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The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Streetcorner Leaflets
From the Arkestra to his experiments with synthesizers, Sun Ra was one of the most inventive jazz musicians in history. Yet until now, there has not been a collection of his earliest writings that reveal the beginnings of his work as philosopher, mystic, and Afro-Futurist. This new volume unveils over forty newly discovered typewritten broadsheets on which Sun Ra expounded his wholly unique philosophical message.
While in Chicago during the mid-1950s, Sun Ra preached on street corners and occasionally created scripts to accompany his lectures—intricate texts that invoke science fiction, Biblical prophecy, etymology, and black nationalism. Until this point, the only broadsheet known to exist was one given to John Coltrane in 1956. These newly unearthed writings attest to the provocative brilliance that inspired Coltrane. Sun Ra annotated many of them by hand, and together the sheets reveal fascinating new aspects of his worldview.
The Wisdom of Sun Ra is an invaluable compendium of writings by one of the most intriguing and influential jazz figures of the century.
While in Chicago during the mid-1950s, Sun Ra preached on street corners and occasionally created scripts to accompany his lectures—intricate texts that invoke science fiction, Biblical prophecy, etymology, and black nationalism. Until this point, the only broadsheet known to exist was one given to John Coltrane in 1956. These newly unearthed writings attest to the provocative brilliance that inspired Coltrane. Sun Ra annotated many of them by hand, and together the sheets reveal fascinating new aspects of his worldview.
The Wisdom of Sun Ra is an invaluable compendium of writings by one of the most intriguing and influential jazz figures of the century.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
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About the author
Sun Ra
12 books47 followersLe Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific output, and theatrical performances. For much of his career, Ra led "The Arkestra," an ensemble with an ever-changing name and flexible line-up.
Born and raised in Alabama, Blount became involved in the Chicago jazz scene during the late 1940s. He soon abandoned his birth name, taking the name Le Sony'r Ra, shortened to Sun Ra (after Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun). Claiming to be an alien from Saturn on a mission to preach peace, he developed a mythical persona and an idiosyncratic credo that made him a pioneer of Afrofuturism. Throughout his life he denied ties to his prior identity, saying "Any name that I use other than Ra is a pseudonym."
His widely eclectic and avant-garde music echoed the entire history of jazz, from ragtime and early New Orleans hot jazz, to swing music, bebop, free jazz and fusion. His compositions ranged from keyboard solos to works for big bands of over 30 musicians, along with electronic excursions, songs, chants, percussion pieces, and anthems. From the mid-1950s until his death, Ra led the musical collective The Arkestra (which featured artists such as Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and June Tyson throughout its various iterations). Its performances often included dancers and musicians dressed in elaborate, futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egyptian attire and the Space Age. (Following Ra's illness-forced retirement in 1992, the band remained active as The Sun Ra Arkestra, and, as of 2018, continues performing under the leadership of veteran Ra sideman Marshall Allen.)
Though his mainstream success was limited, Sun Ra was a prolific recording artist and frequent live performer, and remained influential throughout his life for his music and persona. He is now widely considered an innovator; among his distinctions are his pioneering work in free improvisation and modal jazz and his early use of electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Over the course of his career, he recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century
Born and raised in Alabama, Blount became involved in the Chicago jazz scene during the late 1940s. He soon abandoned his birth name, taking the name Le Sony'r Ra, shortened to Sun Ra (after Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun). Claiming to be an alien from Saturn on a mission to preach peace, he developed a mythical persona and an idiosyncratic credo that made him a pioneer of Afrofuturism. Throughout his life he denied ties to his prior identity, saying "Any name that I use other than Ra is a pseudonym."
His widely eclectic and avant-garde music echoed the entire history of jazz, from ragtime and early New Orleans hot jazz, to swing music, bebop, free jazz and fusion. His compositions ranged from keyboard solos to works for big bands of over 30 musicians, along with electronic excursions, songs, chants, percussion pieces, and anthems. From the mid-1950s until his death, Ra led the musical collective The Arkestra (which featured artists such as Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and June Tyson throughout its various iterations). Its performances often included dancers and musicians dressed in elaborate, futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egyptian attire and the Space Age. (Following Ra's illness-forced retirement in 1992, the band remained active as The Sun Ra Arkestra, and, as of 2018, continues performing under the leadership of veteran Ra sideman Marshall Allen.)
Though his mainstream success was limited, Sun Ra was a prolific recording artist and frequent live performer, and remained influential throughout his life for his music and persona. He is now widely considered an innovator; among his distinctions are his pioneering work in free improvisation and modal jazz and his early use of electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Over the course of his career, he recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, making him one of the most prolific recording artists of the 20th century
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 20, 2024
In ‘Space is the Place: The Life and Times of Sun Ra’, John Szwed comments that “in large part the difficulty in understanding Sun Ra was the result of him being edited and abbreviated, inaccurately transcribed, or poorly translated.”
What a treasure trove, then, this book. John Corbett explains in the introduction how, in 2000, in a folder marked ‘One of Everything’, the original manuscripts for 46 of Sun Ra’s broadsheets were discovered on Chicago’s South Side, “just barely salvaged from being destroyed”.
They offer an amazing, sometimes shocking, view into the uncut early investigations of Sun Ra, his imaginative and angry reinterpretations of scripture, his scintillating and absurd etymologies, his beloved equations, his powerful analysis of racial epithets and black vernacularisms, and a few intimations of his later preoccupation with space.
This book solely consists of facsimile reproductions, complete with Sun Ra’s marginal handwritten notes. In addition, transcriptions of the texts retain the character of the pages in terms of their 'eccentric' punctuation and 'emphatic' use of capitalisation (to put it mildly).
As Corbett concludes: “These edicts are raw Ra, hardcore missives to a crumbling world, a bundle of ransom notes from the creator of the universe, delayed in transit, but delivered at long last.”
What a treasure trove, then, this book. John Corbett explains in the introduction how, in 2000, in a folder marked ‘One of Everything’, the original manuscripts for 46 of Sun Ra’s broadsheets were discovered on Chicago’s South Side, “just barely salvaged from being destroyed”.
They offer an amazing, sometimes shocking, view into the uncut early investigations of Sun Ra, his imaginative and angry reinterpretations of scripture, his scintillating and absurd etymologies, his beloved equations, his powerful analysis of racial epithets and black vernacularisms, and a few intimations of his later preoccupation with space.
This book solely consists of facsimile reproductions, complete with Sun Ra’s marginal handwritten notes. In addition, transcriptions of the texts retain the character of the pages in terms of their 'eccentric' punctuation and 'emphatic' use of capitalisation (to put it mildly).
As Corbett concludes: “These edicts are raw Ra, hardcore missives to a crumbling world, a bundle of ransom notes from the creator of the universe, delayed in transit, but delivered at long last.”
December 29, 2021
This is a definite read if you are a fan of Sun Ra.
This is a great find of his early thinkings. His music is so prolific and avante garde. I do think that he does not get the respect in the jazz community that he deserves.
This book changes the tone/turn/edge that his music has/had. While he is considered as a space musician, these writings are mostly Earth based. He has an unusual take on the Bible. which is the crux of his writings. I do not agree with most of his conclusions, but they do cause me to think. I really wish that his ideas would have had a wider impact. A lot of his writings are very spot on and relevant. His particulars are what have issues.
All that being said, listen to his music; best jazz.
This is a great find of his early thinkings. His music is so prolific and avante garde. I do think that he does not get the respect in the jazz community that he deserves.
This book changes the tone/turn/edge that his music has/had. While he is considered as a space musician, these writings are mostly Earth based. He has an unusual take on the Bible. which is the crux of his writings. I do not agree with most of his conclusions, but they do cause me to think. I really wish that his ideas would have had a wider impact. A lot of his writings are very spot on and relevant. His particulars are what have issues.
All that being said, listen to his music; best jazz.
Read
April 22, 2016“THE DEAD SCRIPTURES IS A TESTAMENT OF WRATH AND SHAME, THE LIVING SCRIPTURES IS NARCISSUS LOOKING INTO THE PAST… A MIRROR EVER REFLECTING NARCISSUS. NARCISSUS IS THE ROOT AND OFFSPRING OF DAVID. PRIDE AND THE DEVIL ARE TWINS.. NARCISSUS LOOKING IN HIS MIRROR. SLEEPING THE SPIRIT SLEEP, DREAMING THE WORLD HE CREATED IS THE TRUE WORLD. AWAKE NARCISSUS! AWAKE NARCISSUS! FALSE PRIDE IS MYSTERY… FALSE PRIDE IS THE UNDOING OF THE PRINCE. THE PRINCE IS THE PRODIGAL SON. HE IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE FATHER. THOUGH THROUGH A MIRROR THE WORLD LOOKS DARKLY AND SEES THE REFLECTION OF THE TRUE IT KNOWS IT NOT.. THE DARK LIGHT IS IN THE MIDST OF NIGHT……” p. 102
December 14, 2007
A wonderfully prepared, designed, and printed collection of Sun Ra's "philosophical" tracts, this book provides an insight into the mind and minutiae of the man who decided he was from Saturn rather than be from Birmingham --- insight you can't get anywhere else. The philosophy is a little shaky throughout, but the reproduction is beautiful. And for anyone who's interested in the nexus of civil-rights rhetoric, black power, Afro-futurism, and spirituality in experimental jazz, this book is a must.
October 31, 2007
new interpretation of biblical text...wonderfully refreshing...this guy was a genius!!!
June 12, 2023
This book is for fans of Herman Poole Blount/ The Sun Ra.
While The Sun Ra is best known for having been one of the pioneers of experimental jazz, he was also a writer. While the jazz albums that the Sun Ra Arkestra recorded are very famous, the pamphlets and poems that he wrote are still not widely known. As far as I know, the pamphlets and poems that he wrote were never published during his lifetime, all of his written works were published posthumously.
And much like the music that he'd composed, the pamphlets and the poems that he'd written are not easy to describe or classify.
The pamphlets and poems that he'd written during the 1950's and the 1960's defy any categorisation or classification: basically the pamphlets and the poems which are reprinted in this book are his efforts at explaining his views about the world that he was living in- his own blend of space based philosophy, for lack of any other way to describe his writings. When you read this collection, it's clear that he'd not intended these writings to be interpreted literally, the purpose was to inspire some very out- of- the- box style thinking in the minds of everyone who takes the time to read this. And, assuming that was his original intention when he'd written the pamphlets and the poems that are included in this book, his collective writings do succeed in accomplishing this objective.
Much like the experimental jazz compositions that he'd written, his wording style does flow gracefully.
I'm assuming that most of the people who will purchase this book will be doing so because we're fans of The Sun Ra's music. While most of the compositions that The Sun Ra had composed throughout the course of his career were instrumentals, some of the songs that he'd written do have lyrics. After reading The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Street Corner Leaflets closely, I think that if you read some of the pamphlets and poems that he'd written during the 1950's and the 1960's closely, you can find hints that some of the pamphlets and the poems which are printed in this book were the preliminary writings which would later become the inspiration for some of the lyrics which would later be included in the songs which he'd written which do include lyrics.
While The Sun Ra is best known for having been one of the pioneers of experimental jazz, he was also a writer. While the jazz albums that the Sun Ra Arkestra recorded are very famous, the pamphlets and poems that he wrote are still not widely known. As far as I know, the pamphlets and poems that he wrote were never published during his lifetime, all of his written works were published posthumously.
And much like the music that he'd composed, the pamphlets and the poems that he'd written are not easy to describe or classify.
The pamphlets and poems that he'd written during the 1950's and the 1960's defy any categorisation or classification: basically the pamphlets and the poems which are reprinted in this book are his efforts at explaining his views about the world that he was living in- his own blend of space based philosophy, for lack of any other way to describe his writings. When you read this collection, it's clear that he'd not intended these writings to be interpreted literally, the purpose was to inspire some very out- of- the- box style thinking in the minds of everyone who takes the time to read this. And, assuming that was his original intention when he'd written the pamphlets and the poems that are included in this book, his collective writings do succeed in accomplishing this objective.
Much like the experimental jazz compositions that he'd written, his wording style does flow gracefully.
I'm assuming that most of the people who will purchase this book will be doing so because we're fans of The Sun Ra's music. While most of the compositions that The Sun Ra had composed throughout the course of his career were instrumentals, some of the songs that he'd written do have lyrics. After reading The Wisdom of Sun Ra: Sun Ra's Polemical Broadsheets and Street Corner Leaflets closely, I think that if you read some of the pamphlets and poems that he'd written during the 1950's and the 1960's closely, you can find hints that some of the pamphlets and the poems which are printed in this book were the preliminary writings which would later become the inspiration for some of the lyrics which would later be included in the songs which he'd written which do include lyrics.
November 3, 2014
Honestly, I didn't read all of the broadsheets and leaflets, because it is pretty intense stuff. I prefer Sun Ra's records to this. I think he found the proper medium for his message.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews