Latest news with #SunRa
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Longtime Arkestra member Marshall Allen sitting out Sun Ra Festival in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Marshall Allen, a jazz musician who has been associated with the Sun Ra Arkestra for nearly 70 years, will not be part of the upcoming festival in Birmingham celebrating the singular Herman Blount, better known as 'Sun Ra.' Marshall Allen, who will celebrate his 101st birthday on May 26, has been part of Sun Ra's band for decades, first joining when Blount was based in Chicago in the 1950s, continuing on through Sun Ra's death in 1993 and leading the band ever since. As longest serving member of the Arkestra, Allen led the band to its first Grammy nomination for 'Swirling,' a collection of Sun Ra standards released in 2020. Sun Ra took his music from Birmingham to outer space. For the first time, his band is nominated for a Grammy Lee Shook, organizer for the Sun Ra Festival being held May 21-24, confirmed that Allen, who has cut back on his performances with the band in recent years due to health concerns, would not be able to come to Birmingham for the festival. 'It will be his 101st birthday on May 26th, and we wanted to make it his birthday party as well, but have been told he cannot come because he does not fly anymore,' Shook said. 'We even had an angel donor offer to fly a private jet up to get him and take him back to Philly so he could be here for it, but alas his doctor said no, which we just found out about.' Shook said there are plans in the works to have Marshall take part in the festival through a Zoom call sometime during the festival, but nothing has been finalized yet. In an interview with CBS 42 ahead of his 100th birthday, Allen talked about how he is still creating music, but that life on the road at his age is just not realistic. 'You're always running after trains and planes and carrying all that baggage,' Allen said. 'I'm not so tired I can't work, but traveling is rough.' Nonetheless, Allen is still keeping busy with music, releasing his debut solo album, 'New Dawn,' in February, as well as taking part in recent collaborations with Meshell Ndegeocello on the Sun Ra-inspired album 'Red Hot & Ra: Magic City' and the Kronos Quartet on 'Outer Spaceways Incorporated – Kronos Quartet & Friends Meet Sun Ra.' Sun Ra, who took the public persona as an alien from Saturn, was born and raised in Birmingham, playing music with different bands before leaving for Chicago in 1945. Although he never reached the same cultural peaks as his contemporaries, Sun Ra and his music have continued to reach new generations and is considered a pivotal figure in afrofuturism, which reconfigures the Black experience through science fiction. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. More information on the Sun Ra Festival can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marshall Allen reflects on his journey through jazz
At the golden age of 100, Marshall Allen is still on tour. He's promoting New Dawn, his first solo album with his name and was honored Saturday with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship. Allen grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, listening to the sounds of Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. The clarinet was the first instrument Allen learned to play. He then learned the saxophone, while serving in the Army band during World War II. "I'm going in like I'm going to be a hero. I'm going to do this and that, but when I got that reality of Army life, it was … it was different," he said. His sound is unique because he doesn't just play the written melody, he adds random notes at random times to reflect how the songs make him feel. "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song," Allen said. How Allen played and his reasons why changed in the late 1950s when he met Herman Poole Blount, known as Sun Ra. The composer and leader of "Sun Ra Arkestra" later welcomed Allen into his group, but not without criticism. "He said 'You sound good, had a tone and your disk and it sound good, but it's not what I want.' I said, 'Now what is it that you want?' He is saying … 'I want to hear what you don't know.'" Sun Ra's fascination with outer space and the true freedom it could offer inspired his cosmic blend of jazz, Afrofuturism and spiritual expression. He encouraged his artists to play from the heart and improvise when they "felt the spirit." For years, the group lived together in Philadelphia and practiced relentlessly. "Rehearsed day and night," Allen said. "I had to get my discipline together." When Sun Ra died in the early 1990s, Allen became the new leader. For the last 30 years he has been teaching musicians the art of playing what they don't know. Jazz music journey Allen said jazz music is just as important today as it was when he was starting out. The routine of preparing for a show and testing his instruments never seems to get old for Allen, who turns 101 next month, and recently performed in Brooklyn, New York. "I've been doing this so long," he said. "70, 80, 90 years." It's been time well spent doing what he loves, which is making people feel something. He said what keeps him going with jazz is, "the spirit of things and not knowing everything." As for the next generation of musicians, Allen said they "have to earn it." "If you want to play music, you have to get it," he said. "You have to be in a spirit. You have to play what you don't know." Kristi Noem says she's "very confident" undocumented migrants stole her purse Ashlie Crosson named 2025 National Teacher of the Year Supreme Court appears poised to side with student with disability in school discrimination case
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Jazz legend Marshall Allen reflects on his music journey at 100 years old: "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song"
At the golden age of 100, Marshall Allen is still on tour. He's promoting New Dawn, his first solo album with his name and was honored Saturday with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship. Allen grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, listening to the sounds of Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. The clarinet was the first instrument Allen learned to play. He then learned the saxophone, while serving in the Army band during World War II. "I'm going in like I'm going to be a hero. I'm going to do this and that, but when I got that reality of Army life, it was … it was different," he said. His sound is unique because he doesn't just play the written melody, he adds random notes at random times to reflect how the songs make him feel. "You just have to depend on the spirit of the song," Allen said. How Allen played and his reasons why changed in the late 1950s when he met Herman Poole Blount, known as Sun Ra. The composer and leader of "Sun Ra Arkestra" later welcomed Allen into his group, but not without criticism. "He said 'You sound good, had a tone and your disk and it sound good, but it's not what I want.' I said, 'Now what is it that you want?' He is saying … 'I want to hear what you don't know.'" Sun Ra's fascination with outer space and the true freedom it could offer inspired his cosmic blend of jazz, Afrofuturism and spiritual expression. He encouraged his artists to play from the heart and improvise when they "felt the spirit." For years, the group lived together in Philadelphia and practiced relentlessly. "Rehearsed day and night," Allen said. "I had to get my discipline together." When Sun Ra died in the early 1990s, Allen became the new leader. For the last 30 years he has been teaching musicians the art of playing what they don't know. Jazz music journey Allen said jazz music is just as important today as it was when he was starting out. The routine of preparing for a show and testing his instruments never seems to get old for Allen, who turns 101 next month, and recently performed in Brooklyn, New York. "I've been doing this so long," he said. "70, 80, 90 years." It's been time well spent doing what he loves, which is making people feel something. He said what keeps him going with jazz is, "the spirit of things and not knowing everything." As for the next generation of musicians, Allen said they "have to earn it." "If you want to play music, you have to get it," he said. "You have to be in a spirit. You have to play what you don't know."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carver Theater to host Sun Ra Festival in May
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Birmingham's Carver Theater is celebrating the legacy of Birmingham jazz artist Sun Ra with a week of events they're calling the Sun Ra Festival. Le Sony'r Ra, more popularly known as Sun Ra, was a jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player and poet. Sun Ra was born and raised in Birmingham, and he was known for his experimental music, 'cosmic' philosophy, prolific output and theatrical performances. Claiming to be an alien from Saturn on a mission to preach peace, Sun Ra developed a mythical persona that made him a pioneer of Afrofuturism. The Carver Theater's Sun Ra Festival will last from May 21- 24. Here's a list of the festival's events: Wednesday, May 21 Sidewalk Cinema and Southern Music Research Center present: Space is the Place + Sun Ra Short Film at 7 p.m. After Party at House of Found Objects at 10 p.m. Thursday, May 22 Seasick Records Albums + Poster Signing at 12 p.m. Educational Program at Saturn — TBA Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame presents: Sun Ra Day Celebration, featuring Sun Ra's Arkestra live at the Carver Theater + Cassandra Griffen Photo Exhibit After Party at Saturn at 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 23 Educational Program — TBA The Nick presents: An Evening with the Arkestra After Party at Elysian Gardens at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24 East Village Arts presents: Craig Legg's 'Ark in Town: Paintings of Sun Ra Arkestra Past and Present' exhibit, Sun Ra Art Collective, Moon Stew Potluck Lunch and DJ sets by The Audiovore and the Shure Shot More information about the festival can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince's Purple Rain debut film joins Newcastle's MOBO celebrations
Films celebrating Black musicians on film are being featured at a city cinema as part of the MOBO Awards fringe festival. As Newcastle gears up for the big awards night - an event billed as Europe's biggest celebration of Black music and culture - which it be hosting this Tuesday for the first time, excitement is building about its line-up of nominees and special guests. And, as previously reported, a fringe festival is also taking place around it to keep that momentum going. The city centre's Tyneside Cinema has also joined forces with the MOBO fringe festival, with its own focus upon Black music talent - this time in film. And on its Original Genius programme this February will be the iconic 1984 rock musical Purple Rain which starred Prince in his acting debut. READ MORE: The 7 best cheap holiday destinations from Newcastle Airport in March 2025 READ MORE: Blaydon Premier Inn applies for 20-room expansion and new breakfast venue The late artist - who later changed his stage name to a symbol which couldn't be pronounced so he was usually referred to as 'the artist formerly known as Prince - went on to win an Oscar for best original song score for the film's soundtrack which included the likes of Let's Go Crazy and the specially-written When Doves Cry. Get all the latest updates on food, drink, entertainment and events in the North East with our free What's On newsletter It has been described as one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Now fans will be able to re-live the Purple Rain experience at Tyneside Cinema on February 23 and 27 when there will be screenings at 5pm and 3pm respectively, and there is still some ticket availability. The Tyneside's Original Genius programme of 'ground-breaking artists and iconic performances' also includes Summer of Soul this Monday, a documentary featuring long-lost footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, and Space is the Place - a sci-fi blend of concept album and film by Sun Ra - on Wednesday. The cinema also has been running Beyond the Screen: a programme of MOBO-inspired workshops intended to encourage young people to create music videos, with involvement from local experts from filmmakers to producers, editors and designers. For more about Tyneside Cinema see here and find all MOBO Awards coverage here.
