oh, dr. sun ra.

[nofi]

http://www.openculture.com/2015/09/sun-ra-plays-a-music-therapy-gig-at-a-mental-hospital-inspires-patient-to-talk-for-the-first-time-in-years.html

[Granny Gremlin]

For a moment I confused Sun Ra with Sunn O))) and it was interesting how that totally changes the psychology of this (either way) wonderful turn of events.

[nofi]

sunn o would produce even more catatonics.

[Alanko]

Callin' Planet Earth! Callin' Planet Earth!



I dunno man... I appreciate a lot of jazz, but Sun Ra stuff just seems a bit sloppy. He also seems like quite an intense, scary figure, ruling his band(s) with an iron rod.

If I must listen to jazz-tinged space opera music I listen to the band Magma. Their leader is probably no less scary or intense however.

[dadagoboi]

I saw Sun Ra in NYC, March 1968 with his Arkestra at Slug's.  It was pretty amazing!

[Father Gino]

I dunno man... I appreciate a lot of jazz, but Sun Ra stuff just seems a bit sloppy.

Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpcyrlR7bhM&list=PLWBoqYr-dwwSPTgQ0K0aKIe0KYUM4KpsS&index=5

This is from 1956. He was an early adopter of the electric piano. He also has an upright and electric bass at the same time. He and his band wore their crazy home made costumes even then. I only saw him once live and the thing that I appreciated most about that experience was confirming that the man had a sense of humor.

[uwe]

I find that pleasant music, what is supposed to make it so hard to listen to?

And I don't doubt for a minute that music can reach people in a way nothing else can.

[Pilgrim]

Pretty classic 50's jazz, and at least that cut is very listenable.

[nofi]

uwe, i guess you haven't found the hard to listen to stuff. that comes along in the sixties and early seventies. as is your custom i suggest you buy all of his cds and work your way through them. there couldn't be more than 100 or so.

[uwe]

If I wasn't so autistic, I'd detect some irony there!

Worse than Bitches Brew then? That took a while. Still can't hum most of it.

[patman]

Bitches Brew is a personal favorite, but it does take a little work.

[nofi]

i like it too but when it was released jazz critics lost their ever lovin' minds. uwe, check out bap-tizm by the art ensemble of chicago.

[uwe]

I like Bitches Brew too, but the music on it is so abstract, it's a bit like an ambience soundtrack. Maybe that is what Miles wanted - together with the ingestion of the appropriate drugs!

[patman]

I think it was Miles attempt to show that any note could be played over any chord, and if properly set up would sound fine...to break the chains of Mozart/Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie inspired harmonic theory...

Just my opinion...yours may vary!

[uwe]

I think he did it better than Nirvana, ignoring harmonic theory I mean.