Though they both lived in adjacent neighborhoods in Philadelphia, it was not until 1981 that Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Sun Ra met by chance on the train from New York. They discussed Ornette Coleman, and Sun Ra further emphasized the significance of preserving creative black music. Sun Ra then delved into spiritual matters and mentioned musicians from other planets, but Jamaaladeen was primarily interested in discussing Sun Ra’s collaboration with vibraphonist Walt Dickerson, who was a significant influence and had led him to the Sun Ra Arkestra in the first place.

As years went by, the conversation stuck with Jamaaladeen as he interacted with members of the Arkestra, sharing the common feeling of dedication to the mythical, magical creative music pioneered by Ornette and Sun Ra. Inviting Marshall Allen to headline the first Creative Outsiders Festival in 2015, Jamaaladeen went on to work with Marshall Allen on several projects, including Allen’s debut album in 2024. While the debut featured new arrangements of Allen’s legacy compositions, Jamaal became fascinated with the idea of creating new, collaborative compositions with Marshall and some younger voices. In this way the preservation of creative black music would span from the past well into the future.

We like to say that the stars aligned in some way to bring this project to light, but as is always the case it is the intent and powerful energy of the musicians involved, from Jamaal to Marshall and through to all of the players. What we call coincidence struck at Big Ears festival, when a last minute cancellation left the exact people that Jamaal wanted for the album with time and creative energy on their hands. Studio time was quickly booked, and Nels Cline,  Immanuel Wilkins, Braxton Bateman, and King Noli brought the magic to life. Jamaal retruned to Philly with the precious recordings and worked vigorously with Marshall Allen to complete the project.

This energy, this lightning in a bottle, is the essence of creativity as expressed through music. It can be dismissive of the happenings of the day, but only for a moment. In fact it is highly charged by the world and cosmos around it, channeling all of the information into what we call an album. A set of songs that sprouted and grew, improvising to meet the situation.

Third Way Cultural Alliance is committed to developing unique ways to connect musicians and community, presenting music as art in elegant and powerful settings. Presentations that elevate the value of the art for both the listener and the artist. The 101 Audio Odyssey will not be available on streaming services at this time; even physical formats (CD, Vinyl) will not be available for the foreseeable future. We are calling on organizations, institutions, and community leaders to join us in presenting the music to their audiences. High resolution audio is available in the format of your choice, including Atmos, for listening events globally through 2025. Some of the artists are available to attend and discuss the music directly with the audience, in a formal panel format or simple casual event.