The Cosmic-Myth Equations of Sun Ra

by

David A. Martinelli

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Sun Ra's Background, Overview of Stylistic Traits, and Important Arkestra Members
• Chapter 3: The Cosmic-Myth Equations of Sun Ra
• Chapter 4: Musical Manifestations of Sun Ra's Equations
  
• Conclusion
• Appendix: Discography
• References Cited

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Sun Ra is a composer, bandleader, and multi-keyboardist who has led his own big band, called the Arkestra, for nearly 35 years. Sun Ra is of African-American descent, born in Alabama, and has since lived in Chicago and New York, and is currently based in Philadelphia. Sun Ra and the Arkestra have released over one hundred records, both on small and medium-sized jazz labels as well as on Sun Ra's own label, Saturn. The music they play covers a very wide spectrum, but they are mainly associated with the jazz or improvised music idiom. Sun Ra has developed a complex, multi-leveled philosophy1, which incorporates many different elements (for example, ancient Egyptian concepts and outer space imagery), yet when looked on as a whole reveals an underlying unity of purpose.

How Do You Rehearse The Unknown?

Wayne Shorter On Jazz: "The six years I was with Miles, we never talked about music. We never had a rehearsal. Jazz shouldn't have any mandates. Jazz is not supposed to be something that's required to sound like jazz. For me, the word 'jazz' means, 'I dare you.' The effort to break out of something is worth more than getting an A in syncopation."

"This music, it's dealing with the unexpected. No one really knows how to deal with the unexpected. How do you rehearse the unknown?"

Libertango

So why would you want to put what you do on YouTube and give it away for free? You might want to ask Argentinia's Josefina Scaglione and how she got from Buenos Aries to be currently cast by Arthur Laurents as Maria in his latest production of West Side Story:


From the Wall Street Journal's article on January 9, 2009:

"She has this incredible, ineffable something," the director says. "She's trained as an opera singer, she's trained as a ballet dancer and she's trained as an actress. It's unbelievable in somebody that young."

This is the video that led to her discovery.

The Devil & Michael Cleveland

Wrath of the Grapevine: "Our Red-Horned Bogieman presented young Michael with the ancient Fiddle of Souls, strung with the strings of pity, of hope, of love, of joy, of death.

Not only was young Michael of Cleveland the only person in history to ever own this fiddle who did not have to give up his soul in exchange for it, but our unassuming lad was also the only person humble enough to wield such a mighty instrument safely."
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7jDm__47Gw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

There's Me And There's You

The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me And There's You: Matthew Herbert writes "In an age of such infinite and brilliant possibilities of technique, combined with the urgent politics of now, why have music and musicians lost the urge to challenge, investigate, invent and unite? Without the backbones of principle and enquiry, music is sounding more and more like the background to a non-stop Ford commercial"

"we, the undersigned, believe that music can still be a political force of note, and not just the soundtrack to over-consumption" -- if he can generalize that if-or-else to "healing force" (ie Yue) then I'm with him 100%

YouTube Symphony

YouTube - symphony's Channel: "Interested in joining the first-ever collaborative online orchestra? Professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments are welcome to audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). We have tools to help you learn the music, rehearse with the conductor, and upload your part for the collaborative video.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T_SryRAXuw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
And how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice and upload. Send us your talent video performance from a list of recommended pieces. Finalists will be chosen by a judging panel and YouTube users to travel to New York in April 2009, to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and play at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

The deadline for all video submissions is January 28, 2009."