On December 29, 1970, bassist Alan Silva assembled more than 20 musicians in the ORTF studio in Paris to record his composition “Seasons,” which was so sprawling and massive it required a triple LP set to contain it. The BYG-Actuel label obliged, and this has long been regarded as a landmark out-jazz release. The Celestrial Communication Orchestra included all the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago; soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and his band; pianists Bobby Few, Dave Burrell, and Joachim Kühn; trumpeter Alan Shorter; cellist Kent Carter; electric viola player Jouk Minor; and more. Silva himself plays electric violin and electroacoustic instruments in addition to bass, adding eerie and futuristic sounds to the mix. The piece has a kind of continuous flow over its two and a half hour running time; there’s a complex chart inside the packaging that tells you more or less who’s doing what, when, but it’s best experienced like bobbing in an ocean of sound, occasionally letting it drag you under before breaking through the surface again, gasping for air and paddling furiously.