Save the dates because it’s only a two-day event ~ Thursday, August 12th at Bryant Park and Friday, August 13th at Marcus Garvey Park, and it’s the culmination of Harlem Stage’s Afrofuturism series that launched in 2019 as a citywide, multi-venue held at Harlem Stage, Park Avenue Armory, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, celebrating Sun Ra’s legacy.
Harlem Stage, in partnership with Bryant Park, NYC Parks, and Jazzmobile, will present Craig Harris’ Nocturnal Nubian Ball for Conscientious Ballers and Cultural Shot Callers. The live, outdoor summer concert event will be led by trombonist and composer Harris, featuring 97-year-old Sun Ra saxophonist Marshall Allen, with Harris’ own band, Nation of Imagination. The concert honors the music of the late icon artist Sun Ra, and pays tribute to Allen, who started working with Sun Ra in 1976, and leading the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1993. The concert will play Bryant Park August 12 and Marcus Garvey Park August 13, both concerts beginning at 7 PM ET. Harlem Stage will record the concert at the Gatehouse, with additional footage from both public concerts and bonus materials to be presented virtually later this fall.
On Saturday, August 14, a private recording will take place at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse. This exclusive performance, along with select performances from both outdoor concerts, plus bonus content, will premiere virtually on harlemstage.org in the fall of 2021.
The Nubian Nocturnal Ball for Conscientious Ballers and Cultural Shot Callers is an event for people who have always been associated with experimentation in all aspects of life. A mashup of intricate melodies, harmony and rhythms set upon an ensemble of 12 mesmerizing, improvising musicians who will create an audio sanctuary for the thirsty ear. This version of the Ball will focus on the influence of Sun Ra, and pay tribute to Marshall Allen, an original member of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Three concerts will be presented under the sonic direction of trombonist/composer Craig Harris, who is a former member of Sun Ra’s band and has embraced many of his concepts and performance methodologies in his own Sonic Travels.
The concerts are free and open to the public ~ first come/first served.
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If you miss it, you can still catch Craig Harris and other fabulous jazz musicians in one of the jazz tours at Welcome to Harlem.