Sun Ra Arkestra- Media Dreams
Here's the last of my Saturn Records, which I am posting to celebrate the 90th birthday today of Marshall Allen, alto saxophonist and electronic wind instrument player, current leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra- still going strong!
On a personal note:
I had the opportunity to play with Marshall Allen on the 15th in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Sun Ra's birth. Also in attendance was Danny Ray Thompson, playing flute on this occasion, and I had a very fine time, one high point being at the rehearsal where Marshall took the mic and a few of us had a sing-along, Arkestra-style, to the tune of Fate In A Pleasant Mood, which Marshall also seemed to enjoy very much.
Marshall has a penchant for saying things like- "You've gotta do what you can while you can with what you've got", and "You've got to take hold of this one life"; things you hear often enough nowadays.
But when you consider that, the day after playing this gig with the Ratchet Orchestra, Marshall and Danny were off to Italy, and from there all around Europe,to Turkey, Japan, Croatia, and all with only a day's rest here and there (see Sunraarkestra.com for the tour dates) you know this man LIVES by these words.I have little doubt that it is precisely this attitude which is at least partially responsible for his amazing energy and longevity.
I can only say "keep saying what you've got to say while you can say it" , and
"Happy Birthday, Marshall Allen!"
About the record:
This is a weird one,
MysterRa plays a keyboard with an "auto-arpeggio" feature (a2) and gets downright goofy with it, getting it to arpeggiate clusters and the like.
There is also some very celestial synthesizer work (a1,a3) and piano (b2) and a couple of fine solos from John Gilmore on Tenor (a2,b2) and Michael Ray on funky Trumpet (a2).
Altogether a very fine and varied record, from Bop and Ballad to the outer limits, and with good sound quality and presence.
Sun Ra Arkestra- Media Dreams
a1- Saturn Research (3:10)
a2- Constellation (13:52)
a3- Yera Of The Sun (4:39)
b1- Media Dreams (13:54)
b2- Twigs At Twilight (7:30)
b3- An Unknowneth Love (4:43)
(1)
Pass= curios
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. Thanks for this kind of media (dreams).
ReplyDeleteUpon reading this post I followed the crumb trail in my own way until I happened upon the Ratchet Orchestra. Holy moly. Brilliant. Genius. I'd love a Ratchet in my town too.
ReplyDeleteHi anon-glad you like the Ratchet Orchestra. I'm very lucky to be part of it.
DeleteIf this isn't where you ended up, you should check it out. Lots of streaming sound and vision here:
http://www.nicolascaloia.net/ratchet.html
Enjoy!
..thankyou..
ReplyDeletethank you very much.
ReplyDeletethanks for this ra's, monsieur eyescope - and all the recent re-ups, especially the indonesian gamelans!
ReplyDeletecheers, lucky
Hi Lucky!
DeleteGood to hear from you again! I see you have a new blog- I'll be visiting soon.
Stay tuned to the Closet for a live recording of the Sun Ra 100th Anniversary Ratchet Orchestra spectacle with extra special guests Marshall Allen and Danny Ray Thompson.
Regards, DrI.
a marvelous turn on...many thanks
ReplyDeleteMany thanks - wild keyboard !!
ReplyDeletePest control... (in any language). that's exactly what I didn't expect.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Otto. Me neither. They do Khafji, apparently, but can they do SATURN?
ReplyDeleteI think not.
Experience divine peace with the Apna Showroom Brass Gangajal Kalash Shivling. Crafted from pure brass, it represents Lord Shiva’s spiritual essence, fostering positivity and blessings in your sacred space.
ReplyDeleteApna Showroom Shree Sampurna Vyapar Vridhi Yantra Lakshmi Yantra Vashikaran Yantra Kuber Yantra 24k Gold Plated Yantra for Home, Office, Business, and Puja Ghar - Spiritual Energy and Prosperity Enhancement
Apna Showroom Tic Tac Hair Clips for women tik tak tic tak tic hair pin saree pin women's pin hairpin multicolor hair pin Girls Snap Hair Clips, Girls Daily Use Clips Multi Print Design Stylish clips Multicolour (100 Piece
Apna Showroom Ganga Jal - Holy pure Ganga Jal Har ki pauri Brahmakund Prasad Tasveer Chunni Haridwar Ganga Jal Natural Ganga jal
Celebrate your faith with the Apna Showroom Brass Gangajal Kalash Shivling. Crafted with precision and elegance, it symbolizes divine purity, making it an essential element of your spiritual practices.