The Sun Ra Arkestra is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

group formed in the mid-1950s and led by keyboardist/composer

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

until his death in 1993. The group is considered a pioneer of

afrofuturism Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, and philosophy of science and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technocu ...

. As of 2022, the Arkestra is led by saxophonist

Marshall Allen Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company). Allen is best ...

, an Arkestra member since 1958, who is supported by more than a dozen other musicians.

History

The band is headquartered in a

rowhouse In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...

in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. Saxophonist and current leader

has lived and worked in the house since 1968. In 1976,

Vincent Chancey Vincent Chancey (born February 4, 1950) is an American jazz hornist. Early life and education Chancey was born and raised in Chicago. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the SIUC School of Music in 1973 and studied under Julius W ...

, an American jazz hornist joined the group. In 1993, Allen became the leader of Arkestra after

died. In 1999, the Arkestra released the studio album, ''A Song for the Sun.'' In 2009, Philadelphia's Institute of Contemporary Art hosted an exhibition of the group's history and artistry. In 2012 Tara Middleton, a violinist and vocalist joined the group. In 2017, the Arkestra opened for

Solange Solange (died 10 May, c. 880) was a Frankish shepherdess and a locally venerated Christian saint and cephalophore, whose cult is restricted to Sainte-Solange, Cher. Saint Solange was the patron of the traditional Province of Berry, of which C ...

on her tour supporting her 2016 album, ''

A Seat at the Table ''A Seat at the Table'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Solange. It was released on September 30, 2016, by Saint Records and Columbia Records. While recording the album, Solange released an EP, titled ''True'' (2012) and ...

''. In 2019, the Arkestra had a major performance at the Hollywood Theater in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. In October 2020, the Sun Ra Arkestra released ''Swirling'', the first album the band released in 20 years. The band recorded the album at Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Soundworks and was released on

Strut Records Strut Records is a British record label that focuses on dance music and afrobeat. History The label was "acquired and re-launched in January 2008." The label website states that "from 1999-2003, the label became renowned for its uncompromisi ...

. The album features the first-ever recording of Sun Ra's song "Darkness."

Music style and influences

The Arkestra draws from a range of musical genres: swing,

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

. When the Arkestra performs, the band members wear flashy capes and sequined headdresses.

Discography

Studio Albums * ''A Song of the Sun'' (1999) * ''Swirling'' (2020) * Living Sky (2022) See also

Sun Ra discography The Sun Ra discography is one of the largest discographies in music history. Jazz keyboardist, bandleader and composer Sun Ra recorded dozens of singles and over one hundred full-length albums, comprising well over 1,000 songs, and making him one o ...

References

External links

The Sun Ra Arkestra
official site, under the direction of

Sun Ra Arkestra concert
at Acht Brücken Festival, in Cologne, Germany on 2022-06-07 :40:57 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sun Ra Arkestra Afrofuturism African-American musical groups Musical groups from Philadelphia Germantown, Philadelphia