Vijay Iyer-Prasanna-Nitin Mitta
Tirtha
Act Music
www.tirthatheband.com

Majid Khaliq
The Basilisk
www/majidkhaliq.com

Bones and Tones
Bones and Tones
Freedom Art Records
www.freedomartrecords.com
By George W. Harris

The thing that keeps jazz interesting are the influences from various other cultures. Even originally, the “Latin tinge” was a major factor in jazz’s popularity. Nowadays, Central and Southern Asian sounds mix with Tin Pan Alley and Post Bop to create some exotic-yet-accessible music that is a welcome stimulus for the ears.

Pianist Vijay Iyer is frequently lauded as the “next big thing” in jazz. Time will tell, but this trio session with Prasanna/g and Nitin Mitta/table is a formidable argument in the affirmative. The clever combination of Iyer’s intricate and complex piano, Prasanna’s flexible guitar sounds and Mitta’s sublime tablas make for a wide variety of moods and textures. Prasanna can go metallic/electric, sitar-like or bopping like Charlie Christian, while the songs can range from complexly modern (“Duality”) to Lisztian romanticism (“Abundance”). Mitta makes his drums as intricately mind boggling (“Tribal Wisdom”) or as sympathetic to Prasanna’s guitar (“Polytheism”) as needed. I would’ve loved to have watched these rehearsals-the product is a wondrous sonic affair.

Violinist Majid Khaliq is relatively new to the scene, but he’s definitely on the right track. His violin mixes Middle Eastern soulfulness with modern jazz fusion with just the right amount of bebop that will keep you in the jazz tradition, but get you on a fresh path as well. The team of Khaliq with Charles Porter/tp, Jeb Patton or Eric Lewis/p, Ivan Taylor/b and Johnathon Blake/dr mixes the jazz language with a dash of cumin and funk on “The Basilisk” while go for the hard bop gusto on “Expectation.” The blend of strings and trumpet is exquisite on the lithe “Mansa Khan Musa” while a warm Middle Eastern spaciousness is present on “O-Hime.” Even standards like “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” are given an extra exotic treat in the hands of this formidable fiddler. Look for this one!

Lastly, do you want percussion? Well, Bones & Tones has it in abundance. Consisting of Abdou Mboup/kora-perd, Lloyd Haber/marimba-perc, Jaribu Shahid/b-perc, and Warren Smith/vibe-perc, B&T take you to Mali, Indonesia , Polynesia and who knows where else on this mix of jazz, world music and celebration. All of the eight songs have different moods and grooves, and sometimes the grooves run pretty deep. You never let your mind wander off, however, as the solos by Haber and Smith keep you snapping your neck to the feel. Imagine Disney’s Tiki Room on steroids, and you’re half way there!