Classical Journey: "Space is the Place!" Sam Richards' 'Sun Ra Arkestra'-inspired 'Heliocentric Omniversal Travelling Band' "Christmas on Saturn" Royal Seven Stars Hotel Totnes Sunday 13 December 2015

Sam Richards

Sun Ra
(Herman Blount)

Regular listeners to Soundart Radio community broadcasts from Dartington Hall will be familiar with the voice of Sam Richards. Sam is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Soundart, and also a prolific programme maker and broadcaster. A high point of Soundart's output each month is the "Roots" programme at 7pm on the third Sunday of each month - just an hour after the monthy "Classical Journey Redux" broadcast finishes. The show features the traditional and archive music of a particular region or country each month, often with special guests, and their instruments.

Sam can often be heard on the second Sunday of the month as well, presenting Lona Kozik's contemporary music and jazz programme "The Pulse". Between 3 and 6pm, Sam and Lona explore the music of the most adventurous and avant garde composers of the past century. An artist who regularly features is Sun Ra (formerly Herman Blount from Birmingham Alabama).

Herman (Sonny) Blount
1946

Herman dropped out of agricultural college in 1937, and formed the "Sonny Blount Orchestra". His musical career was interrupted by the entry of the United States into the Second World War at the end of 1941. In 1942 he was drafted and, after failing to attend for alternative service as a conscientious objector, was sentenced to prison in Alabama. On appeal, he was declared unfit and stayed in Birmingham for the rest of the war before joining the 'Second Great Migration' of African Americans to Chicago in 1945.

In Chicago he played piano for many bands, and made some professional recordings. His experience of African American activism in Chicago, and it's many examples of Egyptian influenced architecture, stimulated an interest in the then unacknowledged influence of North African culture on the western world. By 1952 he was a regular member of the "Space Trio", and rejected his given name (which he considered a slave-name) and formally registered the name Le Sony'r Ra.

Sun Ra Arkestra in Chicago
.

More musicians joined the ensemble (now called 'The Sun Ra Arkestra'), including saxophonist Marshall Allen. They released the albums "Super-Sonic Jazz" and "Jazz in Silhouette" on their own independent 'El Saturn' record label. About this time Sun Ra claimed that he had left agricultural college in 1937 after a visionary experience in which he was 'teleported' to the surface of Saturn where the Saturnians instructed him to warn the people of Earth of impending chaos through the medium of music. The band members adopted the now familiar stage costumes combining ancient Egyptian and futuristic themes to reflect Sun Ra's public persona - and also to reassure audiences that they didn't take themselves too seriously.

Rolling Stone Magazine
April 1969

In the 1960s the 'Arkestra' was based in New York, and very popular. Dizzy Gilespie and Thelonius Monk were very supportive of their work. From the 1970's until Sun Ra's death in 1993 they were based in Philadelphia, but still commuted to New York to play their usual venue (Slug's Saloon).

The Arkestra toured internationally and played at the University of California, Berkely, at lectures given by the Artist-in-Residence - Sun Ra.

In 1972 the Arkestra collaborated with the KQET TV company in Oakland, California, to produce the feature film "Space is the Place". By the end of the 70s the Arkestra was house-band at the Squat Theatre in New York, where Sun Ra conducted "Space is the Place" while playing three synthesizers, and 'Jupiterettes' danced to their music.

In the 1980s, following a decade of collaboration with Egyptian drummer Salah Ragab, Sun Ra and the Arkestra made live recordings with Ragab in Egypt.

Marshall Allen leads the current incarnation of
"The Sun Ra Arkestra"

Sun Ra suffered a debilitating stroke in 1990 and the Arkestra was led by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, with Sun Ra's supervision. Sun Ra died in 1993 and John Gilmore, who was also very ill (with emphysema) died two years later. Since, then, alto saxophonist Marshall Allen has led the Arkestra, which has been involved in many artistic projects.

In a special week-long event at the 2008 'ZXZW Festival' (now called 'Incubate') at Tilburg in the Netherlands, the Arkestra presented a definitive showcase of Sun Ra's extensive musical legacy.

Sam Richards
introduces
"The Heliocentric Omniversal Travelling Band"

The Sun Ra Arkestra regularly visit Britain to perform at major cities - but, sadly, not in the South West. In an effort to raise awareness of Sun Ra, and share his infectious enthusiasm, Sam Richards collected together an 'arkestra' of Devon musicians to play the music of Sun Ra's unique jazz ensemble.

Some artists familiar from their involvement in 'Jazzlab' and 'Nonclassical' events in Totnes were joined by some new faces in an impressive line-up for a festive event at the Royal Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes entitled, very appropriately, "Christmas on Saturn". Somewhere along the way, the group adopted the spectacular title of "The Heliocentric Omniversal Travelling Band".

Conducted improvisation

The show was rapidly sold out, and a large audience assembled in the function room at the top of the hotel's red-carpetted main staircase. In a relaxed atmosphere, the music started almost imperceptibly with an electronic sound-scape created by Lona Kozik and Tim Sayer from lap-tops, and 'Tall' Paul Turner (Soundart Radio's DJ XL) on turn-tables.

The first voice heard was Sam Richards, reciting a poem in honour of Sun Ra. "Don't play what you know. Play what you don't know . . . " Lewis Riley (keyboards) and David George gently built the rhythm with the help of Steve Crossen on drums.

Otherworldly Voices:
Noelle Rollings & Gaelle Hammond

The two soprano vocalists were Noelle Rollings and Gaelle Hammond. Both appeared at the microphone in outlandish visors covered in some sort of silvery plastic studs. The visual effect was very futuristic, in true Sun Ra style, and immediately electrifying. Gaelle's bright platinum shock-wig added further to the impact.

In perfect duet they opened the concert with the Sun Ra classic "Moonship Journey". As the music progressed into "Stranger from Outer Space" the outrageous saxophone section let rip with the full force of three tenors (Andy Williamson, Ric White & Mick Green) and baritone (Alex Lloyd). Each had his turn to stand and give an impassioned solo, accompanied by improvised dance, courtesy of Gaelle and Noelle.

Equally impressive was the 'brass section'. Tim Sayer augmented his electronic inventions with his trademark flugelhorn, in addition to virtuoso trumpet and various forms of percussion. Dave Holdsworth played several stellar trumpet solos, and also provided the resonant sustenuoto for many of the pieces on his extremely impressive silver sousaphone.

An outrageous Saxophone Section:
Tenor: Andy Williamson,
Ric White & Mick Green
Baritone: Alex Lloyd

Over a period of two hours the band alternately excited and soothed the audience with the delicious extra-terrestrial sounds of Sun Ra. The band, having entered, playing their instruments, in a regal procession through the audience, sustained the intimate feeling throughout the evening - before filing out in similar fashion at the end.

A high point of the evening was Andy Williamson's invasion of the audience, in full costume and brandishing his diminutive soprano saxophone. The awesome sight of Andy towering over his adoring listeners on top of a table was matched by the exquisitely cool cadenza he was playing.

Tenor Saxophone:
Mick Green

Everyone had a solo spot. David George's occasional 'heavy metal' sound on his bass guitar was unexpected, but fitted the mood perfectly. Alex Lloyd surprised everyone by jumping from baritone saxophone to bass clarinet for a sensational woodwind solo several times. Lewis Riley's solo synthesizer spot was slow and sultry and held everyone's attention in unaccompanied isolation.

Baritone Saxophone:
Alex Lloyd

The contemplative mood continued in "Enlightment is my Tomorrow", a fabulous 'adagio' movement to the smörgåsbord of sound that was "Christmas on Saturn". The first half of the concert ended, after a timely acknowledgement of the many talented performers by Sam Richards, with a 'twisted' version of "Good King Wenceslas". The tune, which was being given the 'omniversal' treatment, is "Tempus Adest Floridum" (The Time Approaches for Flowering), and the swell and crash of sound was suitably portentious - building to a scintillating syncopated wall of sound.

Tenor Saxophone: Ric White

The seasonal theme continued after the break with "White Christmas" in a completely new arrangement, giving way to more poetry as Sam recited "Space is the Place" while Noelle and Gaelle danced seductively.

The pace and energy then built implacably, with the introduction of several percussion instruments - cowbells, bongos, tambourine, maracas and other shakers, not to mention Sam's Mardi Gras whistle. Underpinning the whole sound was Dave Holdsworth's insistent sousaphone marking out the beat, and heralding a series of woodwind and brass solos, each more fevered and unsettling than the last, including Andy Williamson's show-stopping table-top soprano saxophone shenanigans.

Lord of the Dance:
Andy Williamson

As the collective sound died away Lewis Riley slid in on synthesizer to gently work up to another medley of set-pieces, including the powerful saxophone quartet, trumpet solos from Tim and Dave - and the welcome return of Dave Holdsworth's sousaphone and the gentle crooning of Noelle Rollings & Gaelle Hammond.

Bass Clarinet:
Alex Lloyd

As the last sounds were dying away, the audience were enraptured and the general consensus was that the evening had been a great success. Many expressed the hope that "Christmas on Saturn" might become an annual event.

Chris Booth was recording the whole proceedings. The music will be broadcast on Soundart Radio before long, and extracts can be heard on this Sunday's "Classical Journey Redux" (3-6pm 20 December). Meanwhile - a few photos to give an idea of the incredible spectacle that was "Christmas on Saturn".