Space Is the Place
The Lives and Times of Sun Ra
August 1998
Trade Paperback · 496 Pages
$21.00 U.S. · $25.50 CAN · €14.99 E.U.
ISBN 9780306808555
Da Capo Press
Trade Paperback · 496 Pages
$21.00 U.S. · $25.50 CAN · €14.99 E.U.
ISBN 9780306808555
Da Capo Press
Recommended for These Courses
Description
Sun Ra, a.k.a. Herman Poole Sonny Blount (1914 1993), has been hailed as one of the great big-band leaders, pianists, and surrealists of jazz (New York Times) and as the missing link between Duke Ellington and Public Enemy (Rolling Stone). Composer, keyboardist, bandleader, philosopher, poet, and self-proclaimed extraterrestrial from Saturn, Sun Ra led his Intergalactic Arkestra of thirty-plus musicians in a career that ranged from boogie-woogie and swing to be-bop, free jazz, fusion, and New Age music. This definitive biography reveals the life, philosophy, and musical growth of one of the twentieth century's greatest avant-garde musicians.
About the Author
John F. Szwed is Musser Professor of Anthropology, African-American Studies, Music, and American Studies at Yale University. He has written about music for TheVillage Voice, Vibe,the Boston Phoenix, and other publications. He lives in Connecticut.