SUN RADIO OMNIVERSITY

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SUN RADIO OMNIVERSITY

ARRIVAL DAY CELEBRATION

WKCR-FM NYC 89.9 www.wkcr.org

NY time 2-7PM edst Today 5-22-05

Guests, Interviews, Rarities

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This year's press release:

Sun Ra Institute and WKCR-FM NYC present

'SUN RADIO OMNIVERSITY' - SUN RA ARRIVAL DAY CELEBRATION

32-HOUR RADIO MARATHON

MONDAY, MAY 22nd at midnight to TUESDAY, MAY 23rd, 8:20 AM

89.9 FM NYC & WWW.WKCR.ORG streaming live across the galaxies

The Sun Ra Institute and WKCR-FM are proud to announce the Sun Ra

Arrival Day Celebration, a 32-hour radio marathon featuring work of

the innovative and iconoclastic composer, bandleader, and keyboardist

Sun Ra. Each segment of the festival will focus on a specific feature

of Ra’s musical legacy: Standards and Ballads, The Swing Tradition,

Solo Piano and Poetry, Late 1950’s and Early Rarities, Tone Science,

Singers, and more. The Arrival Day Celebration will include exclusive

recordings from WKCR’s archives as well as live special guest

interviews with Marshall Allen, Director of the Sun Ra Arkestra, and

Arkestra members of the past, present and future.

Born Herman Poole Blount in Birmingham, Alabama on May 22, 1914, he

was nicknamed Sonny from his youth. He later abandoned his birth name

and took on the name and persona of Sun Ra (“Ra” being the name of

the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun). He did not consider himself

“born”; rather, he “arrived” on the planet, entering via Birmingham.

>From the ‘50’s to the ‘90’s Sun Ra led a large ensemble with a fluid

lineup under a variety of names: The Solar Myth Arkestra, The

Intergalactic Space Research Arkestra, and many others. Sun Ra

departed on Memorial Day – May 30, 1993.

Sun Ra's prolific achievements on Planet Earth have been widely

acclaimed and recorded in documentaries, books, and a feature film

titled "Space is The Place". He founded his record label, El Saturn

Records, in the 1950s, and proceeded to unleash nearly 200 fiercely

individualistic and extremely diverse albums on an unsuspecting and

largely unprepared public. He also recorded for a handful of major

labels, and he attained widespread notoriety from his legendary

concerts, radio, and television appearances. His interstellar

musical, poetic, linguistic, and spiritual explorations are

unparalleled in the history of modern music and culture.

With The Arkestra, Sun Ra gave astonishing performances around the

world for decades. He was always accompanied by stellar musicians in

fantastic costumes, and a joyful atmosphere of mischievous space

camaraderie was ever present. His music is most often regarded as

'Jazz', though it spans the full spectrum from Swing to Space, with

ballads, show tunes, hard- and post-bop, exoticism, funk, energy

music, and electronic hyperdrive.

WKCR SUN RA ARRIVAL DAY CELEBRATION: PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

May 22nd, 2006 - 89.9 FM NYC & WWW.WKCR.ORG

12-5 AM Sun Ra Potpourri

The broadcast will begin with a variety of great Sun Ra sounds to

warm up this event.

5-8 AM Sun Ra Plays Standards and Ballads

The Daybreak Express show will feature Sun Ra's performances of

standards, ballads, and show tunes.

8-9:30 AM The Swing Tradition

The Bird Flight slot will be an extension of the previous show, but

this time focusing on the compositions of Jelly Roll Morton, Duke

Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and others. Little known facts:

Fletcher himself once gave up his own piano chair to Sun Ra. Sun Ra

wrote charts that Coleman Hawkins had difficulty playing. Monk was

impressed, too.

9:30 AM-Noon Solo Piano and Poetry

Our morning Classical show will present Sun Ra's solo piano

recordings, including an exclusive performance at WKCR in July 1977.

This segment will also incorporate Sun Ra's extensive poetic works.

Noon-5PM Omniversity: Late 1950's and Early Rarities

Phil Schaap will shine the spotlight on Sun Ra's elemental work from

the later 1950's. Following this segment, we will shift into a survey

of the very earliest recordings of Sun Ra, arranging for singers and

performing as a sideman. Phil will be joined by a panel of scholars

and band members, presenting the rarest of Sun Ra sides.

5-8 PM Tone Science

The synthesizer and abstract works of Sun Ra. Tune in for some of

the most adventurous recordings of Sun Ra's career. This segment will

include both solo synthesizer performances as well as those with an

ensemble.

8 PM-1 AM From the Ark

The evening segment is expected to be the highlight of the marathon.

We will play live recordings and interviews, with visits from special

guests and a focus on materials from WKCR's own “Arkives”, as well as

a collection gathered by The Sun Ra Institute. We will take some

time to honor the current living-and-breathing Sun Ra Arkestra, under

the masterful direction of Marshall Allen, and celebrate Marshall’s

82nd birthday a few days early. Stay tuned for extra features in the

works, including remote broadcast from the Sun Ra House in

Philadelphia.

1-2 AM The Singers

This hour will give a closer look at Sun Ra's work with vocalists,

including his R&B and Doo-wop efforts.

2-5 AM Overnight Sun Ra

5-8:20 AM Daybreak Sun Ra

Sun Ra will again be the focus of Transfigured Night and Daybreak

Express. Here is another chance Travel the Spaceways with Sun Ra and

The Arkestra.

"Life Is Splendid"

*** Dedicated to the preservation of Sun Ra's legacy ***

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Seems like the they're getting an early start on Jazz Profiles until 7 p.m. edst.

edit for time and photo.

Edited May 21, 2006 by 7/4

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[Lazaro Vega]

Blue Lake Public Radio will feature Sun Ra this evening on "The Jazz Retrospective," so some of his music will be featured in each hour of the five hour program. The second set of Dave Rempis Percussion Quartet recorded in Kalamazoo is up at midnight "Out on Blue Lake." See you in the heliocentric world of cyber space.

www.bluelake.org