Wednesday began not only too early, but also with a primal scream as I woke up with a cramp in the calf. I didn't half one of those for an eternity and it comes now? Not enough to hold me back from my fourth show of the Sun Ra Arkestra since 2018!
Besides the remainder of pain in my leg the lack of sleep became an annoying issue. I didn't even have time for a quick power nap between work and driving to Hamburg, since I had to go early, so that I was in time to pick up some cassette shelf pieces from a fine specialized manufacturer on the way. That saved me twenty-five Euros of shipping costs.
You're noticing that I'm in need of peripheral filler sentences? Yeah, the thing is that the last Arkestra show had only just been nine months ago. The two and a half hours set wasn't radically different and even the circumstance of band leader Marshall Allan being absent repeated itself this night. And again I cannot be mad about that. It is what it is: The man is ninety-nine years old, still playing shows close to home, but cannot fly overseas anymore for health concerns. Being part of this band since the 1950's and leading it for decades since the departure of Sun Ra himself he certainly doesn't owe anyone anything. Nothing but best wishes and respect for the legend!
And of course the twelve musicians left on stage did everything in their power to make him proud again. So all in all I could just copy-paste my report from last November, right?
Uhm, no. And luckily so! Because as great as they were back then, the Elbe Philharmoc Hall isn't the proper place for their energetic big band Jazz. Give me a real stage, where I can stand in the first row and feel the wind instruments blowing in my (beard) hair! Man, this was so much better!
The trumpets and all the saxes were on fire, but also keys and guitar were allowed a lot of spots to shine, as Knoel Scott conducted the band, somehow holding all the wild overflow of musical joy together, while he was always busy alternating between instruments himself.
If there was a star of the show though, then it was obviously spectacular singer and Arrival Day child Tara Middleton with a performance that radiated so much fun, love and that soulful stuff which gives you goosebumps! What an amazing ensemble!
And as I said - that greatness just an arm's length away with the horns and upright bass and percussions engulfing you from both sides. That's how it has to be!
I have no idea how time works, because that went by much too fast for over two hours, right? Again, seeing the Arkestra play is always more mind-blowing than I remembered from the time before. And introducing the band members in their empty chairs while most of them are already backstage is a fun little twist on that tradition. Yeah, this was a great night!
When I got back into my car, which was parked next to a stone wall, a marten walked by on top of that, stopped right at my passenger door and said Hello.
Again, I have no idea how that is of any significance for anyone who just wants to read about one of the greatest Jazz bands of all time, but come on, it's yet another successful filler sentence. And where else should I tell that?
Besides the remainder of pain in my leg the lack of sleep became an annoying issue. I didn't even have time for a quick power nap between work and driving to Hamburg, since I had to go early, so that I was in time to pick up some cassette shelf pieces from a fine specialized manufacturer on the way. That saved me twenty-five Euros of shipping costs.
You're noticing that I'm in need of peripheral filler sentences? Yeah, the thing is that the last Arkestra show had only just been nine months ago. The two and a half hours set wasn't radically different and even the circumstance of band leader Marshall Allan being absent repeated itself this night. And again I cannot be mad about that. It is what it is: The man is ninety-nine years old, still playing shows close to home, but cannot fly overseas anymore for health concerns. Being part of this band since the 1950's and leading it for decades since the departure of Sun Ra himself he certainly doesn't owe anyone anything. Nothing but best wishes and respect for the legend!
And of course the twelve musicians left on stage did everything in their power to make him proud again. So all in all I could just copy-paste my report from last November, right?
Uhm, no. And luckily so! Because as great as they were back then, the Elbe Philharmoc Hall isn't the proper place for their energetic big band Jazz. Give me a real stage, where I can stand in the first row and feel the wind instruments blowing in my (beard) hair! Man, this was so much better!
The trumpets and all the saxes were on fire, but also keys and guitar were allowed a lot of spots to shine, as Knoel Scott conducted the band, somehow holding all the wild overflow of musical joy together, while he was always busy alternating between instruments himself.
If there was a star of the show though, then it was obviously spectacular singer and Arrival Day child Tara Middleton with a performance that radiated so much fun, love and that soulful stuff which gives you goosebumps! What an amazing ensemble!
And as I said - that greatness just an arm's length away with the horns and upright bass and percussions engulfing you from both sides. That's how it has to be!
I have no idea how time works, because that went by much too fast for over two hours, right? Again, seeing the Arkestra play is always more mind-blowing than I remembered from the time before. And introducing the band members in their empty chairs while most of them are already backstage is a fun little twist on that tradition. Yeah, this was a great night!
When I got back into my car, which was parked next to a stone wall, a marten walked by on top of that, stopped right at my passenger door and said Hello.
Again, I have no idea how that is of any significance for anyone who just wants to read about one of the greatest Jazz bands of all time, but come on, it's yet another successful filler sentence. And where else should I tell that?
