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Jazz Articles about Rudresh Mahanthappa
About Rudresh Mahanthappa
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Buffalo, NY, January 27, 2013
by Chuck Schultz
Rudresh MahanthappaAlbright Knox Art GalleryBuffalo, NYJanuary, 27 2013It is no secret that modern jazz musicians often draw upon multiple cultures when creating their art.In saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's case, he begins by meshing traditional music from India along with influences ranging from the Middle East to the East Village, from blues, progressive rock to funk and just about anything else you might care to name.The results are stunning in their sonic diversity, ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Gamak
by Mark Corroto
Did saxophonist John Coltrane have any idea of the consequence of dipping his toes into the music of India in the 1960s? Not only did he introduce jazz to new harmonic structures, but he marshaled the forces of jazz, perhaps, to ingurgitate world music. While the repercussions of Coltrane's spiritual journey are still being felt, what of the ricochet from Indian culture?Answer: Rudresh Mahanthappa.The saxophonist (a second-generation Indian-American) speaks a form of pidgin Indo-jazz that is ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Gamak
by Mark F. Turner
Alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa continues to avoid stereotypes, whether pushing the envelope with his acoustic ensembles or including electronic colorations in 2011's Samdhi (ACT). With Gamak, his unique blend of progressive jazz and Indian music is still evolving. The added twist here is not only a reunion with the magnificent rhythm section of bassist Francois Moutin and tabla/drum guru Dan Weiss who performed on the saxophonist's Codebook (Pi, 2006), but also the addition of guitarist Dave “Fuze" Fiuczynski. whose own ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Samdhi
by AAJ Italy Staff
La prima volta che Rudresh Mahanthappa mise piede su un palcoscenico in Italia fu a Verona, nel maggio del 1999. Faceva parte del quartetto del suo amico Vijay Iyer. Nel loro concerto si intravedevano notevole bagliori e il sassofonista (allora un emerito sconosciuto) si fece notare soprattutto per il suono oggi rinomato. Col tempo Mahanthappa ha mantenuto quelle promesse: è diventato un nuovo talento e poi si è trasformato in uno dei più accreditati musicisti jazz come certifica la messe ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Samdhi
by Glenn Astarita
Paralleling the recent world-music phenomena, saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa has become a champion of Indo-Jazz applications. By integrating Indian classical ragas, Mahanthappa fuses a highly progressive jazz base into his undulating and, at times, mesmeric compositions. With touches of jazz-fusion, framed on sprawling improvisational forums, the artist's global approach reaps additional rewarding factors via his signature sound, often designed with scintillating 16th note solo runs. He aligns his technical acumen with a compositional prowess that embeds variability with an assertive line ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa - Bunky Green: Apex
by AAJ Italy Staff
Desiderate con tutta forza fare pace con voi stessi e riconciliarvi con la musica? Beh, allora non perdete tempo e andate a procurarvi una copia di questo disco che porta la firma di due mostri sacri del jazz contemporaneo, entrambi sassofonisti, come Bunky Green e Rudresh Mahanthappa. Gridare al capolavoro forse è esagerato, ma è certo che Apex è uno dei rari dischi jazz degli ultimi anni che ha messo d'accordo i critici di tutto il mondo e di tutte ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Samdhi
by Mark F. Turner
About halfway through the aptly named “Killer," it becomes apparent that saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's Samdhi is up to something just a little different. Amid the track's impossible changes and blistering tempo, the saxophonist's alto undergoes acoustic-electric alterations that are processed through a laptop. Not that it was ever needed, but this embracing of technology, and other influences, adds yet another dimension to his repertoire. Samdhi is the product of Mahanthappa's receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008, which ...
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