The Exploding Star Orchestra is a newly discovered formation in the Chicago Underground galaxy.  Cornettist Rob Mazurek appears to be stargazer-in-chief, and various Tortoises are of course involved (John McEntire, John Hernden, Jeff Parker).  In total, 14 musicians, excluding the electric eels, are involved in this nebulous concept album about, as far as I can work out, the transformation of a stingray into a star.  Birds are involved in the story, as are those eels.  I’m not sure that knowing any of this helps, but it gave me a laugh typing it.

The first section begins in terrific Eric Dolphy/Andrew Hill/Bobby Hutcherson fashion, with tricky sections of jagged ensemble rhythm and some tremendous flute (Nicole Mitchell).  The end of the track is predominantly the Tortoise types going at it in typical Tortoise style, getting themselves all worked a la “Glass Museum”.  The end of the first section is where the sampled eels come in, a fascinating and spooky section of echoing tones, like treated scraped and plucked violin strings.  The album orbits around “Black Sun”, a gorgeous understated solo Jim Baker piano piece.   If you think the final section’s title “Cosmic Tomes” suggests the Arkestra, you’re not light-years away.  It begins with an intense Ra-esque ensemble piece, with some strong free-blowing cornet from Mazurek, before taking a more surprising excursion into Music For 18 Musicians style rhythmic repetition.

We Are All From Somewhere Else reminds me a bit of the interesting Matthew Shipp-helmed Blue Series stuff from a few years back which, for better or worse, seemed always to be trying to create new jazz forms by realigning stars from disparate constellations.  Powered by its eel electric, this burns brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye, at this time of year at least.

Listen to Cosmic Tones, Part 2 here
Buy it from amazon here