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
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 ...
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
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 ...
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 uncompromisin ...
.
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
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 ...
Sun Ra Arkestra concertat 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