⇒ Download Space Is The Place The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F Szwed 9780306808555 Books

Space Is The Place The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F Szwed 9780306808555 Books

Download As PDF : Space Is The Place The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F Szwed 9780306808555 Books

Space Is The Place The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F Szwed 9780306808555 Books

I've not had an easy year. Extreme stress, trauma, working constantly, moving back and forth across the country, and repairing several addictions. It made me put down my guitar, my synthesizer, microphones. I picked up this book out of curiosity, having listened to compilations of the Arkestra's recordings over the years and seeing time and again my favorite musicians cite Sun Ra as a major influence. I started reading through it and fell in love with music itself all over again, reconnecting with that cosmic spiritual power it has over my being. I've started writing and composing feverishly again, putting aside anything that gets in the way of the music. As far as the book goes, it does a great job painting the scene with little details and keeping in mind the historical context. Szwed explicates some of the more mystifying ideas and places them in a social and racial context. It's safe to say I now 'get' Sun Ra's mantra 'Space Is The Place': the vastness of the cosmos, the possibilities for new feelings, new sounds, is where humanity needs to look to in order to grow and exceed the bounds of its manifold limitations. This book in no way proselytizes Sun Ra's ideology but spells it out for the curious in the context of his life story. Highly recommended.


Tags : Space Is The Place: The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra [John F. Szwed] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div>Sun Ra, a.k.a. Herman Poole Sonny Blount (1914–1993), has been hailed as one of the great big-band leaders,John F. Szwed,Space Is The Place: The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra,Da Capo Press,0306808552,Jazz musicians - United States - Biography,Jazz musicians;United States;Biography.,Sun Ra,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cultural, Ethnic & Regional General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Music,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography & AutobiographyCultural, Ethnic & Regional - General,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Composers & Musicians - General,Cultural Heritage,Genres & Styles - Jazz,Individual composers & musicians, specific bands & groups,Jazz musicians,MUSIC Genres & Styles Jazz,Music General,MusicGenres & Styles - Jazz,MusicHistory & Criticism - General,United States

Space Is The Place The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F Szwed 9780306808555 Books Reviews

We learn of Ra's life & of Birmingham & Chicago. I haven't finished it yet but I believe we might read all books about Ra. He seemed to read every book he could find.
There.'s never been anyone like Sun Ra, a visionary musician, activist and theorist who rose from obscurity and the African-American jazz world of the 1940/ to international recognition, amusement and befuddlement. Ra, born Herman Blount in Alabama, believed he was not of this earth, and who would dispute him? For almost 50 years, he led an ensemble of individualistic instrumentalists, singer June Tyson, dancers, costumers and filmmakers in explorations of an alternative to conventions about human circumstances. John Szwed details his life with warmth and insight into Ra, his music and his collaborations. He does not so much demystify his subject as depict him clearly as a rare actor on a stage that the rest of us take for grant d as "reality." Well-written and an entertaining biography.
Great book. Very well researched and written. And... it's Sun Ra.
Sun Ra has remained one of the most misunderstood musicians of our time. And in the case of many music geniuses, Sun Ra would keep the critics and fans at arm's length, but welcome musicians into his world of philosophy and art.

Author John F. Szwed does an almost impossible task of peeling of the layers of myth and disinformation to present the real life, struggles and triumphs of Sun Ra. Szwed brilliantly weaves through the situations which shaped his life while growing up in Birmingham, Ala., the highs and exteme lows in the jazz world of Chicago and New York City & how persistence finally yielded an understanding - on various levels - from fans who also wanted to challenge the barriers erected in the music industry.

The philosophy of Sun Ra is explained and Szwed shows how it influenced every facet of his life on and off stage. I strongly believe Szwed ends any debate on how Sun Ra lived his life and what he demanded from those around him.

This must have been a very difficult undertaking for Szwed, but his outstanding research and balanced reporting yields a fantastic biography on a person we can continue to learn from.
The author of this book was most successful in conveying the feeling of inspiration which fuels the artistry in Sun Ra's music. He documented Sun Ra's life in a very multi-dimensional way. I have listened to about 8 of Sun Ra's recordings so far. This has been over about a ten year period. I am not a musician, so I don't relate to Sun Ra's music in that way. I do relate to it in terms of the spiritual inspiration and information by intuiting the sounds that arise when he transmits his vision of the cosmos. This whole book was a very delectable journey for me into the realms of my own past as Sun Ra's journey unfolded during some of those same years. We are all the recipients of his wisdom and the splendid variety of sounds he left as his legacy. This book is a welcome testament to his influence on the planet. After reading this book it was apparent to me that Sun Ra, besides being a genius of a musician and hands down the most creative synthesizer player I've ever heard, was also a spiritual trailblazer who channeled the higher aspects of his being in a most marvelous and inspirational way.
Space Is The Place is John F. Szwed's remarkably well-researched biography of Sun Ra. Speaking as a professional jazz musician, I appreciated the compelling insights into the creative processes behind Sun Ra's innovations in sound. The book also presents a thorough exposition of Sun Ra's life philosophy, one that was informed by works stretching back thousands of years. Sun Ra was so disciplined and principled, he served time and suffered contempt from the community and his family for being a conscientious objector during the Second World War. Sun Ra was truly a unique individual, and John Szwed's book is as unique as its subject.
I've not had an easy year. Extreme stress, trauma, working constantly, moving back and forth across the country, and repairing several addictions. It made me put down my guitar, my synthesizer, microphones. I picked up this book out of curiosity, having listened to compilations of the Arkestra's recordings over the years and seeing time and again my favorite musicians cite Sun Ra as a major influence. I started reading through it and fell in love with music itself all over again, reconnecting with that cosmic spiritual power it has over my being. I've started writing and composing feverishly again, putting aside anything that gets in the way of the music. As far as the book goes, it does a great job painting the scene with little details and keeping in mind the historical context. Szwed explicates some of the more mystifying ideas and places them in a social and racial context. It's safe to say I now 'get' Sun Ra's mantra 'Space Is The Place' the vastness of the cosmos, the possibilities for new feelings, new sounds, is where humanity needs to look to in order to grow and exceed the bounds of its manifold limitations. This book in no way proselytizes Sun Ra's ideology but spells it out for the curious in the context of his life story. Highly recommended.