Here’s an exciting album by Shubh Saran, who p lays both electric and acoustic guitar along with banjo on a collection of originals. He’s with a core team of Cale Hawkins/p-key-synth, Angelo Spampinato/dr, Mark Minoogian/b, Brian Plautz/as-ss, Jared Yee/ts-bs and Joshua Bailey/perc along with a collection of vocal, percussion, string and brass guests.The songs include a dash of Southern Asia, but the horns add soul and modern jazz to the elements, with songs like “Slip” mixing a quirky swagger with intriguing guitar solos while Tyaga brims with bluesy keyboards. Many of the songs have multiple moods, with Metheny-esque moods and Appalachian folk strums on “The Imposter” while Minoogian’s guitar delivers some Jaco Pastorius depths on the dramatic “Blank Stare.” Dashing cello strums on the nimble “Slip” and celebratory horns on “Ascent” feature rich climaxes as well as intermittent valleys and peaks, with Saran’s solos veering in and out like a pedestrian weaving through a packed sidewalk in Bangalore. The album is fresh and filled with rich ideas that work well. Look for this one; any tours coming up?