Re: Geerken book

I have been a Sun Ra fan since checking him out at the Painted Bride Art Center when I was growing up in Philadelphia. I went because I seemed to remember him being a regular performer at a club that might have been called(the building went through many different club names) Grendal's Lair where he would perform after a semi-obsecene musical called Let My People Come. Anyway, because I was around twelve I associated his name with the forbidden, and when I came home to Philly one winter break from college I went to the Painted Bride(of course, it was all ages so finally making it to the then impossibly old age of 21 didn't help me get in Grendal's Liar which no longer existed) and was blown away. I write all of this to make it clear that my background is not even close to Jazz. How far? I currently am doctoral candidate in English Literature with a specialty in contemporary American Poetry in traditional form. I subscribed to this group a few months ago hoping to gain some knowledge to add to my understanding of context, type and quality to my ever increasing Sun Ra collection(which has now expanded to Dolphy and Coltrane, and bass player Richard Davis). At this point I am still not clear on the difference between a tenor and alto sax and my enjoyment is simply blind and aesthetic.I want to improve my pleasure by adding to my understanding. In other words, it is easy to enjoy Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle, " as language and sound. However, a different type of appreciation is generated when one understands that it is a villanelle, and the challenges and difficulty that that choice presented Thomas. I'm sorry if I am belaboring the point. You all are way to sophisticated for me at this point. I was hoping that you could perhaps list some of your favorite Ra disks(many of which I probably own) and explain what there appeal is for you, what role they play in his development, perhaps, disks by other artists that informed his development. Also, if anyone could recommend basic books that will help me improve my understanding. Final thought: June Tyson has one of the most full and powerfully beautiful voices I've ever heard. What tradition of singing does she come from, and who was she listening to. I've never heard anybody use phrasing like her, and does she have any recordings of her own? Thank you. If this all too remedial for most of oyu perhaps you could mail me in private. Thanks Again, Richard Abowitz