June 05, 2026
Provided Image/Luzi Media
'In the Orbit of Ra,' a new mural honoring the legacy of the jazz collective Sun Ra Arkestra, will be unveiled June 13 at an event in the parking lot of the October Gallery Museum at 6353 Greene St. Sun Ra Arkestra will perform at the event.
A mural of the pioneering Sun Ra Arkestra jazz collective will be unveiled Saturday, June 13, on a wall about a mile from the East Germantown rowhome that's been the band's base of operations for decades. The unveiling will include a live performance from members of the enduring group.
The mural is being completed on a wall of the October Gallery Museum at 6353 Greene St. Mural Arts Philadelphia commissioned artists Ernel Martinez and Keir Johnson to design the project, called "In the Orbit of Ra," with contributions from band members and scholars.
Sun Ra Arkestra will perform in the parking lot of the art gallery during an event from noon-3 p.m. The Saturday gathering will include food, a DJ set and remarks from band members. Mural Arts Philadelphia founder Jane Golden, who's stepping down in July after more than 40 years with the organization, also will give remarks.
The mural is several blocks from the rowhome at 5626 Morton St. — across Germantown Avenue — where Sun Ra lived from 1968 until the period before his death in 1993. The three-story property was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2022. It's known as the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra and still serves as a home for current members of the collective.
Sun Ra, born Herman Blount in Alabama, rose to prominence as a jazz multi-instrumentalist in Chicago during the 1940s. He spent a period of his career in New York City before settling in Philadelphia.
Known for his avant-garde eclecticism and cosmic philosophy, Blount took the name Sun Ra after the Egyptian sun god and is considered a pioneer of Afrofuturism.
From the late 1960s onward, the Sun Ra Arkestra rehearsed at the Morton Street property. Late saxophonist and manager Danny Thompson ran the Pharaoh's Den grocery store at 5657 Heiskell Street in the 1970s and '80s. The band routinely played Philadelphia nightclubs during that era, often bringing 20-30 musicians together on stage.
The lone surviving original member of the Sun Ra Arkestra is alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 102nd birthday on May 25 and still lives at the Morton Street home. Allen's parents owned the property before Sun Ra moved to Philadelphia. The structure was built in 1880 as part of a row of Second Empire-style rowhomes.
Allen took over as the band's leading member in 1995 when tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and drummer John Gilmore died. Gilmore was a major influence on saxophonist John Coltrane, who took lessons from Gilmore and lived in Philadelphia during stints from 1943 into the early '60s.
The PBS series "American Masters" premiered an episode in February tracing Sun Ra's life and musical legacy.
Sun Ra Arkestra have among the largest catalogues of recorded music in the 20th century, with more than 100 full-length albums. Many of the group's recordings were pressed from live performances in Philadelphia and manufactured on Morton Street.
The lineup today features up to 20 musicians and vocalists on woodwind, brass, rhythm and string instruments. The group still tours regularly, usually on multi-city runs and at museums, festivals and jazz venues.
The group is expected to play for about 30 minutes during the mural unveiling. The parking lot will include limited seating for some attendees. Later that night, Sun Ra Arkestra will perform at City Winery in Center City at 7:30 p.m. The band will then embark on a European tour later in June and return to the area for a show at Princeton's Berlind Theatre on Sept. 3.
