One of the regrettably overlooked artists, Sun Ra, returns to planet earth here on the 60 minute documentary by Robert Mugge. From 1978-1980, Ra and his Arkestra was followed by Mugge and his crew, being filmed in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC. Not only do you get Sun Ra in various costumes as he delivers dissertations on everything from Egyptology to planet energy and even a dash of music, but band members such as the legendary John Gilmore are given a chance to explain the genius of Sun Ra’s world view, or in this case, planet view.
Some of Su Ra’s best material is captured here, such as “Astro Black,” “We Travel the Spaceways’ and “Spaceship Earth (Destination Unknown)” and even a few casual jams are caught on film, both on top of buildings and in cozy confines. The other worldliness of Sun Ra combined with his funky swing that influenced bands ranging from the Art Ensemble of Chicago to George Clinton’s Parliament is proof that Sun Ra knew his place in the space. Wonderful!
MVD Visual