Electronic Valve Instrument played by Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra
date: label: Date
content: early 1980s
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Crumar
label: Used by
content: The Sun Ra Arkestra, American
label: Used by
content: Marshall Allen, born 1924
label: Designed by
content: Nyle Steiner
notes: label: Caption
content: This electronic valve instrument was one of seven given to Sun Ra’s reed section and was often played by Arkestra bandleader, Marshall Allen. EVI’s can switch from flute, oboe and saxophone modes and give the instrumentalist more freedom to produce new and creative sounds at a dynamic range.
label: Description
content: The Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI) consists of a cased control panel and a handheld unit (a). The case and handheld unit cannot be separated from each other. The case housing also serves as a carrying case. The exterior of the case is covered in stickers with gouges and abbrasions. Stickers advertise for the 2006 Marbella International Jazz Festival and Fiesta Mundial Del Jazz, and a large orange sticker reads [INTERPLANETARY MUSIC / MARSHALL ALLEN / DIRECTOR OF THE / SUN RA ARKESTRA]. The lid to the case (component 'b') is detached with hinge pins missing and is no longer a functional closure. The control panel consists of a black panel with row of dials and toggles. Panels, dials, and toggles show oxidation and grime. A three-pronged power cord extends from the panel. The handheld unit, black, with [STEINER] printed in white text on one side, has dials for tune, scale, and port. Three black switches are analogous to trumpet valves. The handheld unit is attached to instrument panel with wire covered by black plastic cord.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Technology
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2021.52.1ab
objectType: label: Type
content: musical instruments
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: plastic, metal and wire
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (cased instrument): 5 × 18 1/8 × 4 1/4 in. (12.7 × 46 × 10.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (detached lid): 1 3/16 × 18 5/16 × 4 15/16 in. (3 × 46.5 × 12.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (controller): 3 9/16 × 2 7/16 × 14 3/8 in. (9 × 6.2 × 36.5 cm)