The Respect Sextet, Sun Ra, Karlheinz Stockhausen

This CD allows the music of two of the 20th century's musical giants to be heard as they've never quite been heard before.

Sun Ra and Stockhausen have a lot in common: mysticism, astrology, a self-constructed cosmology and (intertwining) compositional language, the idea of 'advanced' musical and intellectual work, and an early, involved adoption of synthesizers.

In choosing the repertoire, Respect wanted to draw comparisons and contrasts between the two composers and address the questions of how 'space' influenced their work.

A truly unique 'crossover' release that is bound to appeal to new music, jazz and improvisation audiences.

The Respect Sextet is an up-and-coming young jazz group based in New York and garnering a lot of positive press. Each of the band's six members are individuals with their own projects, writing their own compositions and playing in other bands, from new music groups Argento Ensemble and Alarm Will Sound to the gospel group The Campbell Brothers to Bjorkestra and Cuong Vu's Trio - a broad spectrum of music. Their previous CDs have included covers of tunes by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Lee Konitz, Herbie Nichols, Albert Ayler and Misha Mengelberg.