Sun Ra Arkestra plays "stomps" in Philly

[alankin]

Anyone else up for some Fletcher Henderson by the Arkestra tomorrow night?

Sun Ra Arkestra

under the direction of

Marshall Allen

— featuring Sun Ra's arrangements of big band jazz stomps by Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson, Jelly Roll Morton, a.o.

— will include the world premiere of two new stomps composed and arranged by Arkestra trumpeter Fred Adams

— the Sedgwick youth jazz band will perform with the Arkestra on several pieces

— Sedgwick Cultural Center, 7137 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia

Apr 16 (Sat) — 8 pm — $15 advance / $22 door

[Ron S]

I REALLY wanted to go to that but, alas, I have to be out of town. You know Catesta is in town now, and may be up for this. If you want his cell phone number, Alan, PM or email me.

[bertrand]

This sounds like a great show! Sorry I'm not in Philly.

Alan, if you do go, please say hello to Fred from me.

This also gives an interesting clue: some of Sun Ra's arrangements are still in possession of the band. I had always assumed they were scattered to the four winds after he died.

Bertrand.

Edited April 15, 2005 by bertrand

[Michael Fitzgerald]

From the one time I saw the post-Ra band, it looked like the huge stacks of dog-eared paper were all still present, so I don't think anything changed in that regard.

Mike

[alankin]

up.

[alankin]

Bertrand, Fred Adams says hello.

Excellent concert!

Here's who played:

Sedgwick Jazz Orchestra

Fred Adams (trumpet & leader)

Khan Jamal (vibes)

Shawn Batillo (drums)

Greg O'Donnell (bass)

Farid Barron (piano)

Charlie X (guitar)

Russell Turra (trumpet)

Mark Sideman (flute)

Thomas Ragler (tenor sax)

Correy Laban (tenor sax)

Adam Jenkins (alto sax)

THE SUN RA ARKESTRA

Under the direction of Marshall Allen

Marshall Allen (alto sax, leader),

Luquman Ali (drums),

Dave Hotep (guitar),

Juini Booth (bass),

Elson Nascimento (percussion),

Art Jenkins (vocals),

Fred Adams (trumpet),

Michael Ray (trumpet),

Tyrone Hill (trombone),

Dave Davis (trombone, euphonium, tuba),

Rey Scott (baritone sax),

Knoel Scott (alto sax),

Danny Thompson (alto sax),

Charles Davis (tenor sax),

Yahya Abdul-Majid (tenor sax),

Farid Barron (piano),

Khan Jamal (vibes)

When I get a chance, I'll post the setlist.

[Chalupa]

Wow. That looks great. I wish I cold have made it. Alas.

Speaking of Sun Ra Arkestra.... I was visiting w/ a friend on Saturday afternoon and he pulled out a bunch of photos he took of the band back in the mid 80's when they were doing their residence at Grendel's Lair on South Street(now a Gap ). The photos were amazing. I'm gonna try to get some copies made. It may be a long term project.....

Edited April 19, 2005 by Chalupa

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Darn! When I read the topic in the main forum room (where long titles get lopped off), I thought it was going to say "Sun Ra plays Stompin' at the Savoy".

Now THAT would be interesting.

Which leads me to this question (pardon my SunRa ignorance; I only have a couple of the bands LPs). Did the band ever cover a standard?

[alankin]

Which leads me to this question (pardon my SunRa ignorance; I only have a couple of the bands LPs). Did the band ever cover a standard?

Yes. For example, "Someday My Prince Will Come" and other Disney movie tunes on First Star To The Right (Salute to Walt Disney), as well as Ellington and Fletcher Henderson tunes on other occasions.

[sidewinder]

Grendel's Lair on South Street(now a Gap )

sigh.....

[alankin]

Here's the 4/16 setlist:

— FIRST SET —

SEDGWICK JAZZ ORCHESTRA

— free improvisation conducted by Fred Adams

— "Interlude" (Fred Adams)

SUN RA ARKESTRA ORCHESTRA

— "Limehouse Blues" (Braham,Furber – 1922), 1st performed by Arkestra in 1978

— "Isfahan" (Billy Strayhorn) – arranged by Charles Davis

— "Love You Madly" (Duke Ellington) – vocals by Art Jenkins

— "Uptown Rag" (Fred Adams)

— improvisation conducted by Marshall Allen

— SECOND SET —

SUN RA ARKESTRA

— "Processions & Rags" (Fred Adams)

— "RA #2 (Sun Ra)

— "Drop Me Off In Harlem" (Ellington), recorded by Sun Ra in Italy in 1982 (Nuclear War)

— "Prelude to a Kiss" (Ellington)

SUN RA ARKESTRA & SEDGWICK JAZZ ORCHESTRA

— "Big John Special" (Horace Henderson)

— "Happy As The Day Is Long" (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler)

— "Big John Special #2" (Horace Henderson)

— final improvisation – conducted by Marshall Allen

[Ron S]

DAMN, I wish I'd been in town for that. How was the turnout, Alan--was it as good as for Golson?

[alankin]

DAMN, I wish I'd been in town for that. How was the turnout, Alan--was it as good as for Golson?

Turnout was less than for the Golson show. Maybe about 70 people.

[Ron S]

DAMN, I wish I'd been in town for that.   How was the turnout, Alan--was it as good as for Golson?

Turnout was less than for the Golson show. Maybe about 70 people.

Substantially less.

[Lazaro Vega]

Sun Ra's is the first band I ever heard play "Queer Notions." What a knockout that was.

[Chalupa]

Looks like they have another gig at Vox Populi next month.

got this in an email....

Saturday May 28th 8:00pm

At Vox Populi (1315 Cherry Street in Philadelphia, PA)

All Ages / $10 / Tickets On Sale At Spaceboy Music & R5Productions.Com

NEED NEW BODY (record release show. first proper show in a forever)

THE ARKESTRA (lead by Marshall Allen and company. this is going to be crazy!)

Edited April 20, 2005 by Chalupa

[alankin]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with Need New Body. Are you?

[Chalupa]

Nope.

You can download some music samples at R5Productions.com

[RJS]

"Big John Special" has been a staple in the Arkestra for decades. Its a big feature for trumpeter Michael Ray, who was in the band back when Ra was very much alive. I once saw the band in Toronto (late 70's?) with like 6 or seven reed players but only Mike and Tyrone (bone) as the entire brass section and they pulled it off. In the sax section was the great John Gilmore (tenor) plus other regulars like Marshall Allen (lead alto/flute), Jack Jackson (basoon and perc) and Danny Thompson (bari).

Last week I got a CD of Ra and his band playing live at a bar in Chicago. Its not a full band but Gilmore is there and so is cornetist Phil Choran. This may be the first recordings by Ra, before he had left Chicago for NYC, where he really started his recording career. I also got another CD on the same label of Ra rehearsing vocal groups back in the 50's!