Karen Ponzio Photos
Mykael Ross and Band.
A most perfect early spring evening shined even brighter with the sounds of Sun Ra Thursday night, as Best Video in Hamden, in conjunction with The International Festival of Arts and Ideas, presented a Sun Ra Tribute concert on its patio to an appreciative audience of all ages.
The event was part of A&I’s One City, One Read program, inspired by the themes and concepts presented in Octavia Butler’s classic science fiction novel Parable of the Sower.
“Sun Ra gives you the futuristic aspect,” said Sha McAllister, community impact manager for A&I. “He was a very conscious brother.”
In another event featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra, the film Space Is the Place will be screened outdoors tonight, May 13, across the street from Best Video on the grounds of the Spring Glen UCC Church on Whitney Avenue in Hamden. McAllister said the film presents more about government, class, and race, as well as “choosing to be present and conscious, to be aware, to be an active citizen,” noting that Lauren, the main character of Parable, was also “active and present.”
When the idea of including Sun Ra and a tribute show to the festival’s program came into being, McAllister said she started talking to musician Mykael Ross earlier this year to “get this right.” She knew him from a previous job, had seen him play, and knew she had to reach out to him.
“I don’t trust anybody else to make this happen,” she recalled saying with a smile. He “did his thing,” putting his own band together specifically for this show. McAllister could not have been more excited for it. “We’re gonna go into the stratosphere,” she added.
The lot fills up for the show at Best Video
The parking lot filled steadily with patrons of all ages under the sunniest of skies. Hank Hoffman, Best Video’s executive director, was there to introduce McAllister, who told the audience about the connection between the concert and the book.
“In that spirit, I said, ‘what can we do to make the book come more alive?’” She also asked everyone if they knew George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic, adding “well, before George, there was Sun Ra.” She read a short piece about the musician’s background, adding at the end: “let’s go through the galaxy together.”
As the mic was turned over to Ross, he began by saying “it’s time to take off.” Then he and the band — including Ross on vocals and guitar, Bob Turek on bass and vocals, Randy Bost on trumpet and vocals, Hank Bolden on saxophone, Brian Jarawa Gray on percussion, Sam Oliver III on drums, and Pat Marafiote on keys — launched into the music, complete with space sound effects, to a totally enraptured audience. McAllister mentioned this group was brought together specifically for this performance, but they played as if this was something they all did together on a daily basis, melding into the most soaring of spacey jazz sounds, belting out the blues, and sizzling as hot as the sun-beaten pavement. And, they were having a great time doing so.
The band having a blast.
They made the near 15-minute epic Sun Ra classic “I Want You” into the smoothest flow, making you wish it would go on forever. More people filled the lot, with kids dancing, adult swaying and smiling, and people giving the occasional open-mouth looks, as if to say, “is this really happening?” In fact, this is one of those times where this reporter is going to implore you to watch the videos so you can see and hear for yourself.
Standards such as “East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)” were also added to the mix, in keeping to the celestial theme, before the band got back to Sun Ra with “Love in Outer Space” and, of course, the iconic “Space is the Place,” which began with all of the band members repeating the phrase and then Ross saying to the audience: “in fact, if you can help us sing this one, that would be great.”
The audience obliged, and that parking lot became tighter as a community, but also otherworldly in sound and scope. After each of the band members had their chance to shine with their solos, as well as a scintillating percussive interplay between Oliver and Grey, Ross asked everyone to join in again. It was supposed to be their last song, but the crowd screamed for more. This time the band obliged. That feeling of weightlessness that space brings was hard to leave behind.
Information about tonight’s Sun Ra movie at the Spring Glen UCC Church on Whitney Avenue can be found on the Arts and Ideas website here.