SUN RA ARKESTRA under the direction of Marshall Allen
Halloween! Saturday, October 31, 8pm
International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street
$20 General Admission
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.