Shez Raja: Spellbound (Raja Records RR002CD)
Minutes into Quantum Spirits, the opening track from Shez Raja’s eighth solo album, there’s a vibe instant enough to predict the British-Asian bassist may have just dropped his most alluring disc to date. From a player that’s picked up numerous accolades and amassed some impressive credits (working alongside the likes of Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Trilok Gurtu and Wayne Krantz), Spellbound offers eight new, self-composed pieces that play up Raga’s virtuosity as an artist, not to mention skills as a producer. To a greater degree, it’s a strong band effort that throws generous spotlight on the crew of consummate players brought in to produce this compelling set.
Over drums and a low, funky bass line rumbling through the Quantum cut, Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge is first up to unleash some fire, picking out the melody in unison with saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos before tearing into the kind of distraught, high-wailing fretwork that brings to mind Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel. This weighty arrangement goes on to take in two passionate, more soulful solos from Raga and Xenopoulos before a busy break from drummer Jamie Murray signals the start of Maharishi Mindtrip, a tune more bluesy and psyche-like with a raga-influenced theme played by Zohaib Hassan on sarangi.
Blending Eastern and Western influences, the album is, with the exception of the sitar and soft, vocal-lit ballad Together We Fly, essentially a hotbed of fat, groove-based tunes. As a player known for his mastery of said grooves, US drum-ace Dennis Chambers makes his mighty presence known, raising the temperature of both the title track and Vishnu. While the former track is freely funk-orientated with the tireless tap and ring of tabla and Raja and saxophonist Tony Kofi riffing around its earworm hook, Vishnu is heavier – mainly due to more of Etheridge’s six-string wizardry, Chambers’ slamming backbeat and a breathtaking solo from the drummer, typhoon-like inside a fuzz-bass ostinato.
Elsewhere on the album, glinting with sitar and Raja emotively melodic up in the high register of his five string, Through The Multiverse plays as one of the set’s highlights. Here, tight to a slick kit-groove from Sophie Alloway, the bassist lays down a slow, reggae-style line that flips to a more complex finger-style figure as the drums jump to double tempo. The punchy arrangement is almost prog-like in the way it throws the listener melodic curveballs amidst more tenor madness courtesy of Kofi.
Listeners that may have missed out on tickets for the official London launch of the album in September can enjoy a flavour of Raja’s band thanks to the inclusion of two live tracks tagged to the end of this set. Quantum Spirits is reprised in a raw, more spirited form, while the 10-minute reading of an older tune, Rabbits, is a high energy tour-de-force of beat-displaced bass, more big unison riffing and at least three minutes of electrifying soloing from guitarist Guthrie Govan, all in all, proving the perfect climax to Spellbound, and a guarantee to leave you just that.
