Remembering Sun Ra, born on this day in 1914 (1914-1993).

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Sun Ra: Biography, Works, Influences, Legacy, and Musical Innovations

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Biography

Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993) was an avant-garde jazz composer, bandleader, pianist, and poet who became one of the most eccentric and visionary figures in 20th-century music. Claiming to be an alien from Saturn on a mission to heal humanity through sound, Sun Ra blended jazz, free improvisation, electronic experimentation, and Afrofuturist philosophy into a unique cosmic mythology.

• Early Life: Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he was a prodigious pianist and arranger, deeply influenced by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington.
• Name Change & Cosmic Identity: In the 1950s, he adopted the name Sun Ra (after the Egyptian sun god Ra) and declared himself a messenger from another planet.
• The Arkestra: Formed his ensemble, the “Arkestra” (later “Sun Ra Arkestra”), which became his lifelong musical vehicle.
• Chicago & New York Years: Moved to Chicago (mid-1950s), then New York (late 1960s), where his music grew increasingly experimental.
• Later Years: Settled in Philadelphia, continuing to perform and record until his death in 1993.

Major Works & Albums

Sun Ra recorded over 100 albums, ranging from swing to free jazz to electronic explorations. Key works include:

• Jazz in Silhouette (1959) – A mix of hard bop and early space-themed jazz.
• The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (1961) – Showcases his avant-garde leanings.
• The Magic City (1965) – A free jazz masterpiece, inspired by his vision of a lost Atlantis.
• Atlantis (1967) – Mythological themes with intense improvisation.
• Space Is the Place (1973) – Soundtrack to his Afrofuturist film; features his famous catchphrase: “Space is the place!”
• Lanquidity (1978) – A rare funk and fusion-influenced record.
• Sleeping Beauty (1979) – Cosmic jazz with lush arrangements.

Musical Style & Innovations

• Genre-Blending: Combined big band swing, bebop, free jazz, electronic music, and world rhythms.
• Early Synthesizer Pioneer: One of the first jazz musicians to use Moog synthesizers and electronic keyboards (from the late 1960s).
• Improvisation & Discipline: His Arkestra balanced wild free-jazz chaos with tight, rehearsed big-band arrangements.
• Afrofuturism: Merged ancient Egyptian cosmology, sci-fi imagery, and Black liberation themes into his music.
• Theatrical Performances: Concerts featured elaborate costumes, space chants, and ritualistic staging, making his shows a multimedia experience.

Influences

• Jazz Legends: Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk.
• Avant-Garde Composers: Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage.
• African & Eastern Music: Incorporated rhythms and scales from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
• Science Fiction & Mythology: Drew from UFO lore, Egyptian mysticism, and interstellar concepts.

Legacy

• Afrofuturism Pioneer: Predated and inspired artists like George Clinton (Parliament-Funkadelic), Janelle Monáe, and Flying Lotus.
• Free Jazz & Experimental Music: Influenced Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane (post-1965), and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
• Underground Cult Status: Though never mainstream, his work gained a devoted following, celebrated for its originality.
• Posthumous Recognition: The Sun Ra Arkestra, now led by Marshall Allen (age 100 as of 2024), continues performing his music worldwide.

Sun Ra was more than a musician—he was a philosopher, mystic, and sonic revolutionary. His music transcended jazz, creating a mythological universe where space, ancient history, and Black identity collided. Though often misunderstood in his time, he is now revered as one of the most innovative and enigmatic figures in modern music.

“If you find Earth boring, just the same old same thing, come on, sign up with Outer Space Employment Inc.” — Sun Ra

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Sun Ra Arkestra: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Sun Ra was a big-band innovator, a pioneer of recording and playing with electronics, a poet, a cosmic philosopher, a bandleader and a keyboard innovator who claimed to be from Saturn. Herman Poole Blount would have turned 100 in 2014 had he not left us more than 20 years ago. But his spirit lives on, and so does his long-running band.

On Halloween 2014, the Sun Ra Arkestra — complete with costumes inspired by Egyptian symbolism and science fiction — performed a rousing, out-of-this-world Tiny Desk Concert. The band was led by 91-year-old alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, who’s been with the Arkestra since the early 1950s. All these years later, no one makes soul-stirring, spaced-out jazz quite like the Arkestra.

SET LIST Along Came Ra/Zoom 0:23 Queer Notions 2:23 Angels And Demons At Play 8:17 Interplanetary Music 15:03

CREDITS
Producers: Bob Boilen, Mito Habe-Evans, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Susan Hale Thomas, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Ryan Kellman