"I have a special connection to Sun Ra," insists artist Kevin Arrow.
And this Saturday at the end/SPRING BREAK, he will be leading a special listening session, presenting Sun Ra's recordings decade by decade.
Arrow's seen Sun Ra many times over the years, both in Miami and New York. Most notably, he remembers meeting Sun Ra at the Cameo Theater in the mid '80s when the venue was putting on incredible shows by the Dead Kennedys, Sonic Youth, and Bob Dylan.
He also saw Sun Ra perform in Tobacco Toad's second-floor speakeasy. But the band wasn't on stage. They were playing in the middle of the audience.
But the connection doesn't stop there. In the early '90s, Arrow had his own Sun Ra-only transmission on Beach Radio, a pirate station out on Miami Beach. After the illegal operation was shut down, the station went live on the internet. And he continued with the show, blending Sun Ra's instrumental music and spoken word stuff.
To close this Saturday's listening session, Arrow will be showing off the full spectrum of Sun Ra, from the noisiest to the jazziest. The presentation will also include slides, sounds, and live footage. It'll be interactive. And maybe, just maybe, there'll be dancing.
Kevin Arrow's Sun Ra Listening Session. Saturday, July 23. the end/SPRING BREAK, 155 NE 38th St., Miami. The event begins at 8:30 p.m. Visit end-springbreak.com.
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