Sun Ra Lives

After miraculously receiving a free ticket to see the Arkestra perform, my Thursday evening was enriched by 90 minutes of Sun Ra's Arkestra. Under the leadership of Marshall Allen, who might have been the only old-timer who was part of the early years of the Arkestra, they performed compositions encompassing the entire breadth of the Arkestra's years. A Fletcher Henderson tune here, some Latin jazz there, plus numerous chants, African grooves, and the musicians staging a procession through the audience's seating area comprised an evening of endless swing and rhythm. Like Duke Ellington, Ra's penchant for tonal sound poems brought to mind livid colors and otherworlds, matched by the outlandish garb of the band and the audience's appreciation. Marshall Allen was the main provider of "skronk," directing the rest of the Arkestra and occasionally joining the vocalist in scatting and chants. Unfortunately, the band didn't touch Sun Ra's less accessible free jazz material, nor did they explore one of my favorites from his New York years: "Moon Dance." Nonetheless, the band was successful in adapting old Arkestra standards for a fresh sound, as well as toying with some electronic instruments to explore different sounds and dissonances. Once I track down the name of that complex Latin jazz number the band performed, I will be ecstatic.