Loz Speyer’s Inner Space takes on the music of Outer Space, as composed by the mighty intergalactic bandleader Sun Ra – and arranged from the original piano scores for a new collaboration with two very special guests, Jason Yarde and Marcina Arnold.

Speyer first encountered Sun Ra in the 80s, both in concert and in person, and has stayed somewhat connected ever since. Working with Arkestra drummer Clifford Jarvis (resident in Dalston through the 90s), led by a circuitous route to obtaining copies of Sun Ra’s original handwritten piano scores. From these, Loz then arranged some pieces initially for a Merseyside Improvisers Orchestra project in 2016 – even reintroducing some elements from the scores that didn’t appear in the Sun Ra recordings.

Back in the 90s, Speyer and Jason Yarde co-founded the innovative 12-piece Rare Mix, a collective composing project bringing together improvisers from diverse and distinct areas of the London Jazz scene. And later both Jason and bassist Larry Bartley began to delve deep into Sun Ra’s music as members of Gerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA.

Lately Inner Space has been touring with the new album Live in Leipzig and a full programme of Speyer’s original music including a set of Jazz portraits. One of these, “Sun the One, Ra the Far”, becomes the ideal springboard from which to launch the Sun Ra project. Meanwhile, the newly-released album Evolution by kindred spirit Marcina Arnold shines a contemporary light on similarly planetary themes.

In this debut performance by the extended seven-piece Inner Space, we will find out where this extraordinary band can take these very special compositions. The night promises to be a truly celebratory one, exploring many and various routes between Inner and Outer Space.