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.

Whither Ambient?

Whither Ambient? – Last.fm (2008): an essay on my quest to find true electronic ambience that is present in the current moment and now replayed shadows from some past space and time. It turned out to be harder to find than I thought, although admittedly I had added some tough criteria, not the least of which is that the sound should "Be not a cancer on this Earth. Leave room for nature!"

"Considering the roots of Electronic in Cage ... I do find it surprising that its so hard to find any records just wanting to be records."

and even more surprising still that I could find so few Cage recordings!

Nelson Symonds (1933-2008)

Canadian Guitar Legend Nelson Symonds (1933-2008):



"once you get past the sax player, THIS is chord chord soloing that Wes must have heard!"

Ted Moses & the Mother Necessity Big Band (CBC LM 459 1978)

Only a teaser of a sampler found on an ebay auction, but nonetheless proof that I didn't dream the Mother Necessity Jazz Workshop -- a comment arrived today on Howard Cable's blog, from Harvey Kogen, the tenor player from this LP, corroborating my experience and hinting at the existence of this LP.


Now all I need is a digital source for the rest of the sound!