keep the music licensing fees to a minimum, all the tracks were based on public domain items like Chopin's Polonaise Op. 53, the horn theme from Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and the love theme from Romeo and Juliet, and generic rock riffs. It's all instrumental, with the exception of Robin's Theme, featuring an uncredited vocalist who I hope some reader will be able identify.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2WoaNRjt8
Hofstadter
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by Hofstadter »

This is all VERY cool - I'm going to watch the doc. tomorrow night, can't wait!

I was talking to my father, we normally don't talk much about music stuff (he has pretty weird taste: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Talking Heads, Showtunes, Donna Summer, Eminem and Pit Bull would some it up pretty well - his usual reaction to what's coming out of my room: "why are you listening to such monotonous stuff? Duh duh duh duh it doesn't do anything it's all so droney") but I mentioned I was going to find some Sun Ra stuff because I know he was into some jazz stuff back in his youth and it actually became a pretty cool conversation.

He told me about going to see Sun Ra a lot at Slug's Saloon in the far east at the end of high school/start of college around 66/67 (also told me a pretty cool story about shakin' Coltrane's hand, but that's for another time... apparently it was really big...). Always good to talk to your parents about stuff. Turns out he was way into the Arkestra and also Pharoah Sanders... he went off for like 15 minutes talking about Tauhid, never really heard him talk about music like that before (except for Dylan stuff really). Sounds like a pretty cool record, any of you guys like it? He was also raving about Impulse Records, apparently all of this stuff went through them?

Anyways, it was just cool to see a side of my dad I hadn't really seen before.
johnnyboy
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by johnnyboy »

Hofstadter wrote:.. he went off for like 15 minutes talking about Tauhid, never really heard him talk about music like that before (except for Dylan stuff really). Sounds like a pretty cool record, any of you guys like it? He was also raving about Impulse Records, apparently all of this stuff went through them?.
I've got Tauhid. It's a great record, well worth checking out or buying. It's one I'd play when in a specific mood as it can be a maelstrom of squawking and skronking at times. There's an absolutely beautiful short interlude type track on it called Japan.

Impulse, yeah, it's the American Jazz label. Check some of their cool album covers here http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/impulse.htm. Really nice.

I need to get some Sun Ra in my life I think. Saw this 3 cd set in Rough Trade earlier this week. http://www.nohitrecords.co.uk/product_i ... 1e0c4474c7 Maybe someone with more knowledge can give it the thumbs up or thumbs down?
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

^ i think that set is the start of a big archival campaign (?), its very early stuff
i started with 'the futuristic sounds of Sun Ra' which is amazing, sounds prehistoric. i have lots from this period, 'nubians of Plutonia' , 'angels and demons at play', 'other planes of out there' etc upto 'heliocentric worlds'.... 'magic city' is also excellent.

just ordered these beauties which i am very much looking forward to hearing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disco-3000-Comp ... 35&sr=1-12

http://www.amazon.co.uk/College-Tour-Vo ... 74&sr=1-32

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Featuring-Pharo ... 24&sr=1-77
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

yeah, Impulse Records pushed lots of 'free jazz' under the 'New Thing' banner.....they were responsible for Coltranes output after he left Atlantic.
spunder
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by spunder »

Eddie Gales Ghetto Music....

this is also awesome btw....http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/1188
JakeCardigan
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Re: Tell Me About... Sun Ra

Post by JakeCardigan »

Saw this today, might be of interest http://www.factmag.com/2013/03/11/downl ... s-and-all/
[url]http://adventuresinthesoundscape.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.mixcloud.com/adventuresinthesoundscape/[/url]
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