A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra and the Birth of Afrofuturism

Discovering America

by Paul Youngquist

Sun Ra said he came from Saturn. Known on earth for his inventive music and extravagant stage shows, he pioneered free-form improvisation in an ensemble setting with the devoted band he called the Arkestra. Sun Ra took jazz from the inner city to outer space, infusing traditional swing with far-out harmonies, rhythms, and sounds. Described as the father of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra created space music as a means of building a better future for American blacks here on earth.

"A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra and the Birth of Afrofuturism" offers a spirited introduction to the life and work of this legendary but underappreciated musician, composer, and poet. Paul Youngquist explores and assesses Sun Ra s wide-ranging creative output music, public preaching, graphic design, film and stage performance, and poetry and connects his diverse undertakings to the culture and politics of his times, including the space race, the rise of technocracy, the civil rights movement, and even space-age bachelor-pad music. By thoroughly examining the astro-black mythology that Sun Ra espoused, Youngquist masterfully demonstrates that he offered both a holistic response to a planet desperately in need of new visions and vibrations and a new kind of political activism that used popular culture to advance social change. In a nation obsessed with space and confused about race, Sun Ra aimed not just at assimilation for the socially disfranchised but even more at a wholesale transformation of American society and a more creative, egalitarian world."

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Jazz, Research, Africa

Hardcover

Published October 1, 2016

Reviews

[Gerhard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining no doubt, but so overwrought, as if Youngquist drank too much of the Sun Ra Kool-aid. Also, way too reliant on the Swzed biography. Also puzzling is only a glancing mention of Blount's own alleged abduction experience while at teacher's college. I thought this played a major role in developing his philosophy that 'Space is the Place' for Black people to develop a utopian colony freed from the shackles of capitalism and American hegemony, not to mention the ongoing impact of colonialism and the fall-out from the African Diaspora. Still, if you're interested in jazz and space music, there is a lot to love here. "It’s after the end of the world, don’t you know that yet?"

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting read that explores not just the life of Sun Ra, but also the historical and cultural context that saw the emergence of "Space Music".
The main flaw of Youngquist's work is just how repetitive it is in its main idea: that Sun Ra's music aimed to create a better world. I typed in "better world" in the search bar of my pdf of the book and the expression can be found on a total of 66 pages. Pretty repetitive indeed.
And yet, for all the talk of bettering the world, the author doesn't really make a case for Sun Ra's success or failure in this endeavour. It's fair to say the world, socially and politically, two spheres Yougquist emphasises, has not got any better with Sun Ra's passage on Earth. The author could have argued that somehow, perhaps, it shouldn't be looked at that way... but he simply eludes the question altogether.

He does however leave an entire chapter for the tremendous influence Ra has had over the years on other musicians from a broad range of music genres, despite being something of an oddity in the 1950s and 1960s. That is maybe the only place he changed for the better: music.

Youngquist also helps to demystify the abstract and parabolic language of Sun Ra by looking at it from a political perspective. Unfortunately, he also often wallows in similarly obscure statements, repeating Sun Ra in just as incomprehensible a way as the original and therefore makes it, in those moments, not only a tedious read but one that just doesn't enlighten the reader at all. Breaking down Ra's metaphors on infinity, the universe and so forth would probably have been preferable to rephrasing them in style.

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Youngquist's book is an attempt to show the reflection of sociological trends upon Sun Ra's music and poetry, and, to some extent, vice-versa. The experience of reading it is not unlike listening to one of Ra's more challenging pieces; one may not always have a solid grasp of what's going on, but there are exhilarating epiphanies.
I might recommend that a little background in Le Sun be already under your belt before taking this on as it is not intended to be a strict autobiography. It is a deeply loving cultural study centered around one of the greatest artists of all time.

[Kurt Gottschalk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review in the October edition of the New York City Jazz Record. Free PDF at http://www.nycjazzrecord.com

[Ben Ricketts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m torn between 3 and 4 here.

I love Sun Ra. I also love the mix of humor and absolute seriousness with which he talked about everything. I loved learning more about him. I really enjoyed most of this book.

I only had a couple of negative issues with this book. One comes from the fact that Youngquist’s writing sometimes veers into the kind of pretentious and overly-wordy domain of an English professor (which he is). The other comes from the fact that the title isn’t really the best fit for the book I actually read. Yes, I love Sun Ra and a lot of the Afrofuturist movement. Yes, Youngquist connects Sun Ra and his endless influence to this movement. However, this book never really gets into the “birth” of the movement in any substantial way (and it really doesn’t put that much emphasis on Sun Ra as one of the sources of its birth).

Also, I could do without the extended passages of poetic license in which Youngquist takes sources Ra’s life and expands upon them using semi-imagined scenes (such as the Washington Park chapter or the outro). I think a more straightforward reference to the sources that is slightly expanded upon would’ve been a better choice than using sources to craft a semi-fictional narrative.

I understand that expansive explorations of poetic language are a huge part of Ra’s work. I understand that crafting semi-fictional narratives based on a variety of sources is something he did A LOT. But that’s Sun Ra, not Paul Youngquist. All-in-all, I just wish Youngquist was more straightforward with his writing and commentary. Sun Ra was a complex and confusing figure, and a secondary source doesn’t need to multiply that.

All in all, I liked this book a lot, and I would recommend it to folks. I plan to read Szwed’s book soon.

[Philomena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in anticipation of the Sun Ra's 111th Birthday Day Festival taking place in Birmingham, and I'm so glad I did! I got much more out of this than I expected, including a newfound appreciation for the lyrical poetry of Sun Ra, his dedication to rehearsed improvisation, genius in music theory, and unique sonic philosophies!
This teriffically crafted memoir, on the foundation of Sun Ra's timeless insights, has changed the way I think about art, music, sound as a force, the black experience, and the universe!

[Theleem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty darn interesting look at one of the most influential and radically unusual musicians in American history. If nothing else, this book will inspire readers to look more deeply into Sun Ra's discography, as well as into his influence on modern music and American history. If I had one complaint, it is that the author is often unwilling to simply state that a lot of Sun Ra's music and writing is just plain strange, and occasionally nearly unintelligible. Sometimes abstract art doesn't need explicit explanation, so chapters dedicated to the attempted deciphering of Ra's poetry and musical creations can seem a bit unnecessary at times.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't exactly the biography I expected, but I'm very glad it wasn't. Reading Youngquist talk about Sun Ra's inspirations and hopes, as rooted in the struggle of black Americans, was far more meaningful than a straight bio would have been. The ties to Thmei, the space age and exotica were particularly fascinating to learn about.

[Luis Cuesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway. It is very good in approaching Sun Ra's life and music. It is very well researched and really shows the experience of being African American musician in America in the 1960´s. As a mix between biography and history, the book is appealing not only to jazz fans but also to any reader who wants to know more about popular culture.

[Melodie Roschman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, especially since I read it for a class I'm currently taking from Paul. I don't think I'm the audience for this book, because I find this type of music writing pretty alienating (ha!). The largest dilemma I was left with was whether I found the writing or Sun-Ra himself more insufferable.

[RA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great take on Sun Ra, with a focus on his effect on the Afro-futurist "movement." Insightful analysis of his poetry, with references to much of his published and unpublished writings. This adds a socio-political/cultural bent to the biographical datam very thought-provoking, with many new references of new music.

[Steve Bowbrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only audiobook I could find about Sun Ra - so that made selection easy - but it's a great read, and puts the artist in the context of the jazz and popular music of his era as well as locating him in the black arts and literary traditions he occupied and influenced immensely.

[Erik Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good roadmap to your alter destiny

[Lukas Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Space is the place

[Gareth Schweitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insight into Sun Ra's music and mythology and a thorough contextualising of Afrofuturism.

I wanted a bit more biography, to get to know the man, but I think that might be a different book.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes one wonders about meticulous inquiry. With the multiple references to John Szwed's biography of Sun Ra, it might be better a better read than this book. It was disappointing to see that Youngquist did not try to contact Jim Newman, the producer of "Space is the Place," as he is still around and available, and I'm sure would love to talk about his experiences with Sun Ra in the Bay Area.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Cultural analysis and context around Sun Ra's Chicago years in particular, and the development of his futuristic positivity in community, music, and poetry, but meandering between general history and textual minutiae.