In honor of jazz legend Sun Ra’s 100th Birthday and Jazz Appreciation Month, WCBN presents an evening of space jazz at UMMA featuring award-winning Detroit band Planet D Nonet. Founded by drummer RJ Spangler & trumpeter James O’Donnell, two eastside Detroit based musicians who’ve been playing together for over 30 years. The Nonet features players from such venerated groups as the Sun Messengers, Bon Ton Roule' and Johnnie Bassett & the Blues Insurgents as well as some talented young veterans. This phenomenal group can transition from scene to scene, playing the classic swing music of Ellington & Strayhorn, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie & Benny Carter as well as more modern jazz by Sun Ra and Pharoah Saunders, and always with a Detroit twist and an eye toward turning people on to jazz music.