Since becoming the musical director of Sun Ra's Arkestra in 1993, long standing member Marshall Allen has diligently orbited Ra's music, his philosophy and the musicians involved around the world on a seemingly endless tour schedule.

This has resulted in introducing new generations to Sun Ra's musical heliocentric visions and legacy, many of whom were discovering it for the first time. By way of celebrating this massive achievement the 15-piece Arkestra decamped to Rittenhouse Soundworks in Philadelphia to record what would be their first album in over 20 years.

Swirling is the glorious result, where new arrangements from Sun Ra's voluminous songbook are revived and re-energised. The choice of material is reassuringly expansive featuring fine examples from the key areas of Ra's earthly musical mission. It opens with Tara Middleton's muscular vocal for ‘The Satellites Are Spinning’ that acts as an introduction piece for the Arkestra to slowly assemble and prepare for lift off. This is followed by such sonic gems as ‘Seductive Fantasy’, ‘Angels And Demons At Play’, ‘Astro Black’ and a wild version of ‘Rocket No. 9’ with Allen firmly behind the controls playing his EVI synthesized horn device. Equally astonishing is a rare performance of ‘Unmask The Batman’ where the Arkestra rip their way through Neal Hefti's theme for the 1960s Batman TV series with a playful relish that is a joy (and a surprise) to hear. Exclusive to the release is the recorded debut of Allen's ‘Swirling’, led by Farid Baron's sturdy piano playing and further enhanced with Middleton's rolling June Tysonesque vocal style. Coming across as a celebration of his beloved swing era, the composition evokes the roots of the Arkestra and its original guiding star perfectly.