Funny as it goes. Onli was asked to do an illustration of Sun Ra. Not that Onli ever thought a lot about Mr. Sun Ra's works over the years. If fact Onli felt that compared to the musical works of his former spiritual advisor, Turiya......y'all know her as Alice Coltrane.....that Mr. Ra was very over-rated and a bit of a crude cult leader. He was good friends with a member of Ra's band.
Talk about stories! But those will wait for Onli's interview with the National Enquirer!
But a gig is a gig. And Onli is still a professional illustrator. Sort of like being a serious session musician. Have gig will rock! It will be published in the coming print and web editions of Roctober.
Considering that when Onli was 21 he illustrated an album cover freely applying his early future-primitif Rhythmistic flair..... for two of Ra's more serious contemporaries and musical competitors..Anthony Braxton & Joseph Jarman...entitled "Together Alone" on Delmark Records...this may be a step done way too late to be of importance. But then...its a gig!
