on Sunday the 15th of May I had the pleasure of witnessing a performance by Sun Ra’s Arkestra (under direction of Marshall Allen). This concert was very life-changing for me, and I feel that it was the single greatest musical performance that I have witnessed in my entire life, (possibly the greatest I will ever witness). The freedom, yet control of the group was very telling of the dedication not only to their musical practice in developing their skill, however also their dedication to the legacy of Sun Ra and the ideas & perspectives that he gifted the world. Each individual player managed to maintain their individual unique style and presence, while also seamlessly interacting with the other individuals in the group. There was moments of spotlight and particular shining from each individual of the group, as well as moments of joint spotlight.
I think the thing that I found most profound was the balance that was created by the highs and lows, and mixture of moments of bliss, peace and simple beauty, and the moments of intensity, dissonance and excitement. All of these points flowed in a very natural pace and journey, under the masterful direction of Avant-garde legend Marshall Allen.
The experience was so profound that I returned the next day on the 16th May, after attempting to explain to friends of mine (who had missed the show on Sunday) the importance of this group and these shows. The performance on the following day (Monday the 16th) was another very powerful experience, yet still a different one to Sundays show (as I suspected it would be). The discography of the group follows a lineage as early as the 50’s, and the group have continued to create music even today. This means that the songs that the group may draw from cover this entire period, however the group have continued a theme of afro-futurism, meaning that their music has been continually futuristic and forward thinking, as well as being rooted in classic jazz.
I feel the experience of witnessing this group will be one that will provide me with many lifetimes of inspiration, in terms of the ideas and values that the group holds/ explores, as well as their dedication to music.
Marshall Allen has been playing with the Arkestra for 64 years now which I find very inspirational in his dedication and development. The fact that Marshall Allen is almost 98 years old, and still managing to perform Avant-garde saxophone for hours on end (as well as conducting the Arkestra, and performing various other instruments) is also very inspirational for me to have witnessed, as I feel that his musical drive and ambition has been key in him maintaining his youth and health. I felt a strong urge to also live a long full lifetime of musical creation and Development, and wondered curiously what my life will be like in 2098 if I am still alive, and what kinds of sounds I would have made, what kind of legacy I will leave, and what kind of musical projects I will be working on.