A MESSAGE FROM AHMED ABDULLAH (reformat)
A MESSAGE FROM AHMED ABDULLAH (reformat)
From: EMENEN@AOL.COM EMENEN@AOL.COM To: SATURN@NIC.SURFNET.NL SATURN@NIC.SURFNET.NL Subject: No Subject Date: Sunday, June 07, 1998 3:25 PM
THE SUN RA ALL-STAR PROJECT
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting Or being lied about, don't deal in lies; Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't took too good, nor talk too wise:
The Sun Ra All-Star Project is a concept that I created to breathe new life into the music and profile of the great one - Sun Ra. Being a catalyst for the music of Sun Ra has been an on going concern of mine since he was stricken in 1992. I had actually started to realize that this was one of my missions in life in 1987, when I helped the guys at WKCR, Columbia University's radio station, to organize the 100 some-odd-hour show on Sunny. A couple of months prior to that I recorded Sun Ra's The Mystery of Two, on Silkheart records, after having obtained Sun Ra's personal blessing. It was to be the first time any member of the Arkestra had recorded a Sun Ra composition and Sun Ra himself seemed deeply appreciative of my having taken this initiative.
If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools' Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools
In 1992, I created a special project called Satellites of the Sun. This interestingly enough was done with assistance by my wife Monique Ngozi Nri, Philippa Jordan and some questionable short term assistance from Gloria Powers and Michael Ray. Sun Ra was on the planet at the time, and the project was intended as a very special tribute to him by musicians who had worked with him. At the time, Sun Ra was in very poor health and was removed from Philadelphia where he resided with his musical family, to Birmingham, Alabama where he would end his days with his biological family.
If the question is, "Where should one be in a time of need?" I believe the answer should be, "With the people who care most about you." If you believe the same to be true and Sun Ra, the thoughtful genius that he was, did not leave a will and did not appoint anyone (contrary to popular opinion) to lead his Arkestra. This absence of pre- determination by a deceased person, is known as dying "intestate." In such a case, the right to that person's estate lies with their closest relatives. Is it not then quite appropriate and legal that his family should have complete control of his estate. They also have the right to appoint whom they deem worthy to lead his Arkestra, use his name, and most enhance the recognition of his legacy.
If you can make one half all your winnings And risk it in one turn or pitch and toss And lose, and start again from your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them "Hold On!"
The Satellites of the Sun, though never actualized as a concept was designed to show the leadership potential contained within the Sun Ra Arkestra. The idea was to allow Arkestra members, most of whom had never worked in that capacity before, to have the chance to make their own choices of music and musicians. The Satellites was going to be the first time Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Michael Ray, would lead bands alongside people like Jothan Callins, Charles Davis, Craig Harris and myself who had a history of leadership.
This unfortunately brought out certain skeletons in the Arkestra closet. Many guys had sacrificed their whole life working with Sun Ra and never even so much as recorded on their own. Some, perhaps, infrequently as sidemen with other people besides Ra. Having a group of musicians who could be so loyal as to sacrifice their own careers to work with him was an incredible asset and was certainly one of the important factors that made Sun Ra great.
On the other hand it has hampered the widespread understanding and use of his music. To my thinking, it has also affected his status as the great composer that we know him to be. Big Band leaders Count Basie and Duke Ellington all had great players leave their ensembles and return singing their praises or not but certainly making a name for themselves which in turn gave more recognition to those important Maestros. However, two significant things arose out of this effort: John Gilmore was encouraged by me to take up the leadership of the Arkestra (while Sun Ra was ill in Birmingham) and Michael Ray (after Gloria Powers had discussed the idea extensively with me) started leading the Cosmic Krewe.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all can count with you but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds worth of distance run Yours is the earth and everything that's in it And which is more you'll be a man my son.
IF by Rudyard Kipling
In 1995, after an ailing John Gilmore had turned over the reigns of leadership to Marshall Allen, my wife, Monique and I began to produce a series of concerts to jump-start a more regular working situation. Up until that time under Gilmore's leadership the Arkestra was barely existing and working once every two months. We produced 15 concerts at Context on NYC's Lower Eastside. Though these concerts made a difference in as far as the visibility of the Arkestra was concerned, they were met with constant resistance on the part of the leadership and others in the Arkestra. We finely stopped productions in June 1996, when the Arkestra was a no-show for a month of Sunday concerts leaving us with considerable debt. These engagements provided the Arkestra a direction and new life that would carry it to 1998. With Philippa Jordan working in a managerial role with the Arkestra I continued to give advice and provided information to her that allowed for two successful European tours and quite a few local performance situations.
In late March 1998, 1 was asked by Philippa Jordan, who had been dismissed as manager of the band and who had been the subject of much opposition in her efforts to make a difference, to come into the picture. Philippa and I have a long history of working together on successful projects. I proposed the Sun Ra All-star Project as a separate entity from the Arkestra. In a sense the Sun Ra All-Star Project is a reworking of the Satellites of the Sun. The distinct difference is that the emphasis is on the interpretation of the music of Sun Ra with highly skilled musicians who may not have necessarily worked with Sun Ra. The special kind of musician needed for this work necessitates that their be a rotating personnel. The fixed element will be the rhythm section borrowed from my group Diaspora (Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra). The idea of a rotating horn section of the best players available will always lend interest and excitement to performances.
Arrangers will be commissioned to rearrange Sun Ra's music and adapt it to the instrumentation of the project. In the six years since Sun Ra has left the planet it has not seemingly occurred to the former "visionary" leadership that it might be important to update arrangements. The spoken word is another major component of Sun Ra. His poetry and lyrics will be included. Finally the best dancers will be found to move to the music of Sun Ra.
"While in high school, I never missed a band, whether a known or unknown unit, I loved music beyond the stage of liking it. Some of the bands I heard never got popular and never made hit records, but they were truly natural black beauty. I want to thank them and I want to give honor to all the sincere musicians who ever were or ever will be. It's wonderful to even think about such people. The music they played was a natural happiness of love, so rare I cannot explain it. It was fresh and courageous; daring, sincere, unfettered. It was un-manufactured avant-garde, and still is because there was no place for it in the world; so the world neglected something of value and did not understand. And all along I could not understand why the world could not understand. Was it because the world considers music as only a commercial commodity? I am glad that is not my code."
Sun Ra
The concept of the Sun Ra All-Star Project was not and is not designed to take work away from anyone. To the contrary, it is designed to provide more and better paid work for musicians who have played with Sun Ra in the past, musicians who are currently working with the Arkestra (that list is shrinking everyday) and people who have never played Sun Ra's music before. It is not my intention to disinherit Marshall Allen, whom I consider to be a major musician, a master of the alto, but an unfortunate victim of much ill-conceived advice. I feel strongly that if it were not for all the interference by certain parties with other interests at heart, Marshall and I would have been able to pursue the magnification of Sun Ra's legacy in a truly cooperative manner and allow him the benefit of a greatly increased respect and interest in his name and for the music he has contributed.
It is regrettable after having done this extensive work, that I should receive such a damming condemnation from the purveyor of a recent ill-informed lengthy posting. The implications of this are serious and it has obliged me to take the matter up with my lawyers.
As a direct result of irresponsible and slanderous comments made locally, nationally, and internationally by some who claimed to have been representing the Arkestra and Mr.. Marshall Allen and the damage that was being done to the Sun Ra heritage and the value of the Estate, the right to leadership claimed by Marshall Allen was revoked as of last Friday June 5th,1998 by the only duly Authorized entity, Sun Ra Inc., the Sun Ra Estate. Consequently, I have been awarded by the Estate the exclusive right and the honor of protecting the name of "Sun Ra" and "Arkestra." This means I shall be directing and supervising all live performances advertised under those names from now on including those events already scheduled to be performed by the Sun Ra Arkestra under the musical directorship/leadership of Marshall Allen. I will continue to protect the rights that I have been assigned fully by taking legal action where necessary. I would make clear also, that the Estate is extremely concerned with the unchecked sale of merchandise bearing the name "Sun Ra and "Arkestra" and is currently addressing the situation.
I fully intend to spread the recognition of Sun Ra, his music, his words, his unique and fascinating contribution to planet earth and I wonder how anyone with their hearts in the right place be opposed to placing Sun Ra's music in it's proper position for the 21st Century?
Peace,
Ahmed Abdullah