Music
On the Sun Ra Arkestra
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Sun Ra ArkestraSun., May 24, 8pm. $10. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. 215.739.9684 www.johnnybrendas.com Pianist, bandleader and self-proclaimed extraterrestrial Sun Ra (Herman Poole Blount) died in 1993, but he remains an “Afrofuturist” black culture icon whose influence always extended beyond avant-garde jazz. His example looms particularly large in Philadelphia, where he lived from 1968
On Adam Rudolph
My preview of Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra (Roulette, May 25), in the current Time Out New York.
Sci Fi Philly Turns 1
This coming Sunday marks the first anniversary of Sci Fi Philly, the creative music series I wrote about here [pdf]. It’s going strong and celebrating with an all-day blowout on May 24. Click on the image to enlarge and peruse the amazing lineup.
The week on disc (43)
In case you missed the last one… Frank Wess Nonet, Once Is Not Enough (Labeth) Rob Mazurek Quintet, Sound Is (Delmark) Jimmy Greene, Mission Statement (RazDaz) Ralph Alessi and Modular Theatre, Open Season (RKM) Chico Hamilton, Twelve Tones of Love (Joyous Shout!) Reut Regev, This Is R*Time (Ropeadope)
On Rafael Toral
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Rafael ToralMon., May 18, 8pm. Free. With Alex Nagle/Joe Lentini, Dave Smolen. The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St. www.bowerbird.org “Let your body move to the music,” Madonna once sang, and Lisbon-born Rafael Toral responds to that directive in some of the most radical ways you’ll see — producing real-time sound with “glove-controlled computer sinewaves,” for instance.
On Ravi Coltrane
This review appears in the May 2009 issue of All About Jazz-New York. — Ravi ColtraneBlending Times (Savoy) David R. Adler By opening Blending Times with “Shine,” a wonderful rubato melody by pianist Luis Perdomo, Ravi Coltrane seems to take the spotlight off of himself, making deft use of one of his most potent resources: his working band, with Perdomo,
New York @ Night: May 2009
This month in All About Jazz-New York, reviews of Jamie Baum & Tomasz Stanko at Merkin Hall, and Pete Robbins/Nate Wooley/Daniel Levin/Jeff Davis at Le Grand Dakar.
A tragedy
Philly drummer G. Calvin Weston has lost his 19-year-old son in a hit-and-run. Words fail. Calvin is one of the city’s great characters and musicians, the guy who can fill in at the absolute last minute for Kenny Wollesen in Sex Mob and bring the house down. Ornette Coleman alum, trio mate of Vernon Reid and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, leader of