Sun Ra

Sun Ra (May 22, 1914–May 30, 1993) was an innovative jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, who came to be known as much for preaching his bizarre "cosmic philosophy" as for his phenomenal musical compositions and performances.

1970s and later

Starting with concerts in France, Germany and the UK in 1970, the Arkestra began to find opportunities for working further afield, playing to audiences who had had hitherto known the music only through the records.

Related Topics:
France - Germany - UK - 1970

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In 1971, Sun Ra was artist-in-residence at UC Berkeley, in Berkeley, California. He taught a course called "The Black Man In The Cosmos." Rather few students enrolled, but the classes were often full of curious persons from the surrounding community. One half-hour of each class was devoted to a lecture, the other half-hour to an Arkestra performance or Sun Ra keyboard solo. Reading lists included the works of Madame Blavatsky and Henry Dumas, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons, The Book of Oahspe and assorted volumes concerning Egyptian hieroglyphs, African American folklore and other topics.

Related Topics:
1971 - UC Berkeley - Berkeley, California - Madame Blavatsky - Henry Dumas - Egyptian Book of the Dead - Alexander Hislop - The Two Babylons - The Book of Oahspe - Egyptian hieroglyph - African American - Folklore

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In 1971, Sun Ra fulfilled a long-standing desire by performing with the Arkestra at ancient Egyptian pyramids. http://www.sinewaves.it/sunra.htm

Related Topics:
1971 - Egyptian pyramids

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During their third period, beginning in the 1970s and onward, Sun Ra and the Arkestra settled down into a relatively conventional sound, often incorporating swing standards, though their records and concerts were still highly eclectic and energetic. Ra was explicitly asserting a continuity with the ignored jazz tradition: "They tried to fool you, now I got to school you, about jazz, all about jazz" he rapped, framing the inclusion of pieces by Fletcher Henderson, Jelly Roll Morton, etc. The spectacle of the Arkestra became a familiar feature on the international jazz festival circuit, which provided a useful financial support structure for the Arkestra.

Related Topics:
1970s - Swing - Fletcher Henderson - Jelly Roll Morton

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Ra took a liking to the films of Walt Disney. He incorporated smatterings of Disney's musical numbers into many of his performances from then on. In the late 1980s the Arkestra even performed a concert at Walt Disney World. The Arkestra's version of "Pink Elephants on Parade" is available on Stay Awake, a compilation of Disney tunes by many artists.

Related Topics:
Walt Disney - 1980s - Walt Disney World

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A number of Sun Ra's 1970s concerts are available on CD, but none have received a wide release in comparison to his earlier music. The album Atlantis can be considered the landmark that led into his 1970s era.

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On May 20, 1978, Sun Ra and the Arkestra appeared on Saturday Night Live.

Related Topics:
May 20 - 1978 - Saturday Night Live

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Even after a stroke in the late 1980s, Sun Ra kept composing, performing and leading the Arkestra. Sonic Youth opened a few concerts for Sun Ra shortly before his death on May 30, 1993.

Related Topics:
Stroke - Sonic Youth - May 30 - 1993

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