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Marco Romano's avatar

I have tried many times to listen to Sun Ra. Nothing has grabbed me. African music Angola, South Africa, Congolese Rumba, Soukous, The Gambia, Cameroonian et al is another story.

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Eric Schultz's avatar

Sun Ra embodies an enormous swath of the jazz æsthetic, and in navigating over 100 recordings from 1956 to the present (his spirit lives on under the guidance of 90+ year old Marshall Allen…)it's difficult to seize what he's about in just a few recordings. I have to admit that personally, I have trouble with some of his electric piano/synthesizer dominant music of the 1970s, but if one is patient, it's possible to find chefs d'œuvres in all periods of his discography. Perhaps start with his early recordings from the 1950s (although that is normally what I would suggest for someone who has a straight ahead Jazz background.). I hear a strong Tadd Dameron influence but the space component is already present. "Sound of Joy" is highly recommended. "Magic City" from 1964 (65?) is completely different and along with "Free Jazz" by Ornette and "Ascension" by Coltrane is one of the early large ensemble free jazz masterpieces.

Of course, there is no 'direct' reference in Sun Ra's music to the specific African musics that you cited above. Just remember that the 'futurist' part of the label is just as important as "Afro". And as an aside, I'm somewhat disappointed that you didn't include any "Mandingue" music (and specifically that of Mali) in your list of important African musics. Also, if Ted Gioia is listening, I'd be enormously interested in his list of the "10 Most Important Sun Ra Recordings"

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Marco Romano's avatar

I do have some music from Mali in my collection: Oumou Sangaré, Ali Farka Touré, Salif Keita, Issa Bagayogo et al. Africa is a huge continent and the music is diverse beyond description. I have been collecting since the 80's. It's just that LusAfrican music happens to be my favorite followed by South African, Sierra Leone Highlife, Nigerian, Guinean and on and on. Some rhythms grab me more than others. I am not a big fan of mbalax from Senegal though I enjoy some of it. Life is short. One can't like everything.

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Eric Schultz's avatar

Other than Mali being my favorite country in Africa for music (Toumani Diabate, Ballaké Sissoko, Bassakou Kouyaté and the great vocalists -O Sangaré and others), I feel that it's also the closest to the African American free jazz æsthetic which I couldn't help noticing when you mentioned your difficulty with Sun Ra's music. Malian music, like any amanating from Africa, is about the groove too, but there is so much more than that in Malian music (In comparison with urban Congolese music for example). I mean, it's not by chance that Julius Hemphill named his tune "Dogon A.D."…

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Marco Romano's avatar

My tastes in jazz are pretty mainstream straight ahead that doesn't stray too far from the blues. I do not enjoy free experimental jazz at all. I don't mind some outside, but for the most part I prefer rhythm and melody. Some Lus-African artists worth checking out Paulo Flores, Carlos Lamartine, Carlos Burity, Tito Paris, Cabo Verde Show, Boy Ge Mendes, Cesaria Evora, Eduardo Paim and many others. Don't get me started on the music from Haiti, French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique!

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Marco Romano's avatar

I forgot to add that some soukous tends to be no more than what sounds like finger exercises for the lead guitar. I believe that many fans tired of this and the resurgence of Congolese rumba was maybe a response to this.

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