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Bored with the same manufactured rock bands and hip-hop acts the TV throws at you? Abhijit Nath comes to your rescue. |
Jaded? Want to hear something that’s not on the radio but don’t know where to look? In this, the first of a three-part series, we explore some beyond-the-mainstream music that deserves to be heard.
A lot of people are afraid of ‘guitar instrumental’ music: They think it’s too loud, too noisy, too much ‘musician’s music’ and has too many notes (which is why Steve Morse wrote a spoof neo-classical track called ‘Tumeni Notes’!). While this is probably true of a large number of tracks, the list below does not fall into that category (at least in my opinion!). Hopefully this will entice a lot of readers into getting into this genre more deeply.
{mosimage}1. Jeff Beck-Nadia: A reworking of a traditional thumri remixed by dance music wunderkind Nitin Sawhney (thus being a cover version of a cover version!), Jeff Beck shows how far he has progressed from his blues-rock contemporaries like Clapton and Page, with a sarangi-like tone and perfect command over the microtonal nuances of Hindustani classical music. The rhythm section is a resolutely shocking dancefloor thump, with synth parts played on guitar by Michael Jackson’s guitarist Jennifer Batten. A must listen, especially for that haunting, unforgettable mid section.
{mosimage}2. Jason Becker-End of the Beginning: One of those unsung legends who are celebrated only after their fall from grace, Becker was on the threshold of rock’n’roll superstardom when ALS (the disease Stephen Hawking suffers from) paralyzed him for life at the age of 20. Becker then released an album of tracks arranged using an eye-based computing tool called Perspective. The 11-minute ‘End of the Beginning’, based on Pachelbel’s Canon in D, was performed by virtuoso guitarist Michael Lee Firkins and a symphony orchestra. The track summed up his life, with a joyful opening half, which comes crashing down to a slow, contemplative mid-section and a pickup in tempo and a reprise of the main theme, this time with a triumphant orchestration that reaffirms his desire to live.
3. Gordian Knot-Grace: Sean Malone’s solo performance on Chapman Stick from the first Gordian Knot CD is a mini-orchestra in itself: ideas wash over each other, twist into little whirlpools and somehow reaffirm the main theme until it seems almost impossible that a single musician could be playing the piece. One of those tracks that stay with you days after you hear it.
{mosimage}4. Pat Metheny Group-Last Train Home: Metheny’s breakthrough track from Still Life (Talking), the track melded electric sitar with lovely keyboards and a memorable scat vocal line to create a nostalgic, contemplative ambience. A track to listen to when you want to get away from everything and clear your head in the hills.
5. Mahavishnu Orchestra-A Lotus on Irish Streams: The breather inserted right in the middle of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s breakneck debut, The Inner Mounting Flame, the Celtic-tinged track has John McLaughlin sitting back and enjoying the space between notes, with piano and violin interludes seeping in like bubbling brooks onto a placid lake.
6. Fourplay-Bali Run: The Nathan East (bass player for Eric Clapton)-fronted smooth jazz supergroup’s biggest hit, the track has bounce, verve and a very coo, almost danceable vibe. Pity the group broke up though.
{mosimage}7. Jonas Hellborg/Shawn Lane /Jeff Sipe-Hell Is Other People: A smoky, beer-filled tavern, with mist rising outside… inside the fusion trio from hell (or heaven, depending on your perspective) dish out frenzied shredding alternating with moments of calm. This is the definitive introduction to the genius of Shawn Lane.
8. Marty Friedman-Tibet: For anyone whose prior listening of Marty Friedman has been on the five Megadeth albums he played on, his solo album Scenes will come as a huge surprise. Very influenced by orchestral and New Age music, the album was produced by Japanese composer Kitaro. ‘Tibet’ is one of the standout tracks from this album, with its flute samples and Japanese-sounding scales.
9. Steve Morse-Migration: What do you say about Steve Morse? One of the most versatile rock musicians in the world while being one of the most humble, this artist never ceases to amaze with every new album. Major Impacts was a great concept, with Morse playing tribute to his musical influences without doing cover versions, a feat almost impossible to pull off without sounding like a cheap pastiche. ‘Migration’ is a tip of the hat to the jangly beauty of the Byrds, with acoustic guitar and an eminently hummable melody.
{mosimage}10. Bozzio Levin Stevens- Tziganne: Another prog/jazz supergroup, with Chapman Stickist Tony Levin, master of polyrhythms Terry Bozzio and most oddly, Billy Idol guitarist (!!) and ‘Top Gun’ theme composer Steve Stevens dishing out wicked, intelligent fusion music. ‘Tziganne’ is an acoustic world music tour de force, with flamenco melodies and ethnic percussion from around the world.
Well, that’s it for this week. We shall return next week with more music that you’ll never hear on the radio, this time focusing on every mother’s nightmare: heavy metal.
(Abhijit Nath is an alumnus of IIM, Ahmedabad and works for a private equity firm. He is a fanatic for any technically challenging music (jazz, classical music, prog-rock and black metal).He knows that this is a terrible bore and that he needs a life, but it seems like he’s living three already (with apologies to Terry Pratchett). He harbours dreams of playing for a jazz-rock band someday. It is for this very reason that he has opted to rent a house on the Harbour Line.)
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