Adventures on the Sun

"It???s no surprise considering that reinterpretation has been a cornerstone of hip hop production since the beginning, when loops and breaks were getting chopped up. Today though the new generation of producers are taking things further thanks in no small part to the internet and modern technology allowing people to link together regardless of distance and make use of a wealth of recorded music.

"With this in mind, it was a surprise to see something pop up on twitter yesterday about a bunch of producers, including L.A???s Ras G, having released a mix of reinterpretations of Sun Ra. The surprise quickly turned to pleasure when I started listening to it. There isn???t a wealth of information about it, beyond a tracklist, some art (one of which is used in this post) and a link to a myspace page for Re:source who seem to be the mastermind behind this effort. Looking at the tracklist it features quite a few known names to us, such as the aforementioned Ras G, Powell from Paris, Elaquent from Canada and Ichiro from Tokyo."

via The beat generation interprets Sun Ra

Sun Ra Explained

ShoMerde - Sun Ra’s Chart Explained: "Following the momentous appearance of the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen at the Palais Royale in October 2008, local astrologer Julie Simmons ran down the founding father’s chart on morning jazz program, AM/FM with Ron Gaskin, that until recently, broadcast on CKLN FM. With little or no prior knowledge of the man or his music , she nonetheless, hits some solid notes in providing an insight to the enigma that is Sun Ra."

"He was like he was from another star ..."

For the impatient: listen/download the mp3 here

Status: Citizenship

Gary does not WANT to be a citizen of this planet.
It takes too long.
He would much rather stay a citizen of The Greater Uni-Verse.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSNvdLpLx-0&hl=en&fs=1]

Marshall Allen

allen interview on Vimeo
On a cold and rain-soaked October night, Marshall Allen made it all make sense…Here’s the first interview with Allen, where he breaks it down for ShoMerde’s FamousLee; his history in the Sun Ra Arkestra and his role as a Leader after Sun Ra’s passing.

alleninterview from ShoMerde on Vimeo.

Recorded in Toronto, the day before the Hymn to the Universe performance.

Fifty years in the band still isn’t enough

The Senior Times Monthly: "the Arkestra follows the big band tradition but with an avant-garde twist, as likely to play When You Wish Upon a Star or There Will Never Be Another You as they are to revisit Sun Ra’s quirky themes like We Travel the Spaceways or one of the many tunes Allen has penned. Formed in the 1950s, the Arkestra is still thriving. I spoke to Marshall Allen, who still lives in the Sun Ra house in Philadelphia, a couple of days before his 84th birthday"
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYtVe0djBmk&hl=en&fs=1]

The SENIOR Times! I love it. Yeah, 84 years old, still world touring, still writing ripper new charts, still curating boxes of arrangements Sonny left behind, still leading the world's oldest and most venerable jazz band, and still atomizes any unwary terrestrial alto that may stray into the swath of his ion beam.