Raphael Pannier’s “Letter to a Friend”

The “letter” in question was written as a heartfelt Christmas greeting nearly 600 years ago by the early-Renaissance painter Fra Angelico. Inspired by this ancient missive, the French drummer Raphael Pannier has composed a suite of thoroughly modern music exploring the themes of universal brotherhood and divinity. He’s joined on the recording by, among others, the American jazz master Miguel Zenon and the German electronica artist Acid Pauli, all of whom add their special sauce to an unexpected melange of aural possibilities. Although it’s blessed by melodies and harmonies, the music on “Letter to a Friend” is largely atmospheric, painting a soundscape whose tones Fra Angelico would recognize as sublimely otherworldly, filled with earthly pleasures.