The project of Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, and Flea, Rocket Juice & the Moon began when the three musicians met on a plane in 2008 when they were going to Lagos to work with Albarn's Africa Express collective. Realizing how much they all had in common, the three musicians made plans to record when they could, and by late 2010, they had nearly finished their first album. The group made its live debut nearly a year later, in October 2011 at Ireland's Cork Jazz Festival, and played another gig a few days later as part of Another Honest Jon's Chop-Up, which was a celebration of the record store and label of which Albarn is a co-owner. Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Detroit DJ Theo Parrish, and Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara were among the players in the concerts, and all but Parrish ended up performing on the album (other contributors included Erykah Badu and West African rapper M.anifest). Rocket Juice & the Moon's self-titled debut arrived in March 2012 on Honest Jon's Records. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi