Too often I’ve heard artists perform compositions or live performances where they use the word fusion to refer to a particular composition, but it turns out to be unrelated elements of two cultures or different instruments that play different sections and/or something together. Try to say but don’t speak in one voice at all.
John McLaughlin said, “Interplay and interaction are integral to music – they are just as important as the notes.”
It’s true, your composition, the sequence of your notes, the melody line can be beautiful but how do you bring together different instruments, different genres, styles or cultures and present the melody that speaks in one voice.
Jazz as a genre has been a melting point of experimentation, dialogue, exchange, and perhaps beginning with Miles breaking boundaries like never before. It’s also recorded some of the best fusion music I’ve ever played I believe. Cinematic music also presents a large canvas for musicians to explore and mix different genres.
Sandeep Chowta has forayed into the world of both cinematic expression and jazz in his creations. After their 2013 album, Matters of the Heart, their latest offering, Fusion Fragmentation, follows the same lines but with two major differences. One it is a fusion album with elements of jazz, and second, the former album featured masters of jazz from around the world, the album features a stunning new line of young talented musicians whose composer speaks volumes on the album.
For me one name stands out in this album and that is Varijashree Venugopal. She shares the composer’s credits for three of the eight tracks, playing the bamboo flute on two of the tracks and singing in two of them. And in every way she stands out remarkably.
Four tracks are composed only by Sandeep and four others have contributed.
The first track, Floating Desire is a beautiful composition by Sandeep, and features Soumitra Thakur on the sitar, coupled with some very catchy work on the keys by Danny Greenfield. The melody is the one that will stick with you for a while and this track has all the qualities of a favorite in the album. The track is a great example of composition and music writing and the way the sitar, an Indian instrument, ties so well onto other instruments.
The second track, Kaleidoscope, is a Thiagaraja masterpiece played by young, but very talented Carnatic guitarist Abhay Nayampalli, fresh off the success of his debut album. Alex Cill’s guitar takes over the highs beautifully and the transition from Carnatic to Western sound is done smoothly and beautifully.
The third track ‘Finding Swara’ introduced me to the talented Varijashree as a flute player. The track leans more towards the cinematic genre. Jerome Flood is dominant on drums as the track is a melodic composition and yet he brings in some impressive moves.
The fourth track, The Dune Tune, composed by Varijashree and Sandeep, showcases his talent on flute. One of my favorite bass players, Seb Reed, makes an entry with this track and as I have always said, he is really spontaneous and always breathes something new into the compositions. Elijah Fox’s solo plays on the keys, King Robinson Jr. on the drums and Sandeep on the keys, giving the straight forward track a nice rounded feel.
The fifth track, a composition by Varijashree and Sandeep, is a very funny composition with colorful ragas as the basic structure and while Seb Reed totally impresses you with his artistry, everyone on this track makes it a unique one. . And I think we will hear more about Varijashree as a musician. Hosey Butler is a new addition on drums to this track.
Funky Sambar will make you laugh. A foot tapping composition featuring HM Smitha in the lead role on violin, and backed by Seb, King Robinson, Sandeep and TJ Whitelaw on guitar.
Anthony Crawford plays bass guitar on four tracks and anyone who has played with Alan Holdsworth needs no introduction. Anthony’s standards of play have always been excellent. And his play on the song ‘Thrill Seekers’ is absolutely brilliant. The guitar on this track will leave you breathless as Australian guitar ace Josh Meader is furious in this track. His game reminded me of Scott Henderson. Aaron Smith on drums and Varijashree are part of this wonderfully fast tempo track.
Thrill Seekers’ high tempo and high energy immediately cools with the album’s final track, Crystal Palace. The trio of Varijashree, Elijah Fox and Sandeep collaborate on this track and the track features Varijashree’s voice dripping honey.
Fusion Fiction is a fine blend of East and West and some of the compositions give it a strong cinematic feel. But jazz phrases like, colorful dreams, thrill seekers, floating desire, are very clearly associated with Indian sounds and melodies.
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