OK, I get it that Indian music is the latest genre to mix with jazz, and many times it has worked amazingly well. This time out, alto saxist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa teams up with David Fiucynski/g, Francois Moutin/b and Dan Weiss/dr in a collection of music that, while it is filled with some Central Asian melodies and modes, the jarring tones and rhythms detracts from the ability to draw it in and appreciate it. Mahanthappa has definitely got some chops, as he demonstrates on the particularly tricky “Copernicus,” but his harsh tone on the overly angular material like “Waiting is Forbidden” and “We’ll Make More” feel more like a technical exercise than actual music. His duet with the electric guitarist on “Stay I” is quite lyrical, and the Indian melodies on “Abhogi” and “Are There Clouds in India?” are quite intriguing, they’re just difficult to absorb in an onslaught of sounds and aggression.
Act Music