When it comes to the universe of Sun Ra, there are no such things as coincidences. So it makes perfect sense that two albums of the Arkestra’s music, each titled Lights On A Satellite and recorded many decades apart, should be issued in the same month. In 1978, the Arkestra appeared at the hippest spot in Baltimore, Maryland: the Left Bank Jazz Society’s presentations at the Famous Ballroom. Lights On A Satellite: Live At The Left Bank captures the Arkestra in performance. I had the immense pleasure of seeing the Arkestra several times in the late Seventies, and they never failed to give a spectacular show, complete with fabulous home-made costumes, space chants, dancers, Sun Ra’s insanely wonderful synthesizer forays, and the great sax section with John Gilmore on tenor, Danny Davis and Marshall Allen on altos, and Danny Ray Thompson on baritone. The set list for this blistering performance includes such goodies as the title track, Fletcher Henderson’s Yeah Man (1933), Horace Henderson’s Big John’s Special, an Arkestra favorite first recorded in 1934, We Travel the Spaceways and what might be my favorite Sun Ra composition, the infectious Watusi. The band is in great form, and Ra himself plays with his usual wit and great spirit, especially on the three consecutive piano features, beginning with his excursion Over the Rainbow. The packed booklet features photos, including some from the show, notes by J.D. Considine who was at this performance, and a reminiscence by filmmaker Robert Mugge, whose film Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise was shot at this Baltimore appearance. (Mugge also contributed a couple of pieces to this release as bonus tracks, the swinging piano improvisation called Left Bank Blues and an Arkestral look at ‘Round Midnight, with Ra at the organ.) The booklet also includes snippets of interviews with the late Dan Morgenstern, Marshall Allen, saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist Craig Taborn, and the unique perspective of Michael D. Anderson, who was one of the drummers at the Famous Ballroom. Anderson later became the archivist for the Arkestra, and he co-produced this release with Zev Feldman. This Lights On A Satellite is a total delight, with Sun Ra’s music given the impeccable treatment that it deserves.
Resonance HCD-2074 (2 CDs or 3 Lps): Walter Miller (tpt) Michael Ray (tpt, vcl) Craig Harris (tbn) Marshall Allen (as, fl, picc) Danny Davis (as, fl) Eloe Omoe (as, bcl) John Gilmore (ts, cl) Danny Ray Thompson (bari s, fl) Sun Ra (kybds) Damon Choice (vib) Dale Williams (g) Richard Williams (Radu) (ac & el b) Michael D. Anderson, Eddie Thomas (d) Atakatune (cga) James Jacson (ancient infinity drum, bassoon) The Jingle Brothers (bells, perc) June Tyson (vcl); Baltimore, MD, July 23, 1978; Disc 1 (47:03): Band Intro; Thunder of Drums/ Tapestry From an Asteroid/ Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ A Pleasant Place in Space/ Space Travelin’ Blues/ Yeah Man/ Big John’s Special/ Lights on a Satellite/ Lady Bird; Half Nelson. Disc 2 (48:36): Cocktails for Two/ Watusi/ They Plan to Leave/ Images in a Mirror/ We Travel the Spaceways/ Left Bank Blues*/ ‘Round Midnight*. *Bonus tracks from Robert Mugge’s film, Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise. resonancerecords.org
Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2024, has been leading the band since Ra departed this earthly plane in 1993, and by now, he’s been in the Arkestra longer than Sun Ra! To celebrate this milestone, Frank Kleinschmidt of IN+OUT Records brought the Arkestra into a New York studio to record Lights On A Satellite, with ten tunes representative of the current version of the ensemble. The set list, in addition to favorites like the title track, Friendly Galaxy and Tapestry From an Asteroid, includes a previously unheard Sun Ra composition, the uncharacteristic love song Baby Won’t You Please Be Mine, one-time Arkestra member Phil Cohran’s Dorothy’s Dance, Big John’s Special, an Arkestra favorite first recorded in 1934, and, of all things, Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, a Turner Layton composition that made its debut on record by the Dixie Daisies in 1922. The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s famous motto, Ancient To The Future, finds one of its deepest manifestations in the Sun Ra Arkestra’s immense repertoire. With the presence of some long-time Arkestra musicians, including trumpeter Michael Ray, saxophonist Knoel Scott, French hornist Vincent Chancey, guitarist Carl LeBlanc, and percussionist Elson Nascimento, there’s plenty of institutional memory and experience for Marshall Allen to draw upon for support in this ongoing project. Allen solos with his distinctive alto saxophone sound at various points throughout a generous program of nearly 80 minutes, and to these ears, his interjections provide the most exciting moments of the whole album. The sprawling and bracingly wild Reflects Motion is probably my favorite track here, evoking, as it does, more of the uncompromised sound of the Sun Ra Arkestra in its prime. All in all, a beautiful present to the great Marshall Allen on his century on the planet. Recommended.
IN+ OUT IOR 77158 (CD or 2 Lps); Michael Ray (tpt, vcl) Cecil Brooks (tpt) Vincent Chancey (Fr hn) Brent White (tbn, b tbn) Dave Davis, Robert Stringer (tbn) Marshall Allen (as, EVI, gong, vcl) Knoel Scott (as, bari s, cga, vcl) Chris Hemingway (as) Anthony Nelson (cl, bari s) Nasir Dickerson (ts) James Stewart (fl, ts) Tara Middleton (vcl, vln) Owen Brown, Jr., Gwen Laster (vln) Melanie Dyer (vla) Nina Bogomas (harp) Farid Barron (p, kybds, Moog theremin) Carl LeBlanc (gtr, vcl) Dave Hotep (g) Tyler Mitchell (b) George Gray (d) Elson Nascimento (surdo, perc) Jose Jorge Da Silva (perc); NYC, June 16, 2024; Lights on a Satellite/ Dorothy’s Dance/ Big John’s Special/ Images/ Friendly Galaxy/ Baby Won’t You Please Be Mine/ Holiday for Strings/ Tapestry From an Asteroid/ Reflects Motion/ Way Down Yonder in New Orleans; 80:17. inandout-records.com
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