The legendary spiritualist/band leader Sun Ra himself may have departed from this world, but his legacy continues on with the Arkestra that he helmed as far back as 50 years ago. This fine (albeit brief) documentary shows that Ra's remaining space-jazz band members are as attuned to the jubilant spirit and cosmic consciousness as their beloved founder, and the group's new members are bringing it to a whole new generation (or three). Now, the music's a bizarre and beautiful combination of free jazz skronk, exploratory bebop, lounge, tribal, and gospel sounds, and this multi-cultural melange stands for far more than simply music. Sun Ra's Arkestra was intending to unify the people of the world for a greater good -- their positive energy is something that's sorely missing from so much of today's technological-oriented world. "Points On A Space Age" collages recent live clips with band interviews (and some necessary archival footage) to present a nice overview and summation of what the Arkestra was/is all about. Get hip to the far-out sounds of what's inside you (and all of us). (MVD Visual)
The Sun Ra Arkestra's label
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