Sweet Wreath presents
Sun Ra’s Magic City : A Cosmo-Mythic Map of Birmingham
This map project visualizes the world of Sun Ra at the very beginning of his earthly journey in the town of his youth, Birmingham, Alabama. The map’s illustrations depict sites relevant to his early musical career including Terminal Station and it's famous "Magic City" sign, Forbes Piano Co. where Ra first encountered the Solovox, and a recently unearthed image of Sonny as a member of the Rhythm Four vocal quartet. The map features drawings made by Birmingham artists Nadia Johnson, Jenna Clark, Kara Brooks and Jasper Lee.
Reference images and text were sourced from the Birmingham Public Library Archives and the Southern Music Research Center, including show advertisements and early images of Sonny’s public appearances. The project draws on the research and writing of Burgin Matthews, especially from his book Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America, as well as John Szwed’s Ra biography Space is the Place. The map features a full text on the reverse side with detailed
information about each location connected to Sun Ra’s Magic City history.
Free copies of the map have been distributed in Birmingham at Renaissance Records, Seasick Records, Saturn, Birmingham Public Library, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Firehouse Community Art Center, Little Free Libraries around town and more locations forthcoming.
Thank you to Jimmy Griffin and Craig Legg for the inspiration, to Burgin Matthews and John Szwed for the devoted research and writing, and to the Arkestra for keeping the music & spirit alive.
For the Magi is miracle Magic of it all
The Magi is all
The All-Magic citizen of the Magic City
Of the Magic Universe
-Sun Ra, Magic City (1972)
Sun Ra’s Magic City : A Cosmo-Mythic Map of Birmingham
This map project visualizes the world of Sun Ra at the very beginning of his earthly journey in the town of his youth, Birmingham, Alabama. The map’s illustrations depict sites relevant to his early musical career including Terminal Station and it's famous "Magic City" sign, Forbes Piano Co. where Ra first encountered the Solovox, and a recently unearthed image of Sonny as a member of the Rhythm Four vocal quartet. The map features drawings made by Birmingham artists Nadia Johnson, Jenna Clark, Kara Brooks and Jasper Lee.
Reference images and text were sourced from the Birmingham Public Library Archives and the Southern Music Research Center, including show advertisements and early images of Sonny’s public appearances. The project draws on the research and writing of Burgin Matthews, especially from his book Magic City: How the Birmingham Jazz Tradition Shaped the Sound of America, as well as John Szwed’s Ra biography Space is the Place. The map features a full text on the reverse side with detailed
information about each location connected to Sun Ra’s Magic City history.
Free copies of the map have been distributed in Birmingham at Renaissance Records, Seasick Records, Saturn, Birmingham Public Library, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Firehouse Community Art Center, Little Free Libraries around town and more locations forthcoming.
Thank you to Jimmy Griffin and Craig Legg for the inspiration, to Burgin Matthews and John Szwed for the devoted research and writing, and to the Arkestra for keeping the music & spirit alive.
For the Magi is miracle Magic of it all
The Magi is all
The All-Magic citizen of the Magic City
Of the Magic Universe
-Sun Ra, Magic City (1972)
All images copyrighted by Sweet Wreath and respective artists