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Cage, John and Sun Ra


You couldn't imagine two figures more opposite. Cage was known for his unusual approach to composition, using objects such as radios and television sets, as well as pure silence, as instruments, often encouraging his musicians to do other things at their whim on stage. Sun Ra, on the other hand, was a jazz arranger known for his "space-age" approach to jazz, adding free-jazz and surrealist elements into a musical form that Cage often disdained -- improvisational music. And yet, for one afternoon, they pooled their talents -- Ra playing keyboards, leading his small group and reading his unusual poetry; Cage "performing" vocal readings and passages of vocal sound -- plus his trademark silence -- designed to baffle and disorient. The combination is breathtaking, both organic and mechanical, free-form and totally composed.

Cage, John and Sun Ra

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Cage, John & Sun Ra - John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Film - DVD + 7" Single
Price: $25.98
Cage, John & Sun Ra - John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Film - DVD + 7" Single
Retail: $25.98
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Item #: MH-119 -

    The never-before-seen in its entirety, visual documentation proving this avant-garde collaboration of mythic proportions did indeed occur. Recorded at Sideshows by the Seashore along the Coney Island boardwalk on June 8th, 1986 as documented on VHS by John Polizzi under the commission of event producers Rick Russo and Bronwyn Rucker. It was long believed that Cage and Ra never performed together but as you'll see,these two shared the stage the entire time. The VHS footage has been combined...

    Cage, John Meets Sun Ra - The Complete Concert - Clear Vinyl 2-LP
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    Price: $34.98
    Cage, John Meets Sun Ra - The Complete Concert - Clear Vinyl 2-LP
    Retail: $34.98
    Availability: Out of Stock
    Item #: MH-8020 -

      Double LP on clear vinyl!!If you were going to envision the ultimate avant-garde meeting-of-the-minds jam session, who would you pick? Even the most hopeful fan of strange and innovative music couldn't have seen this one coming: on one afternoon in 1986, at Coney Island's dilapidated freak show, space-age avant-jazz genius Sun Ra met avant-garde "serious music" composer John Cage in an unforgettable performance. You couldn't imagine two figures more opposite. Cage was known for his unusual...