At first there was Nothing
...then Nothing turned itself inside out and became Something
...then Nothing turned itself inside out and became Something
I went to Birmingham, Alabama; I never went down there before, and I played in a place that was a hillbilly, country-western, "redneck" place. It was the only place (in Alabama) that wanted me to play. Other places didn't ask for me, but this place did. So I told my band that we weren't playing for white people tonight, we were playing for white folk, and folks got folk songs. They have, in addition, basic culture. But the people don't have no songs--the folks got the songs! And the folks can appreciate what I'm doing better than the people who do not have any songs whatsoever. I told them that. It was standing room only, on a Tuesday night, and these people shouted my name for 15 minutes. I went outside, and they surrounded me and said, "Sun Ra, you are surrounded by love in Alabama".
When I realized that the commercial [record] companies weren't going to put me out there, I did it myself, so that the world would have at least a trace of something that's beautiful and coordinated, and that really would make them feel that there is such a thing as happiness, and make them feel that there are forces beyond this planet who taught me and wanted me to present this to them. And I've been successful in reaching these people.
How is it possible to be fairly musically literate in America, but at the same time never know the music of Sun Ra? This was a question I approached (or, more accurately, approached me) recently. Being a vinylphile I came upon a store in Chicago selling LP's over the Web. Their catalog featured many Sun Ra Arkestra records--a name I'd kind of heard of but didn't know much about. I thought, "what the hell", and initially ordered a brace of Delmark discs: Sun Song and Sound of Joy. Upon arrival and upon listening I was immediately conscripted.
The amazing thing, for me, was knowing that simultaneously with my then infant existence there lived, in Chicago, a man tape-recording his own compositions--music at the time heard by hardly anyone. Music for the future. Music for us, now. Obviously he understood the importance of his undertaking, and, fortunately for us, possessed both the wherewithal and foresight to preserve his sounds for posterity.
My only regret is that I was unable to recognize the spirit of Sun Ra until later in life. So many years, if not lost, at least dormant...gestating, simply in order to be able to understand and appreciate whatever it was that he was able to tap in to, and graciously translate for us.