Sun Ra Arkestra played a free show at SummerStage in Central Park on Saturday. Marshall Allen, 97 years young, still leads the Arkestra, and was up playing the whole 90 minute show, laying down saxophone, his skronky EVI (electronic valve instrument), and even a little gong. As always, it was a joyous show ending with the Sun Ra classic "Space is the Place."
The concert was opened by Chicago's Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty, the trio of Angel Bat Dawid (vocals/clarinet), Taylor Deshay (bass/vocals), and Anaiet (piano/vocals), and the evening started with the screening of two short films (Martin Hawk's "A Litany for Survival" and Adrien Merigeau's "Genius Loci"), and DJ Greg Caz spun records in between sets.