In this project, there’s an emphasis on the extraordinary visionary ability to imagine uncodified sound and esthetic worlds. There’s the constant research of original borders that can emerge only by deeply exploring creative skills and putting aside conventions and mindsets, like a galactic journey to an unknown destination.
Over the years, after several concerts and four albums (the latest one, Universal Language, was released last October), the Cosmic Renaissance project, born in 2007 and freely inspired by Sun Ra’s music and figure, has become increasingly similar to Petrella, in a free and personal research that well represents the Apulian trombone player and leader. At the same time, he seeks and enhances the contribution of all the musicians he plays with, who add ideas and colors by working as a true collective.
Both the repertoire and the lineup have continued to develop over the years. Cosmic Renaissance started as a ten-member band. Today, it is a quintet: Mirco Rubegni on trumpet, Riccardo Di Vinci on bass, Federico Scettri on drums and laptop, Simone Padovani on percussions.
As the skipper of this space trip, Gianluca Petrella, is an artist whose talent has been internationally recognized for years. He is considered one of the world’s greatest trombonists (winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll in the “rising stars” category for two years in a row). Throughout his more than twenty-year career, he has worked with artists such as Steve Swallow, Greg Osby, Carla Bley, Steve Coleman, Lester Bowie, Roswell Rudd, Ray Anderson, Pat Metheny, Oregon, John Abercrombie, the Sun Ra Arkestra conducted by Marshall Allen and with the most important Italian musicians, including Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Bollani, Giovanni Guidi. Petrella has written, performed and recorded music in a transversal way, from experimentation to the mainstream.
