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Phil Cohran's 'African Skies' Soars Again
3 Feb
Summary
- Phil Cohran's 1993 'African Skies' soundtrack blends spiritual jazz and avant-garde pan-Africanism.
- The rare recording for Adler Planetarium has become a collector's holy grail.
- The recently reissued vinyl captures Cohran's unique handmade instruments and cosmic themes.
Phil Cohran's 1993 soundtrack for Chicago's Adler Planetarium, "African Skies," is a captivating blend of spiritual jazz and avant-garde pan-Africanism.
This lost recording, initially commissioned by the stargazer and planetarium member himself, features four musicians. It was released in a small vinyl run in 2010, quickly achieving the status of a collector's holy grail before its recent reissue.
The music evokes artists like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby with its use of harp and meditative, atmospheric mood. Ranging across diverse global sounds, the 37-minute album is rich with circular rhythms and winding melodies.
