There is a great deal of meat in this record. So much is going on, all the time, that it is almost impossible to take all in, even after repeated listenings. Indian music is probably the most rhythmically complex in the world, and even in what is I suspect a somewhat simplified form, is still quite difficult to follow. The ten-piece band consists of five jazz musicians, four Indian musicians (led by co-leader and composer John Mayer) and a classical flautist. Three of the compositions are ragas, an Indian scale, harmony in the Western sense being unknown in Indian music. The tambura, a stringed instrument, provides a drone, with the tabla supplying rhythm accents, as a background for the soloist – normally the sitar player, but here, in addition, the jazz soloists as well. The one track not a raga, Overture, uses a metre of five beats, and was entirely scored.
The main soloists, Harriott, Blair, Smythe and sitarist Diwan Motihar create a series of interesting and stimulating solos. Harriott adapts himself least to the Indian music, Smythe to the greatest degree. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this record, however, is the unusual and stimulating colouring achieved by using the Indian rhythm instruments with the jazz soloists. At this stage I am prepared to go out on a limb and call this record an unqualified success – indeed, it could well provide the source for a number of explorations and further collaborations between Harriott and his men, and Indian musicians.
Discography
Overture; Contrasts (17½ min) – Raga Megha; Raga Gaud-Saranga (17½ min)
Eddie Blair (tpt/fgl-h); Chris Taylor (f); Joe Harriott (alt); Pat Smythe (p); Rick Laird (bs); Alan Ganley (d); John Mayer (vln / harpsichord / comp); Diwan Motihar (sitar); Chandrahas Paigankar (tambura). Keshav Sathe (tabla).
(Columbia mono SCX, stereo SX 6025 32s.)
