My East is Your West

A half-century has elapsed since Alla Rakha and Buddy Rich exchanged rhythmic wisdom on Rich à la Rakha. As tabla player and jazz drummer Sarathy Korwar observes, the narrative that began with such recordings has ‘moved along considerably’ in the ensuing years. In this age of information, in this sociopolitical climate, we can ill afford to hold vulgarised notions about what is ‘Eastern’ and what is ‘Western’ music.

Korwar's album with UPAJ Collective, recorded live in East London, is a truly enriching listen. Its fresh, balanced, calming and exhilarating arrangements cover a mouth-watering range of material: from a long unreleased fusion by guitarist Amancio D'Silva to the age-old ‘Raga Malkauns’, here presented in two parts. The first, a meditative, modal arrangement, is led by the beautiful phrases of Jesse Bannister's saxophone, while the second, a heartwarming ensemble piece bursting with jazz colour, features the blistering baritone sax and sitar work. Elsewhere on the album we hear spellbinding konnakol (a vocal performance using the mnemonic syllables of tabla playing), as well as Egberto Gismonti-like nylon-string guitar work and an array of beautifully played and recorded instrumentation. The ambience of the recording – its grunts, giggles and applause – only add to the abundant qualities of this most moving and significant Indo-jazz performance.