Mark Corcoran-Lettice reviews the group’s first new studio recording in over two decades
Strut
Released: 23.10.20
No, not a typo: while the leader himself departed this planet in 1993, the Sun Ra Arkestra as directed by Marshall Allan are bringing some cosmic light to the dark of this year with their first new studio recordings in over two decades.
Operating both as a document of the Arkestra’s current big band formation and as a de-facto primer to any newcomers understandably puzzled by the breadth of the Sun Ra canon, Swirling’s live-in-the-studio sound is a testament to the globally in-demand touring band the Arkestra have become under the maestro Allan, encompassing a hard-swinging Rocket #9, a languorous Seductive Fantasy and a subdued reading of Astro Black. A formidable testament to the enduring power of Sun Ra’s work, and the Arkestra that continues to keep his visionary music alive.
