Program of rare music films on Saturday, Sept 19 at Monkeytown in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. 7:30 pm

http://www.monkeytownhq.com/9_19_09EARLY.html

A Night of Rare Film Jams

Saturday, September 19th
Admission: $5, $10 minimum
Showtime: 7:30 pm
reservations are recommended

This program features four very unconventional takes on the concert film.

The Singing Fishermen of Ghana by Pete and Toshi Seeger.
1964, 13 minutes.
Young Ghanaian fishermen bring percussionists along on their boats to accompany their work songs, which helps them pace their rowing. They also turn the act of pulling their fish nets onto the shore into a singing, dancing celebration.

Cigarette Blues by Les Blank and Alan Govenar.
1985, 6 minutes.
Sonny Rhodes and the Texas Twisters perform a searing anti-smoking number, accompanied by a beautiful gyrating, smoking dancer and clips of Rhodes talking about the blues.

Christopher Tree by Les Blank.
1967, 10 minutes.
"Improvising spontaneously in a pristine forest, Christopher Tree creates an inspired state of mind in the viewer with his one-man orchestra that includes 40 Tibetan temple gongs, flutes, tympani and wind chimes.” – Les Blank

Spaceways by Edward English.
1968, 18 minutes.
Gorgeous black and white film of Sun Ra and the Arkestra rehearsing at the Sun Ra house at 48 East 3rd Street in New York for their appearance at Carnegie Hall.

Curated by Lauren Madow

October 31, 2009 Sun Ra Arkestra Halloween show at International House Philadelphia

http://www.arsnovaworkshop.org/events/sun-ra-arkestra-under-direction-marshall-allen-10-31-2009

International House Philadelphia
3701 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Saturday, October 31, 2009 - 8:00 pm
Price: $20 General Admission

Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen
Anti-Jazz: The New Thing Revisited

Marshall Allen, alto saxophone + Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI)
Yah Yah Abdul-Majid, tenor saxophone
Knoel Scott, alto saxophone
Danny Ray Thompson, baritone saxophone
Farid Barron, piano
Fred Adams, trumpet
Michael Ray, trumpet
Cecil Brooks, trumpet
Dave Davis, trombone + French horn + tuba
Dave Hotep, el. guitar
Bill Davis, double-bass
Wayne A. Smith, Jr., drums
Elson Nascimento, surdo drum

Join us for this special and spectacular Halloween performance of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Founded in 1958 under the leadership of Sun Ra, the Arkestra pioneered a unique brand of afro-futurism, forging intersecting musical pathways that explore outer space and Egyptian
mythology. Drawing on the work of Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, the Arkestra are pioneers of the bop-derived avant-garde and collective improvisation. Their work has had tremendous impact on scores of musicians including MC5, Sonic Youth and George Clinton. Following the Arkestra's influential tenures in Chicago and New York City, Sun Ra and the Arkestra relocated to Philadelphia in 1968, where they continue their commitment to the study, research and development of Sun Ra's musical precepts. Following the ascension of Sun Ra in 1993 and John Gilmore in 1995, Maestro Marshall Allen (b. 1924) has launched the Sun Ra Arkestra into a dimension beyond that of mere "ghost" band by writing fresh arrangements of Sun Ra's music, as well as composing new music and arrangements for the Arkestra.

AS220's FooFest 2009 Photos on Flicker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/as220/sets/72157622168301228/

Norton Records to release a motherlode of unissued early R&B, doo wop, soul and general weirdness featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra

http://www.nortonrecords.com

APRIL NEWS FROM NORTON RECORDS! NEW EXCAVATIONS TO BLOW YOUR TOP!

...more 45s coming soon from Jackie and the Cedrics, Sun Ra and more!
Current seven inch crop below-- scroll on!

WATCH OUT FOR MUCK MUCK! Norton recently took a rocket ride into the vaults of El Saturn Research and arrived back on Earth with a motherlode of unissued early R&B, doo wop, soul and general weirdness featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra backing a variety of artists. This series will be compiled on several Norton albums and singles including an entire disc by Yochanan (The Space Age Vocalist) backed by Sun Ra and his Arkestra featuring his demented Saturn 45 Muck Muck / Hot Skillet Mama and much more lunacy from yet another Norton turban headed star! These stupendous recordings include Yochanan-Rocket Ship Rock / Nu Sounds - The Second Stop Is Jupiter / Crystals - Honey In The Bee Box / Qualities - If I Only Hadn't Sinned / Ebah - I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman / Don (Dino) Dean - The Space Stroll / Sun Ra - I Am Strange / Cosmic Rays - Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie and many, many more.

The 13th Annual Mississippi Jazz Festival

http://www.jazzmississippi.com/

http://activerain.com/blogsview/730890/Summit-MS-13th-Annual

The 13th Annual Mississippi Jazz Festival was held at the Summit Rotary gym on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008. The festival this year was a tribute to Summit native John Gilmore, ace saxophonist who played with the famous Sun Ra's Arkestra. Performers were Mississippi and Louisiana musicians Dr. Ronald Myers, piano and trumpet; Sherrill Holly, saxophone; Dr. London Branch, bass; and Wilton Knott, Rufus Mapp, and Aye` Aton, percussion. Dr. Branch celebrated his birthday at the event, which was also the birthday of John Gilmore. For more information, see http://www.jazzmississippi.com

http://www.archive.org/details/MusiciansRecountingSaxophonistJohnGilmore

Listen to the audio recording in which Ayeâ Aton tells of how he played with Summit, MS, native John Gilmore in the Sun Ra Arkestra, Sherrill Holly speaks of meeting Gilmore and following the famous Sun Ra group, and Ron Myers gives tribute to Mississippi jazz legacies, including Lester "Prez" Young, who was born in Woodville, also in Southwest Mississippi. (Due to the less than excellent recording quality, I deleted the part where the band plays. Running time is 10:31.) Be sure to click on the 2.6 MB WAVE audio option.

Katelin Dutton's Beautiful FooFest Photos

http://katelinduttonportraits.blogspot.com/2009/08/sun-ra-arkestra-at-foo-festival.html

Sun Ra Arkestra at FooFest August 15, 2009 Providence, RI.

http://www.as220.org/foofest/

This August 15th from 1pm to 1am, AS220 brings back our famous urban street party, blocking off most of Empire Street and filling it with things infinitely superior to parked cars! Numerous interactive art installations and games, local artists showcasing their creations and twelve hours of all-original music will make this our most art-packed, music-filled festival yet!

This year's special guest headliner is the one and only Sun Ra Arkestra, the famous twenty-member jazz assemble under the direction of Marshall Allen. Witness this legendary spectacle while you can - who knows when they'll return to this planet?!