THINGS AIN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BE

INDO-JAZZ FUSIONS

Disques Somethin' Else ‎– 849 497 BY, France, 1969

I’ve always enjoyed this album.  Bought it when I was still a student, in the earlyseventies, at the “Pele Mele”, now one of the most famous second-hand books and records (and DVD, computer games etc) shops in Brussels.  I’m talking about the "old" Pele Mele , when it was still run by Monsieur Henri and his elderly mother.  Pele Mele is still there: different location(s), - they moved a few times but always in the same vicinity - different management but always a popular cratedigging place although their selection of records (CD especially)  has dwindled and the prices have expended (but they’re still very reasonable).  So many of my records came from that place!  

It was pretty cheap in those days.  I could buy three or four second-hand albums at Pele Mele for the price of a new one elsewhere.  For many years I never bought a new album. I am of the opinion that good music is like wine, it gets better with age.  

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For some forty years this album fooled me into believing that Joe Harriott was playing o it because that’s what on the sleeve notes on the back of this French LP.

“ Avec la participation de : Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler / Alto Saxophone – Joe Harriott  / Flute – Chris Taylor / Piano – Pat Smythe / Double Bass – Coleridge Goode / Drums – Alan Ganley / Violin, Harpsichord – John Mayer / Sitar – Diwan Motihar / Tabla – Keshav Sathe / Tambura – Chandrahas Paigankar”

Well, as I recently discovered, it is almost completely wrong:  exit Joe Harriott, Kenny Wheeler and Alan Ganley. Enter Tony Coe, Ian Hamer and John Marshall.

The actual line-up:

Trumpet / Flugelhorn – Ian Hamer

Tenor Saxophone/ Clarinet – Tony Coe

Flute – Chris Taylor

Piano – Pat Smythe

Bass – Coleridge Goode

Drums – John Marshall

Violin – John Mayer

Sitar – Diwan Motihar

Tabla – Keshav Sathe,

Tambora – Viram Jasani

Because of the absence of Joe Harriott, this album is not as highly regarded as the previous Indo-Jazz Fusion albums.  I do not agree.  Tony Coe on reeds, Ian Hamer – already a veteran, he’d been playing since the 50s - on trumpet and flugelhorn and John Marshall (the youngest in the band) on drums are top-notch players who bring their own individuality into the band.  Bur the music remains definitely John Mayer’s own. “Inclassable” as I’d put it in French, Delightful music from a bygone era when the expression “World Music” hadn’t been invented yet.

N.B This is the same album as “Etudes” released in the UK on Sonet with the right credits in the sleeve notes.

Tracks:

1                      Intro And Rondo

2                      Capriccio

3                      Serenade

4                      Toccata

5                      Saraband

CARNATIC ONE MORE TIME!

U. SRINIVAS – MANDOLIN ALL THE WAY (INDIA, 1991)

 Time for some Carnatic Grooves! Probably not the most popular style of music considering that my previous carnatic post (the remarkable Silk World Music Group) generated only three comments!

I don’t expect any more this time. Too bad because this music is absolutely riveting.

"I thought that it's common to hear people playing classical music on the violin or veena, so why don't I try something new?" Of course, I never dreamed I would become so well known or that the mandolin would become so popular."

Mandolin U. Srinivas is among South India’s better known musicians. In the West, his name  may be recognized by some open-minded jazz fans thanks to his collaboration with John Mc Laughlin & Zakir Hussein.  However, there is no hint of jazz or fusion in this recording. This is pure Carnatic Classical Music.  Absolutely Magic!  This music gives me a natural high! 

Upalappu Srinivas is to Indian classical music what Sir Yehudi Menuhin is to its Western equivalent. And, like the latter, U. Srinivas was a child prodigy who has taken the mandolin, an instrument unknown in India, to unique classical heights. Having begun playing when he was only six years old, Srinivas'  musical aptitude was spotted by Subbaraju, a classically-trained musician and disciple of the famous musical stalwart Chembai Vaidyanata Bhagavatar. Subbaraju, not having any knowledge on how to play the mandolin, would sing Carnatic music and Srinivas would play along, thus developing his own style. Despite the critical acclaim that Srinivas has won over the world, he says modestly that he still has a long way to go. 'Where is the end to music? The more you learn, the more you want to know,' he says.

"When I started," he remembers, "I saw that only a handful of people were there, perhaps 30 at the most. They had very little idea of what was to come and this was the first time that the mandolin had ever been heard attempting the repertoire I gave. The concert lasted for four hours and, slowly, people kept coming. When the concert was over, there were 3,000 people there. For me, this was amazing."

(source: http://www.realworldusa.com/albumpages/srinivas/default.html )

There are a few video of U. Srinivas on YouTube. They’re worth watching.  

CARNATIC JAZZ

Silk World Music Group – Pure Silk (India)

Live at The Barbican Centre, London, 14th July 2000

 The idea of blending Jazz and Indian Classical Music goes back a long way but it was often at the initiative of Western musicians although there were some notable exceptions, such as T. K. Ramamoorthy or John Mayer (an Anglo-Indian violinist) to name a couple. And the source of inspiration was more often Hindustani (“North Indian”) than Carnatic (“South Indian”). 

But here too there were notable exceptions such as the already mentioned T. K. Ramamoorthy or Charlie Mariano who studied Carnatic music. John Mc Laughlin has been playing with Carnatic instrumentists such as mandolin virtuoso U. Srinivas.

The two main traditions of classical music are Carnatic music, found predominantly in the peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, found in the northern and central regions. Both traditions claim Vedic origin, and history indicates that they diverged from a common musical root since about the 13th century.

I am not a musicologist so I won’t go into explaining the differences between North-Indian and South Indian (or Carnatic) Music, but if you are interested you’ll find ample information on the Web. Starting from here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_India).

It’s a Mauritian lady friend and colleague who brought this album to my attention several years ago. I can't tell you much on this band which is presented as India's premiere Jazz/Fusion Music Group.

The band is composed of Louis Banks on Piano & Keyboard, Shankar Mahadevan - Vocals, Sivamani - Percussion, Karl Peters - Bass Guitar. Guest Musicians: Satish Vyas - Santoor & Vijay Ghate – Tabla.

Louis Banks

Source : http://beretandboina.blogspot.com/2010/11/india-series-2-louis-banks.html

All these guys are among the best in their field,  You may be familiar with the name of Shankar Mahadevan who provided vocals for Remember Shakti (feat. John McLaughlin).  Louis Banks is an established jazz composer and pianist who also played with McLaughlin (on his Floating Point album). Karl Peters is India's Numba Wan Fonky Bass Playa! 

 Tracklist:

1.   The Encounter         20:57

2.   Colour of Love          10:51

3.   Shadows                  13:30

4.   Jugalbandi Duet      01:12

5.   Jugalbandi Duet      14:10

6.   Doors of Desire        13:44

This is superb music that will probably disconcert Jazz purists.  Forget all the crap that’s sold as “World Music”. THIS is the real thing!

Merci Francine de m'avoir fait decouvrir ce superbe album!  Love Eternal.

p.s.: just realised this CD is still available. I shall post the link for a limited period only.

7 UP

CHARLIE MARIANO – OCTOBER (Inner City, 1977)

 Here is another album that has not been re-issued so far.  It was recorded between Helen 12 Trees and Crystal Bells, (posted a few weeks ago).  Typical Seventies Mariano, part Jazz Fusion – part South Indian. 

AMG is pretty laconic and not especially informative on this one (not that I expect much from AMG):

A '77 session with onetime Charlie Parker imitator Charlie Mariano now as immersed in Asian and Indian music as he ever was in bop. He's working with a European rhythm section that includes keyboardist Rainer Bruninghaus and bassist Barre Phillips. There are some compositions that reflect Mariano's jazz background, while others have everything from classical strains to Asian scales and instruments

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Personnel:

• Charlie Mariano – alto & soprano saxophones, flute, nagaswaram
• Rainer Brüninghaus – acoustic & electric pianos, synthesizer
• Barre Phillips – acoustic bass
• Hansgeorg Meuser – electric bass
• Udo Dahmen – drums, percussion
• Trilok Gurtu – tabla, percussion, drums (7)

Titles:

1. Aszù (Rainer Brüninghaus) 8:06
2. Nagaswarup (Charlie Mariano) 7:47
3. Earth (Rainer Brüninghaus) 2:47
4. Out of the Jungle (Udo Dahmen) 4:16
5. To an Elfin Princess (Charlie Mariano) 7:24
6. 7 Up (Hansgeorg Meuser) 5:27
7. Back of J. (Barre Phillips) 2:55
8. Down the Kaveri (Charlie Mariano) 4:45

Recorded October 5-7, 1977 at Cornet Studios, Cologne, Germany

Mixed October 19-21, 1977 by Wolfgang Hirschmann at Cornet Studios, Cologne, Germany.

Produced by Kurt Renker, supervised by Vera Brandes Released by Contemp (Germany) 2 Stereo | Inner City 1024

 Although not as good as Helen 12 Trees – which rates among Mariano’s best works ever, it’s nevertheless a very enjoyable and varied album.  There’s a bit of everything: fusion, South Indian, ECM-type ballads (Barre Philips'Back of J) and even a solid slab of funk (7 Up).

Ripped by JC from the original album.

Recommended website on Charlie  Mariano: Charlie Mariano Tribute

AND NOW SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

LURE OF DESERT - PT Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (India, 1994)


I do not like the term World Music which means anything that's not "Western". It's a typical "us" and "them" mindset.
I guess that for, say an Indian or an Ugandese, the Rolling Stones or Count Basie must sound like some kind of "World Music".. 


However, I do like traditional music (it used to be called "ethnic music" in the old days which was probably a much more accurate and neutral description). And I have a special liking for Indian music ... thanks to the Sixties and Ravi Shankar I assume.


Well, this here musician studied with Pt Ravi Shankar. 


I found this CD at Curepipe Market (Mauritius) about 10 years ago,  It's on an Indian label (pretty unusual as most CDs on the market were pirated copies). 


Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is well-known in the West for his collaboration with Ry Cooder a.o. but I prefer him in a purely indian / tradional setting as is the case in this recording.
Two long ragas (over 20 minutes each) and three "shorter" tunes (well over 6 minutes each).


He his supported by Salil Bhatt (second guitar) and Sandeep Das (tabla).


Magic!


This is my first posting of Indian music, there will be some more, occasionnally.


Dedicated to my friend Pradip, wherever you may be!