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Jazz Articles about Sun Ra Arkestra
About Sun Ra Arkestra
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
Sun Ra Arkestra: Music for the 21st Century: Live at the Uncool Festival
by Ty Cumbie
Under the capable and deft hand of Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra, against all odds, continues to tour and record. The band sounds as good as ever, the costumes and stage antics are still good clean fun, and most Earthlings still haven’t caught up. The Arkestra, an effective mix of elder members and relative newcomers, mines the exhaustive, almost Ellingtonian output of music composed by Sonny Blount (Sun Ra) himself, extending the repertoire with works by ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra Arkestra: It's After The End of The World
by AAJ Staff
Recorded live at the Donaueschingen Music and Berlin Festivals in 1970, this gem ideally captures Sun Ra and His Intergalactic (Research) Arkestra at its most otherworldly self. Individual and collective sounds reach for ears at times beyond human comprehension. The 21-member Arkestra is anchored by its leader captaining keyboards of various frequencies of inter-planetary communication and fresh audible sensations—from his Farfisa organ, “roc-si-chord,” “spacemaster,” Mini- Moog synthesizer, Hohner clavinet and electra, to acoustic piano. Soundscapes vary from Twilight Zone-ish scores ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra Arkestra: Music From Tomorrow's World
by Jay Collins
All of the material on Music From Tomorrow's World, recorded by Sun Ra in Chicago in 1960, is brand new to wax. The first half of the disc, Live At The Wonder Inn , begins with three Ra compositions, the first two featuring the lovely flutes of Marshall Allen and George Hudson (uncredited) over a tranquil, forward moving groove. As one might expect, John Gilmore is present and his fans should be thrilled with his engaging solo on “Space Aura” ...
Continue ReadingSun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen at MECA
by Frank Rubolino
Sun Ra Arksesta Directed by Marshall Allen MECA Houston, TX November 15, 1999 Curator David Dove continued his quest to expose Houston audiences to world class improvising artists by presenting the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen. The band worked its magic on November 17, 1999, at MECA (Multicultural Education & Counseling Through the Arts), a community center that provides a platform for exposing students to multiple art forms such as ...
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