Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise

The documentary follows the jazz musician Sun Ra. The filming was done between 1978 and 1980. The places are Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Sun Ra performs with his group, the Arkestra. There is more than one concert in the film. Some of them are public and some are not. A rehearsal was recorded from beginning to end as well. The musician reads his poetry too. Interviews come in between. Sun Ra sets out his own view of the world. Long improvisations take up a good part of the film. One of the Philadelphia performances is played on a rooftop. Robert Mugge directed the fifty nine minute documentary, in which June Tyson and Marshall Allen also appear. The American production was finished in 1980.