There are various ways to meld sounds from exotic lands into modern jazz. Here are three success stories.
Bolo consists of Surya Prakasha/dr-voc-harm-khol, Evan Fraser/kalimba-ngoni and Eliyahu Sills/b-oud-bansuri, and they all double and triple on various third world things that are either tapped, hit, strummed or plucked. What you get is hip jazz grooves, sometimes with vocals as on “Xango” and “Kothbiro,” which are enhanced by clever solos by instruments such as the African kalimba or a West African banjo. Harp like sounds dance over a loping bass on “Greeting” and some woodwinds slither over hand percussion on “Khol” and “Mahini Mei.” Rich and rewarding!
Ben Harris is the leader of the band Iemanjo, and he delves into the sounds of Peru and Colombia with the small Charango guitar creating luscious and bouncy rhythms along with various guests.Walker Fee brings his piano for a reggae flavored “Reality” and some horns make for a spicey salsa on “Sol Y Luna.’ Pan flutes evoke images of the Andes on “Se Que Vamos A Yegar” and “Amor Infinito” which also includes some rippling guitar sounds. The percussion lilts on “Iemanja” and the upbeat “Ciencia Ancestral” with hints of the rain forrest trickling down on “A Vision.” Crisp as a night in Cusco.
Shankar Tucker plays a richly warm clarinet, nice and woody, and he combines it well with instruments, vocals and rhythms from India. Intricate reed lines on “Come, My Belived!” mix with percussion and Ankita Joshi’s lovely nasal vocals, while mystical moods from the licorice stick and guitar team up with tabla and cello on “The Heart’s Prayer.” A four part “Suite for the Moon” mixes Central Asian percussion with a string section, harmonium, improvising guitar and reed to create a spicy curry of sounds, while Tucker creates a dreamy rubato on his solo of “Meditation.” HN Bhaskar’s violin mixes Middle Eastern moods on “Alaap” and sounds of the sunset on “Liberation” feature plaintive guitar, piano and vocals by Vidya Iyer to glow along with Tucker’s penetrating tone. A record to cherish.