Le Sony'r Ra, born Herman Poole Blount on May 22, 1914, and died on May 30, 1993, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, pianist, synthesizer player, and poet. He is best known as Sun Ra, a name he chose later in life. Sun Ra created experimental music, developed a unique philosophy, and performed in dramatic, theatrical ways. For most of his career, he led a musical group called The Arkestra, which had many different names and members over time.

Sun Ra was born and raised in Alabama. In the late 1940s, he moved to Chicago and became part of the city’s jazz scene. He changed his name to Le Sony'r Ra, later shortening it to Sun Ra, which was inspired by Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun. He claimed to be an alien from Saturn who wanted to spread peace. He created a mysterious image and a special set of beliefs that made him an early figure in Afrofuturism, a movement that combines African culture with futuristic ideas. Sun Ra said he only used the name Ra and that any other names he used were fake. His music was very diverse and included styles from the early days of jazz, such as ragtime and New Orleans hot jazz, to later styles like swing, bebop, free jazz, and fusion. His works included piano solos, big band music, electronic music, songs, chants, and rhythmic pieces.

From the mid-1950s until his death, Sun Ra led The Arkestra, a group that included musicians like Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and June Tyson. The group’s performances often featured dancers and musicians wearing colorful, futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egyptian clothing and the Space Age. After Sun Ra retired in 1992 because of illness, The Arkestra continued performing and is still active today, led by Marshall Allen.

Although Sun Ra did not achieve widespread fame, he was a very productive artist who performed often and recorded many songs. He is now seen as an important innovator in music. He helped develop free improvisation and modal jazz, and he was one of the first musicians to use electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Over his lifetime, he recorded more than 1,000 songs, including dozens of singles and over 100 full-length albums, making him one of the most productive musicians of the 20th century.

Biography

Herman Blount was born on May 22, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama. This information was discovered by his biographer, John F. Szwed, and published in Szwed’s 1997 book, Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra. He was named after Black Herman, a famous vaudeville stage magician who inspired his mother. As a child, he was called "Sonny" and had an older sister and half-brother. His mother and grandmother cared for him deeply.

For many years, little was known about Sun Ra’s early life, and he kept much of it secret. He often gave unclear or confusing answers when asked about his past and refused to use his birth name. He once joked that he might be related to Elijah Muhammad, a leader of the Nation of Islam. For a long time, no one knew his exact birth date, as he claimed different years between 1910 and 1918. Only a few years before his death, Szwed uncovered records that confirmed his birth date as May 22, 1914.

As a child, Blount was a talented pianist. By age 11 or 12, he could compose music and read sheet music quickly. Birmingham was a place where many traveling musicians performed, and he saw famous artists like Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Fats Waller. Sun Ra later said, “The world let down a lot of good musicians.”

During his teenage years, Blount showed great musical skill. He attended big band concerts and could later write down the songs from memory. By his mid-teens, he played piano professionally or joined small jazz and R&B groups. He attended Birmingham’s Industrial High School, where his music teacher, John T. “Fess” Whatley, taught him. Whatley was strict but respected, and many of his students became professional musicians.

Blount’s family was religious but not part of any formal church. He had few close friends in high school but was known as kind and quiet. He was a top student and read a lot. He visited the Black Masonic Lodge, where he found books on Freemasonry and other mysterious topics that interested him.

By his teens, Blount had a health condition called cryptorchidism, which caused him pain and made him feel ashamed. This may have contributed to his feelings of being isolated.

In 1934, Blount got his first full-time music job through his biology teacher, Ethel Harper, who formed a band. He joined the group and toured with them. When Harper left to move to New York, Blount took over and renamed the group the Sonny Blount Orchestra. The group toured for months but eventually ended because it was not profitable. Though the group did not make much money, it received praise from fans and other musicians. Afterward, Blount found steady work as a musician in Birmingham.

Birmingham clubs often had bright lights and colorful artwork, which some believe influenced Sun Ra’s later performances. Black musicians who played in big bands were respected in the black community and sometimes performed for white audiences, though they were not allowed to interact with them.

In 1936, Whatley helped Blount get a scholarship to Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, where he studied music education. He left after one year.

Blount said he left college after having a spiritual experience that changed his life. He claimed to have seen a bright light around him in 1936 or 1937. However, Szwed later said that Blount’s closest friends believed the story began no earlier than 1952. Blount talked about this vision for the rest of his life, even though it happened before many people became interested in UFOs.

After leaving college, Blount became very dedicated to music. He rarely slept and compared himself to famous people like Thomas Edison and Napoleon, who also worked long hours. He turned his family’s home into a workshop where he wrote music, practiced, and discussed religious and mysterious ideas.

Blount often visited Birmingham’s Forbes Piano Company, a white-owned business, to play music and share ideas. He formed a new band and required strict rehearsals, just like his teacher Whatley. The new Sonny Blount Orchestra became known for its skill in playing many different music styles.

In October 1942, Blount received a draft notice requiring him to join the U.S. military. He refused, calling himself a conscientious objector because of his religious beliefs, his need to support his great-aunt, and a health issue. His local draft board rejected his claim. He argued with the national draft board, saying the lack of Black people on the board was unfair. His refusal to join the military upset his family, and some relatives stopped speaking to him. He was later approved for alternate service at a camp in Pennsylvania but did not go. He was arrested in Alabama and faced a court case.

The Arkestra

After Sun Ra passed away, the Arkestra was led by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore and later by alto saxophonist Marshall Allen. In 1999, an album titled Song for the Sun, directed by Allen, included musicians Jimmy Hopps and Dick Griffin. In the summer of 2004, the Arkestra became the first American jazz band to perform in Tuva, Siberia, where they played five sets at the Ustuu-Huree Festival.

In September 2008, the group performed for seven consecutive days at the ZXZW festival, with each day highlighting different parts of Sun Ra's musical legacy. In 2009, they performed at Philadelphia's Institute of Contemporary Art alongside an exhibition that examined how the Arkestra's musical history connects with contemporary art practices. In 2011, the Arkestra traveled to Australia for the first time, performing at the 2011 Melbourne International Jazz Festival and at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Tasmania. In 2017, the group played at the 31st Lowell Folk Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 2019, it was announced that the Arkestra would perform at Portland, Oregon's Hollywood Theater for three nights on July 14, 15, and 16. On October 22, 2021, they performed at the BRIC JazzFest in Downtown Brooklyn.

Music

Sun Ra's piano style included many different musical styles. As a young musician, he was influenced by boogie woogie, stride piano, and blues. His playing sometimes had a smooth, refined sound similar to Count Basie or Ahmad Jamal. He also used sharp, unusual phrases like those of Thelonious Monk or loud, rhythmic styles like those of Cecil Taylor. Sun Ra also drew inspiration from classical music. He listed Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Schoenberg, and Shostakovich as his favorite piano composers.

Sun Ra's music can be divided into three main phases. However, his records and performances often had surprises, so these categories should be seen as general guides.

The first period was in the 1950s. During this time, Sun Ra's music changed from big band swing to "cosmic jazz," a style linked to space themes for which he became famous. Music critics and historians say some of his best work was created during this time. His music was often carefully arranged and sometimes similar to the styles of Duke Ellington or Count Basie. However, it also included influences from bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz. It also had hints of unusual sounds and experimental ideas that later became more common. Notable albums from this period include Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth, Interstellar Low Ways, Super-Sonic Jazz, We Travel the Space Ways, The Nubians of Plutonia, and Jazz in Silhouette.

Ronnie Boykins, Sun Ra's bassist, was described as "the center of much of Sun Ra's music for eight years." This was especially clear on key recordings from 1965, such as The Magic City, The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One, and The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume Two. These recordings combined Boykins' bass lines with Sun Ra's electronic keyboards to create a unified sound.

After moving to New York, Sun Ra and his group explored experimental music more fully than before. The music was often very loud, and the Arkestra included many drummers and percussionists. During this time, Sun Ra used new technologies, such as tape delay, to create spatial sound pieces like "Saturn." These compositions were very different from earlier works. Recordings and live performances often included unusual combinations of instruments and sections of free improvisation, making it hard to tell where planned music ended and improvisation began.

During this era, Sun Ra used hand and body gestures to conduct his music. This method inspired cornetist Butch Morris, who later developed a more detailed system for conducting improvisers.

Although often linked to avant-garde jazz, Sun Ra did not consider his work "free music." He said, "I have to make sure that every note, every nuance, is correct… If you want to call it that, spell it p-h-r-e, because ph is a definite article and re is the name of the sun. So I play phre music – music of the sun."

To expand his musical ideas, Sun Ra required all band members to play multiple percussion instruments, drawing from various ethnic traditions. Most saxophonists also played other instruments, such as flutes, oboes, or clarinets. Sun Ra was among the first musicians to use synthesizers and electronic keyboards extensively. He received a prototype Minimoog from its inventor, Robert Moog, in 1969. According to the Bob Moog Foundation, Sun Ra used the instrument on many of his recordings in the early 1970s.

Notable works from this period include The Magic City, Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy, When Sun Comes Out, The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Volume One, Atlantis, Secrets of the Sun, and Other Planes of There.

During the third period, beginning around 1976, Sun Ra and the Arkestra adopted a more traditional sound, often using swing standards. However, their music remained eclectic and energetic, with at least one long, semi-improvised percussion piece in most performances. Sun Ra emphasized a connection to earlier jazz traditions, often including pieces by Fletcher Henderson and Jelly Roll Morton in his concerts.

In the 1970s, Sun Ra became interested in the films of Walt Disney. He included parts of Disney songs in his performances. In the late 1980s, the Arkestra performed at Walt Disney World. The Arkestra's version of "Pink Elephants on Parade" appears on Stay Awake, a tribute album to Disney music. Some of Sun Ra's 1970s concerts are available on CD, but they have not been widely released like his earlier works. In 1978–1980, Sun Ra used a large electronic device called the Outerspace Visual Communicator (OVC), which created light images instead of sounds. The OVC was operated by its inventor, Bill Sebastian, who sat with the musicians during performances.

Many musicians performed with Sun Ra over the years. Some stayed with him for decades, while others played only briefly. Sun Ra was responsible for the frequent changes in the Arkestra's lineup. According to Jiunie Booth, a bassist in the Arkestra, Sun Ra would leave a musician stranded if he was unhappy with their performance. Instead of confronting the musician, he would gather the rest of the group and leave without them.

The Outer Space Visual Communicator was a large machine operated with hands and feet to create light designs, similar to how musicians create sound. The name came from Bill Sebastian's work with Sun Ra. Sun Ra used the OVC with the Arkestra from 1978 to 1980 and tested it for video applications from 1981 to 1987.

Philosophy

Sun Ra described his beliefs as an "equation" rather than a philosophy. He believed that philosophy relies on theories and abstract ideas, while his approach was based on logic and practical actions. Many members of his group, the Arkestra, say Sun Ra's teachings were important in shaping their long-term dedication to music. Sun Ra rarely explained his equation fully, instead sharing parts of it over many years. This led some to question if his message was clear. However, Martinelli suggests that when viewed as a whole, Sun Ra's ideas form a unified worldview that combines influences from many sources, while still being unique to him. These sources include the Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, channeling, numerology, Freemasonry, Ancient Egyptian Mysticism, and Black nationalism. Sun Ra’s beliefs had Gnostic influences, meaning he thought the god in most monotheistic religions was not the true creator god, but a lesser, harmful being. He was cautious about the Bible because it had been used to support slavery. He often changed Bible passages and other words, names, or phrases to find "hidden" meanings. One clear example of this was his habit of renaming many of the musicians who played with him.

James Jacson, a musician who studied Zen Buddhism before joining Sun Ra, noticed similarities between Zen practices, like koans, and Sun Ra’s use of unexpected or seemingly strange answers to questions. Art Jenkins, a drummer, said Sun Ra’s "nonsense" sometimes made him think deeply for days before leading to a major change in his thinking. Andrew Cyrille, another drummer, described Sun Ra’s comments as "very interesting stuff… whether you believed it or not. And a lot of times it was humorous, and a lot of times it was ridiculous, and a lot of times it was right on the money."

Sun Ra’s ideas can be better understood by watching his film Space is the Place. The film begins with Sun Ra on a distant planet where music and vibrations are different from Earth, which is filled with sounds of "guns, anger, and frustration." A colony is built on this planet for Black people because only there can they be free to return to their natural vibrations and live in harmony, leading to an "altered destiny." The film also explains how Sun Ra believed people could travel to another planet through methods like "isotopic teleportation, trans-molecularization, or better still – teleport the whole planet here through music."

Szwed notes that Sun Ra’s view of his relationship with Black people and Black cultures changed over time. At first, he supported the fight for Black power, political influence, and identity, seeing his music as a way to educate and free Black people. However, by the 1960s, he became disillusioned with these goals and said he no longer felt closely connected to any race. In 1970, he stated:

Sun Ra is considered an early pioneer of the Afrofuturism movement because of his music, writings, and other works. His influence can be seen in many areas of Black music. He based his Afrofuturism on a musical tradition described as "performing blackness." Sun Ra lived out his Afrofuturist beliefs in his daily life by showing the movement through his music, clothing, and actions. This helped him present Black nationalism as a different story compared to mainstream culture.

In the mid-1950s, while in Chicago, Sun Ra started including ideas about aliens in his performances. He sometimes wore space suits and ancient Egyptian clothing while playing in regular cocktail lounges. By placing his band and performances in space and extraterrestrial settings, Sun Ra created a world that reflected his view of how the African diaspora was connected.

Influence and legacy

Sun Ra made many important and new changes in music. He was one of the first jazz leaders to use two double basses, the electric bass, electronic keyboards, and many different rhythms. He also explored a type of music called modal music and helped create new ways for musicians to improvise freely. In addition, he helped people understand that jazz has African roots, showed pride in Black history, and reminded people about the spiritual and mystical parts of music. These ideas were important during the Black cultural and political movement of the 1960s.

In 1968, the band NRBQ recorded a song called "Rocket #9" for their first album on Columbia Records. Sun Ra had given NRBQ’s member Terry Adams a copy of the song on a 45 rpm record and told him, "This is especially for you." This message inspired Adams to restart the band after a time when it was not active. NRBQ still performs some of Sun Ra’s songs, including "Rocket #9," "We Travel the Spaceways," and "Love in Outer Space." Some members of Sun Ra’s Arkestra have toured with NRBQ over the years, including Pat Patrick, Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, Tyrone Hill, and Danny Thompson. Terry Adams has also joined the Arkestra as a pianist on several tours, including one in February 2016 in cities in the southeastern United States.

The band MC5 from Detroit performed with Sun Ra and was greatly influenced by his music. One of their songs on their first album, Kick Out the Jams (1969), called "Starship," was based on a poem written by Sun Ra.

Sun Ra was added to the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979.

In 2008, the Sun Ra Repatriation Project was started. Its goal is to use communication with other planets to help Sun Ra return to Earth.

Cauleen Smith, a filmmaker and artist, has studied Sun Ra’s life and legacy. Her 2013 exhibition called "17" was inspired by her research into Sun Ra, who was interested in numerology and the number 17, which might represent his lasting influence. Her project "The Solar Flare Arkestral Marching Band" includes several parts related to Sun Ra. One part, from 2010, involved five flash mob performances with a marching band inspired by the Arkestra. Another part is a full-length video that shares stories about Sun Ra’s time in Chicago and the artists who live there today.

A band called the "Sun Ra Revival Post-Krautrock Archestra" was formed in Australia in 2014. They honored Sun Ra’s ideas and music in their albums Realm Beyond Realm and Sun Ra Kills the World.

The Spatial AKA Orchestra, created in 2006 by Jerry Dammers (a songwriter from the British ska band The Specials), was formed as a tribute to Sun Ra. It uses many of the same ideas and themes from Sun Ra’s performances.

In 2022, a building at 5626 Morton Street in Philadelphia, called the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra, was listed as a historic place. Marshall Allen, a member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, has lived there since 1968.

The University of Chicago has a large collection of Sun Ra’s music and personal items in the Special Collections Research Center at the Regenstein Library. This collection was gathered by Sun Ra’s business manager, Alton Abraham, and is available to the public when requested. The center has also shown Sun Ra’s work in several exhibitions.

Filmography

"Space Is the Place" (1974) is a long movie that features Sun Ra and his band performing as themselves. The music from the film, also created by Sun Ra, is available on CD. The story follows Sun Ra after he returns to Chicago from a long journey through space with his group, the Arkestra. In a meeting with "the Overseer"—a figure resembling a devil—Sun Ra agrees to play a card game to "win" the black community. Sun Ra's goal is to move the American black community to a new planet he discovered during his travels, which he wants to use as a home for people of African descent. His mission is to "teleport the whole planet through music," but his efforts are often not understood by those he tries to help.

Sun Ra and his Arkestra were the subject of several documentaries. One example is "Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise" (1980), directed by Robert Mugge. This film includes clips of Sun Ra's performances and rehearsals, along with his thoughts on topics such as young people and his role in the universe. Another documentary, "Sun Ra – Brother from Another Planet" (2005), directed by Don Letts, includes some material from Mugge's film and adds new interviews. "Points on a Space Age" (2009), directed by Ephrahaim Asili, is a 60-minute film that mixes interviews with clips of Sun Ra's performances.