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Planet D’ Nonet

Swingin’ The D

DMF2002

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Christopher Columbus

Planet D spins in its own orbit around the jazz sun – in their case, Sun Ra – and channels years of musical experience and feeling into their performances. They have a special repertoire including compositions by Sun Ra, Fletcher Henderson and Ellington, funked up with R&B numbers by legendary bandleader Buddy Johnson and Detroit stars Paul Williams and Todd Rhodes.

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to improve a “classic” recording. So, imbuing them with Detroit zeitgeist and feeling is the order of the day. It’s kinda like applying a coat of 21st century polish to a revered older structure. The trick is to enhance, rather than re-do. Planet D has this quality, and make the contents of this disc shine. By doing so, they...