CD Review: Arun Ramamurthy Trio's 'Jazz Carnatica'

Arun Ramamurthy Trio
Jazz Carnatica
Self-Release

New York-based and South Indian-influenced, the Arun Ramamurthy Trio waste no time getting down to business bringing Indian Carnatic compositions to life that are centuries old. Arun is the violinist, while Perry Wortman plays bass and Sameer Gupta is in charge of drums. There are some guest artists on piano, violin, and mridangam to round out the instrumental ensemble. The compositions are mostly five to nine-minutes long, which allows for some great melody and rhythm expansion. Also, the tunes possess a creative quality that is innovative and refined. The organic elements are historic and accessible. In this case, it is satisfying to hear the sounds of a by-gone era. Experience historic Indian music in a contemporary setting from the Arun Ramamurthy Trio. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Jyotsna Srikanth's 'Call Of Bangalore'

Jyotsna Srikanth
Call Of Bangalore
World Music Network

Jyotsna Srikanth plays Carnatic or South-Indian classical music on violin, but it is accompanied by a mridangam (two-sided drum) and khanjira (frame drum). There are six long tracks that run over seventy-eight-minutes long. Some of the compositions are rather peaceful and classical, while others are upbeat and very moving. The violin still retains a somber tone that is rather organic and earthy, but the addition of the mridangam thuds and khanjira slaps fills in the melody with such precision and pleasantness. "Brovabarama" is the longest tune at nearly forty-minutes. It is especially spacious and somber...almost meditative. The violin is akin to L. Subramaniam's work. At any rate, Jyotsna will enrich the lives of all who listen to the mesmerizing and Carnatic tracks on Call Of Bangalore. ~ Matthew Forss 

CD Review: Swamy Haridhos & Party

Swamy Haridhos & Party
Classical Bhajans
Country & Eastern

Recorded in 1968 in Bombay, Swamy Haridhos & Party performs devotional music in the classical bhajan traditions. A bhajan is simply any type of Indian devotional song, which may include kirtan, mantra, raga, tala, and dhrupad forms. Classical Bhajans features twenty-one songs with Swamy on vocals, M. Bhagvatar on harmonium, P.S. Devarajan on mridangam, K. Shivakumar on violin, and K.V. Ramani on tabla. Notably, the recording was produced by the founder of the Country & Eastern label, Bengt Berger. Swamy sings in the Dakshina Bharatha Sampradaya Bhajan tradition, which is indigenous to Southern India. The ecstatic vocals and musical compositions vary in length from under one-minute ("Mandare Mule") to nearly nine minutes ("Gurumurthi Pada Mule"). The basis for the music relies upon ancestral links of religious and devotional themes and deities. The seemingly frenzied rhythms and call-and-response vocals interspersed with the accordion-like drone of the harmonium and punchy tabla and mridangam remind one of Sufi ensembles. Unfortunately, Swamy Haridhos died in the Ganges River on a trip to the Himalayas in 1994. Fortunately, Swamy's music will live on for future generations. For fans of Indian folk, religious, and devotional music, Swamy Haridhos and his ensemble are a worthy addition to any collection. ~ Matthew Forss