Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra

by John Szwed Narrated by Leon Nixon

Overview

Considered by many to be a founder of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra-aka Herman Blount-was a composer, keyboardist, bandleader, philosopher, entrepreneur, poet, and self-proclaimed extraterrestrial from Saturn. He recorded over 200 albums with his Arkestra, which, dressed in Egypto-space costumes, played everything from boogie-woogie and swing to fusion and free jazz.



John Szwed's Space is the Place is the definitive biography of this musical polymath, who was one of the twentieth century's greatest avant-garde artists and intellectuals. Charting the whole of Sun Ra's life and career, Szwed outlines how after years in Chicago as a blues and swing band pianist, Sun Ra set out in the 1950s to impart his views about the galaxy, black people, and spiritual matters by performing music with the Arkestra that was as vital and innovative as it was mercurial and confounding. Szwed's listeners-whether they are just discovering Sun Ra or are among the legion of poets, artists, intellectuals, and musicians who consider him a spiritual godfather-will find that, indeed, space is the place.

Editorial Reviews

Details Magazine

As trippy and entertaining as the great jazz genius himself.

Rolling Stone

[Sun Ra is] the missing link between Duke Ellington and Public Enemy.

Stephanie Zacharek

Writing the life story of a man who readily admitted almost nothing about his early years except that he was born on Saturn isn't a job for your everyday, run-of-the-mill academic. John F. Szwed, a professor of anthropology, Afro-American studies, music and American studies at Yale University, is the right guy for the job. Space Is the Place, his biography of Sun Ra, the legendary, visionary, whacked-out big-band leader who died in 1993 at the age of 79, is a meticulously detailed piece of scholarship, but not a leaden one.

Tracing the life story of the man who was born Herman Poole Blount in Birmingham, Ala. -- who, as a child, quickly ran through every book in his school library, and who later, as a young man, would walk the streets of Birmingham dressed in a bed sheet and sandals "like a prophet from the scriptures" -- Szwed makes it clear that Sun Ra's eccentricity was part and parcel of his brilliance. He painstakingly traces the roots of Sun Ra's philosophy (a heady nectar distilled from black nationalism, Egyptian-inspired mysticism, interplanetary travel and the idea that the secrets of universal harmony can be revealed through music), placing it squarely in the context of American social history by way of Jupiter.

Szwed recognizes Sun Ra as a brilliant arranger and band leader who drew inspiration from a massive galaxy of sources: the tradition of Fletcher Henderson's big band, the cocktail music of Les Baxter, songs from Walt Disney movies, even disco. And while he buys into Sun Ra's schtick with just the right amount of humor, he also sees the eccentric genius behind that schtick. Sun Ra knew that the vast mysteries of jazz could never be explained away by theory alone: "You know how many notes there are between C and D?" he'd tell his musicians. "If you deal with those tones you can play nature, and nature doesn't know notes. That's why religions have bells, which sound all the transient tones. You're not musicians, you're tone scientists."

Sometimes Szwed's narrative swing gets bogged down -- he outlines some of Sun Ra's rambling theories in excruciating detail. And although he has plenty of passion for his subject, he doesn't have a loopy enough vocabulary to capture the exuberance, or even the sheer musical inventiveness, of Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra's live performances. Still, he believes wholeheartedly in their magic. He delights in describing their stage costumes (Sun Ra himself favored outrageous headgear, including a hat topped with a blue light). He understands that the vision of a group of grown men -- many of them older men, if you saw them in the '80s or thereafter, as I did, repeatedly -- with jewel-toned chiffon tunics layered over regular shirts and pants, wearing what looked like sequined tube tops on their heads, was simultaneously a display of pride, pageantry and utter lunacy. And their sound was magnificent and free -- no wonder Sun Ra would look on benevolently from behind the piano, as if he were sunbathing in the cosmos.

Toward the end of any given performance, when the group would drop their instruments to sing -- always slightly out of tune, and yet with a resonating, obvious pleasure -- it was impossible to keep from slipping right into the logic of their crazy plan for intergalactic, interracial harmony. Even if you were the type who hated audience participation with all your heart, you found yourself joining in on, say, "Let's Go Fly a Kite." To refuse would have been proof of nothing, except that you were made out of wood. -- Salon

From the Publisher

"Szwed also makes a strong case for Sun Ra as creative genius."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Through deft writing and detailed chronology, Yale professor and music critic Szwed manages to make the seemingly unintelligible, shiny-turbaned pioneer of big-band free jazz more accessible to society at large."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The new forward . . . amounts to a brilliant essay that brings a fresh overview to Ra's story. . . . Space Is the Place is an exhaustive, fascinating and ultimately humanizing account of Sun Ra's life."--Ian Patterson "All About Jazz" (5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM)

"[An] extraordinary biography."--Chris Morris "Billboard"

"[Szwed] succeeds in prying open countless enigmas within enigmas, revealing much that has eluded historians until now."--Stuart Nicholson "Observer"

"A brilliant book, a sprawling, curlicued, swinging account of an extraordinary man's great adventure with a bunch of ideas that made sense to him out of a senseless world."--Nick Coleman "The Independent"

"Against the odds, Szwed carves out a central image of Sun Ra as a man whose sincerity was unquestioned, whose heart was pure. Essential reading for the millennium."--David Toop "Village Voice"

"Alongside Szwed's absorbing musical chronicle, the biographer tackles the more contentious subject of the vast framework of Sun Ra's poetry, theology, and philosophy, and makes a miraculous effort at synthesizing that massive body of often deliberately contradictory statements and beliefs. . . . While he brings academic rigor to his research, however, he writes with an easy flow and peppers the investigation with many memorable anecdotes recalling Sun Ra's idiosyncrasies. Szwed's book is as absorbing an account of Sun Ra's fascinatingly unorthodox life and times as we are ever likely to see."--Kenny Mathieson "Scotsman"

"Compelling."--Lloyd Sachs "Chicago Sun-Times"

"John Szwed's excellent 1997 biography Space is the Place traces the in-depth study that lay behind Ra's fascination with Ancient Egypt, etymology and space, while making a case for the idea that Ra's Afrocentric cosmology not only reflected the tumult of the 1950s and 1960s, but transcended it."--Mike Hobart "Financial Times"

"One of the great jazz biographies."--Val Wilmer "The Guardian"

"Szwed has produced a rare jazz biography--one that takes full account of the history that shaped the music and its central personalities."--Brent Staples "New York Times"

"Szwed has unearthed a treasure trove of Ra data . . . [and ] through extensive personal interviews and archival materials, Szwed fills in the murky blanks of Ra's early years. . . . Szwed's portrait of Ra is both scholarly and affectionate. While many fans would often put brackets around aspects of Ra's persona, perhaps turning a blind eye to his convoluted philosophies or his space gypsy stage shows, Szwed embraces them, contradictions and all."--John Diliberto "Billboard"

"Szwed is the best music biographer in the business."--Greg Burk "LA Weekly"

"The book consistently succeeds in making the idiosyncrasies of [Sun Ra] much less strange by placing them within the mainstreams of African American culture. . . . Szwed is especially convincing when he documents the origins of Sonny's unique blend of mysticism, Egyptology, Afrocentrism, and nonsense. . . . Thanks to Sun Ra, and to this extraordinary book by John Szwed, jazz must be conceived as something much richer than an austere art music."--Krin Gabbard "American Music"

"The story of the experimental jazz composer, keyboardist and band leader Sun Ra . . . is told with brilliance and grace by the Yale anthropologist John Szwed in this deeply simpatico new biography. . . . The achievement of this biography is that it carefully articulates such views of life and art at the same time that it provides hard data and analysis to locate Sun Ra's theories in historical context."--Robert G. O'Meally "Washington Post"

"Through collating practically everything written or known about his subject, Szwed doesn't diminish the singularity of Ra's musical achievement, he enhances it. . . . There's an inspirational quality to Szwed's revelations as he demonstrates Ra's commitment to a course that could only be his own, with rewards that make money and fame seem paltry in comparison."--Don McLeese "Austin American-Statesman"

Nick Coleman

A brilliant book, a sprawling, curlicued, swinging account of an extraordinary man's great adventure with a bunch of ideas that made sense to him out of a senseless world.

Chicago Sun-Times - Lloyd Sachs

Compelling.

LA Weekly - Greg Burk

Szwed is the best music biographer in the business.

Financial Times - Mike Hobart

John Szwed's excellent 1997 biography Space is the Place traces the in-depth study that lay behind Ra's fascination with Ancient Egypt, etymology and space, while making a case for the idea that Ra's Afrocentric cosmology not only reflected the tumult of the 1950s and 1960s, but transcended it.

American Music - Krin Gabbard

The book consistently succeeds in making the idiosyncrasies of [Sun Ra] much less strange by placing them within the mainstreams of African American culture. . . . Szwed is especially convincing when he documents the origins of Sonny's unique blend of mysticism, Egyptology, Afrocentrism, and nonsense. . . . Thanks to Sun Ra, and to this extraordinary book by John Szwed, jazz must be conceived as something much richer than an austere art music.

New York Times - Brent Staples

"Szwed has produced a rare jazz biography—one that takes full account of the history that shaped the music and its central personalities.

Village Voice - David Toop

Against the odds, Szwed carves out a central image of Sun Ra as a man whose sincerity was unquestioned, whose heart was pure. Essential reading for the millennium.

Billboard - Chris Morris

[An] extraordinary biography.

The Guardian - Val Wilmer

One of the great jazz biographies.

All About Jazz - Ian Patterson

"The new forward . . . amounts to a brilliant essay that brings a fresh overview to Ra's story. . . . Space Is the Place is an exhaustive, fascinating and ultimately humanizing account of Sun Ra's life."

Observer - Stuart Nicholson

[Szwed] succeeds in prying open countless enigmas within enigmas, revealing much that has eluded historians until now.

Austin American-Statesman - Don McLeese

Through collating practically everything written or known about his subject, Szwed doesn't diminish the singularity of Ra’s musical achievement, he enhances it. . . . There's an inspirational quality to Szwed's revelations as he demonstrates Ra's commitment to a course that could only be his own, with rewards that make money and fame seem paltry in comparison.

Scotsman - Kenny Mathieson

"Alongside Szwed's absorbing musical chronicle, the biographer tackles the more contentious subject of the vast framework of Sun Ra's poetry, theology, and philosophy, and makes a miraculous effort at synthesizing that massive body of often deliberately contradictory statements and beliefs. . . . While he brings academic rigor to his research, however, he writes with an easy flow and peppers the investigation with many memorable anecdotes recalling Sun Ra's idiosyncrasies. Szwed's book is as absorbing an account of Sun Ra's fascinatingly unorthodox life and times as we are ever likely to see.

Washington Post - Robert G. O’Meally

The story of the experimental jazz composer, keyboardist and band leader Sun Ra . . . is told with brilliance and grace by the Yale anthropologist John Szwed in this deeply simpatico new biography. . . . The achievement of this biography is that it carefully articulates such views of life and art at the same time that it provides hard data and analysis to locate Sun Ra's theories in historical context.

Billboard - John Diliberto

Szwed has unearthed a treasure trove of Ra data . . . [and ] through extensive personal interviews and archival materials, Szwed fills in the murky blanks of Ra's early years. . . . Szwed's portrait of Ra is both scholarly and affectionate. While many fans would often put brackets around aspects of Ra's persona, perhaps turning a blind eye to his convoluted philosophies or his space gypsy stage shows, Szwed embraces them, contradictions and all.

Washington Post - Robert G. O’Meally

The story of the experimental jazz composer, keyboardist and band leader Sun Ra . . . is told with brilliance and grace by the Yale anthropologist John Szwed in this deeply simpatico new biography. . . . The achievement of this biography is that it carefully articulates such views of life and art at the same time that it provides hard data and analysis to locate Sun Ra's theories in historical context.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176047578
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/09/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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