feature photo: Britt Mazurek
Neil Young once described CSNY as his Beatles and Crazy Horse as his Rolling Stones. Among the myriad of projects within the jazz badlands that he leads, the Exploding Star Orchestra is arguably Rob Mazurek’s Sun Ra Arkestra. Assembling a fluid cast of the finest progressive musicians – some from Chicago’s fertile avant scene (especially in its earlier forms) – the Exploding Star Orchestra is a manifestation of Mazurek’s ambitious, wild-eyed vision for empyreal orchestration.
Mazurek returns in 2023 to his updated version of Sun Ra’s boundless Arkestra; the Exploding Star Orchestra’s Lightning Dreamers (International Anthem) is the seventh leg of this interplanetary sonic trip. Mainstays Nicole Mitchell (flute), Jeff Parker (guitar) and Damon Locks (narration, electronics, sampling) return for ESO’s latest go-around, joined by non-Chicago Midwesterners Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Craig Taborn (Wurlitzer, Moog), as well as Angelia Sanchez (Wurlitzer, Moog, piano) and São Paulo Underground associate Mauricio Takara (percussion).
In keeping with Rob Mazurek’s stated celebration of “the oneness of all things,” his five new compositions are maximized by his brilliant arrangements that bring forth such a loose but singular sound mass, smartly utilizing the considerable talent at hand toward the objective of not technical mastery for its own sake, but of mind-bending otherworldliness.
It’s hard to imagine a more groove-oriented tune out of Mazurek than “Future Shaman,” and the Wurlitzers – in both comp and lead roles – ground the song to a crunchy, retro vibe despite Takara’s electronic percussion. Mazurek puts an avant touch on it toward the end when his solo turn is full of flourishing trumpet smudges.
A textural tune devoid of solos but rich in spiritual power, “Dream Sleeper” is a swirl of dreamy terrain and altered poetry recital, going on a slow, downward spiral briefly cut open by Mazurek’s horn until it rises up gradually again midway through. “Shape Shifter” indeed shifts from one rhythm pattern to another with the motif repurposed to fit the changed tempo.
“Black River” is the centerpiece of the album, the most typical “Exploding Star Orchestra” experience, if such a thing exists. Frolicking freely like peak Pharoah Sanders and featuring the indispensable flute of Nicole Mitchell, this track is partially derived from a live performance featuring an expanded Orchestra. One of those extra players was jaimie branch, a promising protégé of Mazurek, playing synths and electronics in a Paris concert just months before her premature death (this album is dedicated to her memory).
Closing out the set with a soft landing, Parker’s pulsating guitar sets a cleansing mood that defines “White River,” a song that moves like John Coltrane’s redemptive “After The Rain.”
Sprung from the prolific mind of Rob Mazurek, the Exploding Star Orchestra started out in 2007 reaching toward towering heights of artistry and attaining them. Most amazingly, they still manage to do that with fresh new approaches some fifteen years later.
Lightning Dreamers is going on sale March 31, 2023. Pre-order/order yours on Bandcamp.
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