Kelan Phil Cohran was an innovative American musician best known for his pioneering work with the Sun Ra Arkestra from 1959 to 1961, where he contributed trumpet and experimental instrumentation to the bandleader's visionary cosmic jazz sound. His most significant contribution to electronic music was the invention of the Frankiphone (also known as the Space Harp)—an electrified mbira/kalimba hybrid that became a distinctive sonic element on Sun Ra's early recordings, predating much of the electronic experimentation that would define the genre decades later.
Cohran's work exemplified the intersection of traditional acoustic instruments and electronic innovation, establishing him as a pioneering figure in the development of experimental and electronic music within the jazz avant-garde movement.
