The legendary Sun Ra Arkestra kicked off their four-show run at SFJazz’s Miner Auditorium in San Francisco on Thursday night, akin to a rocketship touching down from the cosmos.
Dressed in a vibrant array of bedazzled costumes, the 19 musicians blended elements of ancient Egyptian symbolism with modern spacesuit aesthetics.
Wearing golden flat-brim hats, colorful kufis, and pharaoh crowns, the musicians immediately captivated the audience with their mix of theatrics and classic big band swing.
As Knoell Scott, the current bandleader, described the ensemble during the opening night, they are a “Chicago jump band with frills.”
Since its inception in the mid-1950s, the Sun Ra Arkestra has played a pivotal role in the realm of experimental jazz.
Founded by the visionary Sun Ra, born Herman Poole Blunt, the band boasts an impressive catalogue, with Ra composing over 1,000 pieces during his lifetime.
Ra, who declared himself hailing from Saturn, was born in 1914 in segregated Alabama and is often credited with influencing Afrofuturism.
His legacy extends to various artists, including the band Funkadelic and San Francisco-born jazz musician Idris Ackamoor, as well as renowned author Octavia Butler.
Sun Ra envisioned a Black utopia on Earth through music, coding “political messages as intimate feelings,” as biographer Paul Youngquist noted, turning “confrontation into consolation, confinement into release.”
Ra famously stated his aspiration, saying, “I would hate to pass through a planet and not leave it a better place.”
In a recent SFJAZZ interview, Scott highlighted the Arkestra’s historical ties to Oakland, noting that the Black Panther Party frequently invited the ensemble to perform at their meetings.
Sun Ra’s cult classic film, Space is the Place, was filmed in the San Francisco and Oakland areas during the 1970s, showing the group’s deep connection to the region.
After Ra’s passing in 1992, the Arkestra continued to perform, proving that even in the absence of their founder, the band has not lost its vibrancy.
This weekend marks the first appearance of the Arkestra in San Francisco in over two years, with a different themed show each day.
On August 1, the group will perform “Big Band Swing,” showcasing arrangements composed by Sun Ra.
The following night, they will celebrate current 101-year-old leader Marshall Allen with a special presentation, aptly named “Marshall Allen 101 Salute.”
Finally, on August 3, the band will deliver “Space Is the Place,” which Scott described as a true Ra initiation for their newer members.
Despite these utopian aspirations, the evening presented its challenges, especially in terms of audience engagement.
On opening night, the Arkestra appeared somewhat disconnected from the crowd, a phenomenon often seen on a Thursday night.
The “dance” floor felt sluggish, with a mix of more energetic attendees, including those sporting gray ponytails, yet many in the crowd seemed either unready or resistant to the complex rhythms and eclectic sounds being offered.
This apparent lack of excitement did not reflect the band’s electric energy but rather the demographics of SFJazz’s typical audience.
Among the more youthful attendees was Paul Henderson, director of the S.F. Department of Police Accountability, who added a touch of modernity to the scene.
Understanding this disconnect, the Arkestra engaged their audience, even stepping onto the floor to interact more closely with concert-goers as they played revolutionary tunes.
Nevertheless, the band remained immersed in their own cosmic realms.
The discipline of the 19-member Arkestra is evident, featuring skilled trumpeters, percussionists, and performance masters.
Prominent members include vocalist Tara Middleton, french-horn specialist Vincent Chancey, trumpeter and “intergalactic scientist” Milo Rey, and Kash Killion, whose cello resembles a blend of brass and electric sounds.
Following Sun Ra’s death, leadership passed to the now 101-year-old saxophonist Marshall Allen, who, while no longer performing with the group, has had Knoell Scott take over as the bandleader.
Tall and lanky, Scott shined brightly during the performance, his brass saxophone creating a golden arc that matched his energetic presence.
The musical experience itself was disorienting at times, approaching the sounds of cat-screeches and record-scratches, yet it could beautifully coalesce into cascading notes when the ensemble harmonized.
The occasional discord felt intentional and pointed toward Sun Ra’s Afrofuturist vision, where jazz is free to explore beyond tradition.
Often, the music evoked imagery of a cosmic debate or a Hollywood chase scene through the stars, yet never quite resembled jazz as traditionally defined.
As they concluded with classics such as Enlightenment, Strange Mathematics, and Rhythmic Equations, Scott invited the audience to imagine a ticket to outer space.
“One-way, or round-trip,” he asked, leaving the decision to the listeners’ imaginations.
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