Sun Ra's Chicago: Afrofuturism and the City

[ghost of miles]

New/recent book that I just ordered--really looking forward to reading it:

Sun Ra's Chicago: Afrofuturism and the City

Edited June 5, 2021 by ghost of miles

[mjazzg]

Ordered. Looks fascinating. Thanks for posting it

[JSngry]

Same!

[jlhoots]

I'm going to get it too.

[Jim Duckworth]

I'm in as well.  Thank you for posting this.

[JSngry]

The Zwed bio made reference to a lot of the literature from around this time, hope this expounds even further. Maybe it's online someplace these days, some of it...I know that when I went to the Black Images book store in Dallas just to see what was on the shelf...not much if anything. But it's important to know about this stuff, and, as possible, know it. So, here's, again, to hope.

[romualdo]

been on my hit list since it was published (check the price difference between the casebound & paperback editions)

Edited June 6, 2021 by romualdo

[Bluesnik]

I might also be interested in that book.

[mjazzg]

Mine's arrived, looks fascinating as I'd hoped

Edited June 6, 2021 by mjazzg

[JSngry]

On 6/5/2021 at 11:04 AM, JSngry said:

The Zwed bio made reference to a lot of the literature from around this time, hope this expounds even further. Maybe it's online someplace these days, some of it...I know that when I went to the Black Images book store in Dallas just to see what was on the shelf...not much if anything. But it's important to know about this stuff, and, as possible, know it. So, here's, again, to hope.

Amazon delivered via USPS in about 28 hours from ordering, just in time too, as I finished the last book I was reading. Since all the reading I do is on the can (and only sometimes to I need to stay extra long to reach a good stopping point...), I think this one will make it until the new Weather Report book arrives.

First glance, lavishly footnoted, always an encouraging sign!

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

Amazon delivered via USPS in about 28 hours from ordering, just in time too, as I finished the last book I was reading. Since all the reading I do is on the can (and only sometimes to I need to stay extra long to reach a good stopping point...), I think this one will make it until the new Weather Report book arrives.

First glance, lavishly footnoted, always an encouraging sign!

You must spend a lot of time "on the can". 

[JSngry]

It beats working, even if it does take forever to finish a book!

[Lazaro Vega]

Finding many allusions to this set in both the text and footnotes. Anyone own this or familiar with it? It's reading like this is the audio companion to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Myth-Revealed-Covering-1914-1959/dp/B004ZNNUD2?fbclid=IwAR09GJrqW-OPOqKlY-LNqInnw4YTWJq1vIXIGzE36QUqTTZjOykt6qwOKKw

[T.D.]

23 minutes ago, Lazaro Vega said:

Finding many allusions to this set in both the text and footnotes. Anyone own this or familiar with it? It's reading like this is the audio companion to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Myth-Revealed-Covering-1914-1959/dp/B004ZNNUD2?fbclid=IwAR09GJrqW-OPOqKlY-LNqInnw4YTWJq1vIXIGzE36QUqTTZjOykt6qwOKKw

Yes, I own the set, enjoy it and periodically listen to all the discs in sequence. Purchased it used via this board some years ago.

Wouldn't go quite so far as to say it's the "audio companion", but it has outstanding coverage of Ra's Chicago period. If a reasonably priced copy surfaces, I'd go for it.

My only minor criticism is that Michael Anderson (the narrator) seemingly inserts fake intros and questions into several old tapes of Ra speaking, somewhat falsely portraying them as interviews. Comes off as a bit cheesy, but doesn't detract from the recommendation.

[Lazaro Vega]

It's selling for $245 at Amazon. Just under half price.

 

[T.D.]

30 minutes ago, Lazaro Vega said:

It's selling for $245 at Amazon. Just under half price.

 

A discogs seller from Turkey offers it @US$120 shipped. I've considered ordering a couple of things from that seller (he has a pretty good inventory), but never had enough confidence in intl. shipping to pull the trigger.

I think I paid in the vicinity of $110,  but it's been a few years. Was extremely happy with the purchase. The $200+ offerings seem really high. Back when I was paying attention, transactions seemed to take place around $100 plus or minus, say $90 - 125.

[JSngry]

I was lucky enough to get just the contents of the discs, from which I was able to use the Robert Campbell site to create a fully chronological private set of "all known" Chicago-era Ra recordings.

It makes a wonderful, if not a corrective (because what needs correcting?), then definitely a parallel reality to the one created by relying strictly on the Saturn recordings as released.

For anybody who has the resources (not the least valuable of which is time), it might prove to be a worthwhile endeavor.