Editing Sun Ra (section)

===Philadelphia years (1968)===
In 1968, when the New York building they were renting was put up for sale, Sun Ra and the Arkestra relocated to the [[Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Germantown]] section of [[Philadelphia]]. Sun Ra moved into a house on Morton Street that became the Arkestra's base of operations until his death. It eventually became known as the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra. Apart from occasional complaints about the noise of rehearsals, they were soon regarded as good neighbors because of their friendliness, drug-free living, and rapport with youngsters. The saxophonist [[Danny Ray Thompson]] owned and operated the Pharaoh's Den, a convenience store in the neighborhood. When lightning struck a tree on their street, Sun Ra took it as a good omen. James Jacson fashioned the Cosmic Infinity Drum from the scorched tree trunk. They commuted via railroad to New York for the Monday night gig at Slug's and for other engagements.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

Sun Ra became a fixture in Philadelphia, appearing semi-regularly on [[WXPN]] radio, giving lectures to community groups, or visiting the city's libraries. In the mid-1970s, the Arkestra sometimes played free Saturday afternoon concerts in a Germantown park near their home. At their mid-1970s shows in Philadelphia nightclubs, someone stood at the back of the room, selling stacks of unmarked LPs in plain white sleeves, pressed from recordings of the band's live performances.{{cn|date=February 2024}}