Since 1978, Astral Project has been New Orleans' most exciting, inventive and respected morden jazz group. It¹s a co-op band comprised of world-class improvisers, hailed by fans and critics around the world.

Down Beat calls Astral Project "one of the most distinctive and cohesive groups in jazz."

JazzTimes calls Astral Project "one of the more adventurous working units in modern jazz today."

The daily paper in Astral Project's home town, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, calls Astral Project simply "the city's premier modern jazz ensemble." The monthly music magazine OffBeat says Astral Project is"the finest modern jazz ensemble in New Orleans, and undoubtedly one of the most unique jazz groups period."

Their sound is heralded for it’s unique mix of funky street rhythms, exotic melodies and brilliant improvisation. Saxophonist Tony Dagradi, a devoted student of Eastern philosophy, coined the band name as a reflection of the group's quest for a higher plane. As anyone who has seen the band in concert knows, every performance finds the band members reaching for the stars. “All of my life what I’ve enjoyed most is that I get to play all kinds of different gigs with different people,” says John Vidacovich, the undisputed master of modern New Orleans drumming. “But this is what we do. What makes us cool as a group is that when we get together – for so long over so many years – we bring these other little trips we’ve been on.” In addition to Dagradi and Vidacovich, the stellar group features guitar god Steve Masakowski and the great James Singleton on bass. This is Astral Project’s first AQ visit, and it promises to be one of the highlights of the year.

Check out this video from Friday night: