A pure wonder that this tribute to the unique Sun Ra, composer and band leader originally from the planet Saturn (information doubted by historians) who achieves the improbable by perfectly expressing the eclecticism of the prolific musician, from his swing origins to his Afrofuturist adventures. Led by the Kronos Quartet, the tribute brings together covers, a remix (adorable Daddy’s Gonna Tell Youby Laraaji) and original compositions, notably by Jlin (Maji), Zachary James Watkins (magnificent Black Body Radiance) and Montrealer Nicole Lizée (The Furthest Out Things). Laurie Anderson and Marshall Allen, rare survivor of the Arkestra founded by Sun Ra (and now a centenarian!), collaborate on three pieces, including Image Continuedcomposition for big band interstellar — jazz has a special place on this album which, as Sun Ra did, also delves into contemporary music (Terry Riley participates) and electronic music, occasionally in an abstract way, but never hermetically. Somewhere among the stars, Sun Ra smiles.
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