Ra Lanquidity

Of all the jazz musicians, Sun Ra was probably the most controversial. He did not make it easy for people to take him seriously, for he surrounded his adventurous music with costumes and mythology that both looked backward toward ancient Egypt and forward into science fiction. In addition, Ra documented his music in very erratic fashion on his Saturn label, generally not listing recording dates and giving inaccurate personnel information, so one could not really tell how advanced some of his innovations were. (AM)

My Sun Ra experience was as an impressionable 18 year old kid hearing him on the radio on the way home from school. I heard this DJ play his music. It happens to be that DJ worked at the record store I used to go to. I pulled into the store and asked my other friend about our mutual friend who moonlights as a DJ. My friend told me that he has been DJing for years and I should take notes on what he plays because that is the stuff I should be buying. This friend who was a DJ played all kinds of stuff that I now admire or listen to. He was a big fan of Fela Kuti and all the time he would play his music on his show. My friend would play stuff I would need to have in my collection.



The next time I saw my friend who did the radio show I asked him about all the stuff he played. He was surprised that there was a listener. He said when he does his show he usally gets a college kid call and ask for something stupid or he gets someone from the public asking what crap is he playing. My friend could not remember everything he played, but he went over to a unique section at the record store called Out To Lunch. He told me that this is the area where he gets most of his music. In this section were artist like John Zorn, Magma, Fela Kuti, Anthony Braxton, and one Sun Ra. He told me that he wanted to grab a large group of artists from this section because this is the music he likes. He mentioned to me that If I like that stuff then I should check out his band. He gave me a list of dates and places. Two other people I knew played with him and told me that the band is a mix of Fusion, World, Experimental, Rock and Soundtrack music. The lineup had two keyboard players, two drummers, Upright or Electric Bass, Guitar, and once in a while a horn. It was as promised a really great show.

The next time I saw him he was grateful for me coming to see him and told me to listen to his show because he is going to be playing a lot more Sun Ra. The reason was simple he told me that the next time he was going to do a show it fell on Sun Ra's birthday. The music on his show was everything I could dream of for great music and the day he did Sun Ra was a great introduction to a great musician. That day he stuck to a later period of Sun Ra. Most of the music as he told the audience listening was from 1970-1990. It was some of the most interesting choices of music I ever heard.



One day my friend played some more some more Sun Ra from that time period and this time it struck a thought. I need to buy some. I tried to find out what he played but he did not go on the air and tell us. I asked him about the music the next day and he told me that most of the Sun Ra he played was very out of print and hard to find. I asked him how I could get a copy and he nicely and politely told me that it was hard to get and told me hope for the best if they ever got issued. He did offer to make a me a few Sun Ra tapes and I did take him up on it. The music I heard of Sun Ra was great. He split up four 90 minute cassettes into decades. Each tape was nicely represented with a wealth of Sun Ra music. I asked him for the music he played that day and the only thing he could remember was an album called Lanquidity. It was the first stuff I really did hear of his music. The four tapes I got from my friend were only the tip of the iceberg. In the age of burned CD's and MP3's I am sure I would have a lot more at my disposal.

So out of the 100 plus albums Sun Ra put out it's hard to pick just one. Even harder is he self released some stuff too. Those get lost in the shuffle. Even the album I recommend Lanquidity an original copy sells for anywhere between $150 and $300. It is easy to get in re-issue form and the CD is easy to get as well. It is one of the three albums that Allmusic considers his best work. Try this one on for size. It's a good way to start your Sun Ra collection and I am sure that this will get you more curious. Enjoy!