Here Comes the Sun Ra

BBC 6 Music is hosting its very own Festival this coming weekend at Manchester's Victoria Warehouse.

Damon Albarn may be grabbing all the headlines, but there's some real nuggets to be found further down the bill and on the Fringe.

Not least The Part Time Heliocentric Cosmo Drama After School Club: a Sun Ra tribute getting maximum mileage from one of space jazz's finest exponents. Fronted by Paddy Steer and Graham Massey they're playing two sets on Saturday. I spoke to their keyboard player on the phone yesterday: 'Should be good Dad' he said. I'm sure it will be.

Further details here.

The One After 808

Sun Ra

Graham Massey, Madchester legend and the brains behind 808 State has put together a new combo. The one time Acid guru has collected a dozen of Manchester's finest, scooped 'em up and shared with them his love of Saturn dweller and jazz polymath Sun Ra: The Part Time Heliocentric Cosmo Drama After School Club are a twelve piece ensemble who, under Massey's orchestration, are currently tearing up venues in the North West. And one look at this video from their recent Liverpool gig will testify that the experience leaves everyone in the room shaken and stirred. The young lad on keys (front right) a.k.a. The Number One Son - who when he joined the band tweeted 'I've joined a cult' - tells me they hope to be recording an album real soon.