Jazz Articles about The Astral-Terra Trapeze Unit

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The Astral-Terra Trapeze Unit: The Astral-Terra Trapeze Unit

by AAJ Staff
October 23, 2003

Chicago's Astral-Terra Trapeze Unit is the brainchild of alto saxophonist/flutist/composer Kurt Hill Iselt. Inspired by 1960s jazz icons like Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Sun Ra, Iselt chose his band's name to symbolize the polarities of Earth and stars, with musicians as trapeze artists swinging between them.

The first thing you notice about this Trapeze Unit is how cohesive it is. These players negotiate the rhythm, tempo, and time signature changes of Iselt's tunes (he wrote ...