Saturn's favorite son was born Herman Sonny Blount in Birmingham, Ala. Sun Ra moved north during the '30s first to Washington, and eventually to Chicago (where he wrote and performed music far more traditional than the trippy space music for which he is now remembered). He played the piano in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra and arranged music for striptease shows at the hip Club of Lisa. During the late '40s and early '50s, Ra played with Coleman Hawkins, Stuff Smith, Red Saunders, Red Holloway and Sonny Stitt before accompanying B.B. King on an American tour. With the addition of bassist Richard Evans, percussionist Robert Barry, John Gilmore, saxophonist Charles Davis, altoist Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, trumpeter Art Hoyle, trombonist Julian Priester and saxophonist James Scales, the Sun Ra Arkestra, or -- as they called themselves -- Mythscience or Solar Arkestra was formed.
In 1961, the Arkestra left Chicago for a tour going from Montreal to New York City. They arrived in the big apple utterly broke and without money or car. They began working there as studio musicians and remained there until the late 1960s when they moved to Philadelphia until Ra's death on May 30, 1993.
His band, the Sun Ra Arkestra still tours under the direction of Marshall Allen (a worthy sight if you can catch them!). There was a tribute to Sun Ra in Chicago at the 1998 Chicago Jazz Festival, featuring Hoyle, Priester, Davis, Scales, Evans, Barry and percussionist Jim Herndon, as well as pianist Jodie Christian and baritone saxman Mwata Bowden.
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