Space is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra by John Szwed (English) Paperb

Description: Space is the Place by John Szwed Quite possibly the most inspirational music biography ever written - essential. MUZIK FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description This ground-breaking biography is as much about Sun Ras music as it is about his passionate, often wildly unorthodox views on the galaxy, black people and spiritual matters. With the various incarnations of his inimitable Arkestra, his repertoire ranged from boogie-woogie to swing to be-bop to fusion to New Age, and his influence extended throughout the jazz and rock worlds. While Sun Ra made a lifelong effort to obscure many of the facts of his early years, he did acknowledge that he was born on the planet Saturn. John Szwed has succeeded brilliantly in delving into and evoking the life and work of this extraordinary artist. Notes The definitive and only biography of Sun Ra, who has influenced many modern musicians, and who has been described as "the missing link between Duke Ellington and Public Enemy". 8pp b/w illus. Author Biography John F. Szwed is Professor of Anthropology, Afro-American Studies, Music, and American Studies at Yale University. He has written about music for many publications, including the New York Times, Musician, and the Boston Phoenix. He lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. Review * Those who read this book will be spellbound The Voice a brilliant book, a sprawling, curlicued, swinging account of an extraordinary mans great adventure with a bunch of ideas that made sense to him out of a senseless world Independent on Sunday * this is the years best jazz biography Evening Standard * one of the best books ever written about anything The Idler * Quite possibly the most inspirational music biography ever written - Essential. MUZIK Kirkus US Review The late jazz musician Sun Ra, who claimed to be from Saturn, is vividly and respectfully portrayed and defended against those who thought this self-described jester of the creator was a crackpot. Sun Ra, born Henry Poole Blount in 1914, always elicited a strong response with his music and ideas. Norman Mailer claimed the strangely horrible music cured him of a cold. One jazz critic seeing a show in 1967 wrote, "There is no pigeon-hole for it. It is ugly and beautiful and terribly interesting." Sun Ras music was well grounded in traditional jazz, but his wild sensibilities could drive the music into extreme breakdowns of noise - not to be purposefully obtuse or avant-garde, but because Sun Ra was on an all-consuming quest for truth in his music, which he once called a cosmic newspaper. He rehearsed his band endlessly and discouraged drinking, drug use, and womanizing. This rigor was a surprising backdrop to what often seemed like "love generation" sensibilities. The band wore wild hats, old opera costumes or African clothes, danced in the aisles, and played with improvisational abandon. As elucidated by Szwed (Anthropology, Afro-American Studies, Music, and American Studies/Yale) Sun Ras seemingly outlandish ideas make a certain sense. For instance, the musicians claim to be Sun Ra from Saturn is placed in the cultural context of "ritual renaming" among African-Americans, from Malcolm X to Duke Ellington. Much space is also devoted to explaining Egyptology and other important ideas that led Sun Ra to fertile areas of thought and creativity. Readers will find some of Sun Ras ideas hard to swallow. Listeners to his music will find some passages difficult or unlistenable. But Szwed also makes a strong case for Sun Ra as creative genius. (Kirkus Reviews) Review Quote Those who read this book will be spellbound Promotional "Headline" Quite possibly the most inspirational music biography ever written - essential. MUZIK Details ISBN1841950556 Pages 512 Year 2000 ISBN-10 1841950556 ISBN-13 9781841950556 Format Paperback Publication Date 2000-10-10 Subtitle The Lives and Times of Sun Ra Place of Publication Edinburgh Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 781.65092 Media Book Edition Main Author John Szwed Short Title Space Is the Place Language English UK Release Date 2000-10-10 AU Release Date 2000-10-10 NZ Release Date 2000-10-10 Illustrations No Publisher Canongate Books Imprint Canongate Books Edition Description Main Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:90086651;

Price: 36.74 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2024-12-05T02:08:55.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 AUD