New Day (Sun Ra for Deval)

Sun Ra Arkestra featuring Pat Patrick (MA Governor elect Deval's dad)

Chicago hosts a Sun Ra symposium this weekend. The event, Traveling the Spaceways, explores Afro-Futurism and Sun Ra's impact on avant and out jazz, visual culture and, well, American history. The symposium features panel discussions, readings, and, of course, musical performances, including a tribute by Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore, pianist Jim Baker, former Sun Ra bassist Rollo Radford, and drummer, AACM member and Sun Ra contributor Avreeyl Ra.

Running in conjunction with the event is a very cool exhibit: Pathways to Unknown Worlds: Sun Ra, El Saturn & Chicago's Afro-Futurist Underground, 1954-68. The exhibit features art works and other artifacts from Sun Ra’s early Chicago period, including drawings for albums such as Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow and Other Planes of There, as well as the extremely cool Sun Ra cover painting for 1958's Jazz in Silhouette (see below).

The timing of this week's Sun Ra events in Chi-Town was prescient in that a Chicago native and extended member of the Sun Ra family was just elected Massachusetts' first African-American Governor. As noted in the post below, Governor-elect Deval Patrick's father is none other than Laurdine "Pat" Patrick, the Sun Ra's Arkestra's baritone saxophonist. With Deval's huge win, it's a "New Day" in the Bay State. "Where is Tomorrow?" Tomorrow is now.

New Day --The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra

Where is Tomorrow -- Sun Ra: " . . . " (1961)

And in honor of Deval's historic win, here's a bit more Sun Ra featuring Pat Patrick, largely recycled from a los amigos post about 15 mos ago:

Over Saturn's Moons painting by Sun Ra

Sun Ra always maintained that he was from Saturn and developed a complex theory and mythology surrounding the intergalactic origins and message of black unity and harmony in his music. Along with Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra was also one of the originators and major proponents of free jazz.

Here's a smattering of Sun Ra, starting with "Enlightenment" from 1958's Jazz in Silhouette. Dig this incredible, straight ahead version from an album recorded at the tail end of the Arkestra's more mainstream, post-bop, big band beginnings in the '50s. Sun Ra performed a revamped version of "Enlightenment" with lyrics and vocal chants at shows in the '60s and '70s (check the live version on 1975's Concert for the Comet Kohoutek). But this original version is a delight, as is the rest of the Lp.

Enlightenment -- Sun Ra: Jazz in Silhouette (1958)

And check the quirky "Rocket Number Nine" from 1972's Space is the Place (which contains some of the music from Sun Ra's film of the same name, a soundtrack to which is also available). Space is the Place is a great introduction to Sun Ra's music because it contains a mix of soaring, avant-free excursions through the stratosphere, as well as a few more grounded and tranquil grooves (check the peaceful "Images.") Out There a Minute, a compilation of NYC recordings from the late '60s (on the Blast First imprint from London's legendary Mute Records), is another great introduction to Sun Ra.

Rocket Number 9 -- Sun Ra: Space is the Place (1972)

And speaking of more down-to-earth jams, we finish with the funky "Where Pathways Meet" from 1978's Lanquidity (the only track in this post that doesn't feature Pat Patrick; Danny Ray Thompson plays bari on this album, not Deval' dad). By the late 70's, Sun Ra had largely moved away from his most wild and experimental '60s avant and free jazz explorations. Lanquidity is sometimes cited as one of the touchstone albums that influenced late '80s and '90s acid jazz and jazz-hip hop fusion (check Tribe Called Quest's brilliant Low End Theory for an Arkestra shout out). But my favorite Lanquidity track, "Pathways," has a mid-tempo jazz funk groove that almost sounds like something John Lurie might have composed for the Lounge Lizard's Voice of Chunk.

Where Pathways Meet -- Sun Ra: Lanquidity (1978)

congrats again Deval. Hope everyone enjoyed this trip through the stratosphere with our man from Saturn. peace.

p.s. more mad science on our man Sun Ra from Destination: OUT

p.p.s. check out and say hello to a great new blog: Amen Horn. Brought to you by Ian (formerly of Retrobabe) Amen Horn is a journey through all sorts of eclectic goodness. Recent posts have featured Bill Nelson, Beefheart interpreted by Lewis Taylor, and a 25 min. live version of "Sister Ray" (VU, not JD). And, in a cosmic connectedness sort of fashion, Ian's inaugural Amen Horn post was on Coltrane's Africa/Brass. A landmark album which featured Governor-elect Deval Patrick's dad Pat on bari. How cool is that?
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