RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA — Samdhi (review)

RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA — Samdhi album cover Album · 2011 · World Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
idlero
2011 Downbeat International Critics Poll "Alto Sax Player of the Year," composer and alto saxophonist, Rudresh Mahanthappa is one of the most innovative musicians in jazz today, fusing the musical culture of his Indian ancestry and jazz with myriad other influences to create a groundbreaking artistic vision. His sound is described as “a mix between the rhythmic investigations of Steve Coleman and the introspective searching lyricism of John Coltrane” In Sanskrit, Samdhi means "that which combines or unites" or "the interval between day and night." In more traiditonal Hindu terms, it refers to the period between the end of one age (or yuga) and the dawn of another.Mahanthappa also sees the title as a representation of "my hybrid identity of being Indian and American; being neither and both. It's also that something between electric and acoustic." A Guggenheim fellowship allowed Mahanthappa to dedicate an entire year to this single project. In the project, he combines the complex melodic and rhythmic elements of both South Indian music and the traditions of jazz. This within an electro-acoustic format consisting of David Gilmore on electric guitar, Rich Brown on electric bass, Damion Reid on drums and Anand Ananthakrishnan on mridangam (an Indian drum) “I was interested in how I could transfer the Indian music to my saxophone, particularly this special ornamentation which forms the main feature of the melodies of Indian music. Technically this took me to new territories but, at the same time, I also wanted to understand the music functionally and rhythmically” said Rudresh regarding this project."The idea was to integrate all of that into a new piece that wasn’t so blatantly ‘Indian.’ I decided to put it in a whole new context – an electronic context.” The music of 'Samdhi' is a mix of jazz grooves, Indian music, funk and electronics , Mahanthappa labels it as "eclectic instrumental funk rock". No doubt the most accessible Mahanthappa(and probably one of the most accessible avant-garde albums in general) album until now. My favourite pieces are 'Killer'(a real killer) and 'Breakfastlunchanddinnner' an interplay of call and response and unison between sax and guitar.
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