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.

Early life

Very little is known about his early life; much of it was obscured by Sun Ra himself. He even went so far as to deny his birth name was "Herman Blount."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He demonstrated an early talent for piano, studying both performance and arrangements in his youth. Blount played professionally as early as 1932, touring throughout the southern and midwestern United States with various blues, jazz and R&B performers. Blount joined a musicians' union in 1934, and relocated to Chicago, Illinois at about that time. He was intermittently leading his own groups by the early 1940s.

Related Topics:
Arrangements - 1932 - Blues - Jazz - R&B - Union - Chicago, Illinois

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sun Ra's piano technique, "ranged across a variety of influences, including blues, Count Basie's bounce, Thelonious Monk's dissonance and a degree of European impressionism." http://www.icebergradio.com/artist/18893/sun_ra.html.

Related Topics:
Blues - Count Basie - Thelonious Monk - Impressionism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blount was drafted during World War 2 (October, 1942). He filed as a conscientious objector, noting both his religious objections to war, and a chronic hernia. After serving five weeks in jail, Blount was transferred to a Civilian Public Service Camp in Pennsylvania. There, in March, 1943 he was declared physically unable to serve due to his hernia http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~moudry/camp1.htm. Though he never divulged details, Blount reported he had been treated poorly while in jail.

Related Topics:
Drafted - World War 2 - Conscientious objector - War - Hernia - Pennsylvania - 1943

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His early musical career included stints as an arranger and performer with Wynonie Harris and Fletcher Henderson, both about 1946. Sun Ra's arrangements for Henderson initially showed a degree of bebop influence, but the band members resisted the new music, despite Henderson's encouragement.

Related Topics:
Arranger - Wynonie Harris - Fletcher Henderson - Bebop

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1948, Sun Ra performed briefly in a trio with Coleman Hawkins and Stuff Smith, both preeminent swing-era musicians.

Related Topics:
Coleman Hawkins - Stuff Smith - Swing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sun Ra's speech and mannerisms were seen by some as effeminate, and there was speculation that he was homosexual. Others, however, discounted such ideas, noting that Sun Ra seemed to have no interest in any sort of romantic or sexual relationships. When asked directly why he had never married, Sun Ra paraphrased the Gospel of St. Matthew, stating, "They neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels that shine forth like the sun."

Related Topics:
Homosexual - Gospel of St. Matthew - Marriage - Angels

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sun Ra's musical development can be loosely categorized into three periods: the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s and later.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~