As the days go by, I am getting closer to the end of the semester. One of the musicians I have had the chance to study is the renowned jazz pianist and bandleader Sun Ra.

Thanks to Ahmed Abdullah, a trumpeter who played with Sun Ra, eight other musicians and I got to explore the music and philosophy of this master of swing.

I had a lot of fun playing two gigs with the band. The music was so inspiring, full of cosmos, asteroids and something genuinely otherworldly. Here are some photos, which are pretty funny to look at, since we all wore costumes when we performed.

That is part of Sun Ra's philosophy: people do not want to watch other people do their job in ordinary clothes. You have to be special, different, in a way.

Hope you enjoy.