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About Rudresh Mahanthappa
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Hybrid Energy
by Anil Prasad
Rudresh Mahanthappa is a man on a mission. He's driven to integrate the saxophone into a vast panorama of settings far beyond its typical range. His output is often reflective of his Indian-American heritage, with an engaging hybrid approach that merges avant-jazz and South Asian elements. His current quartet, also consisting of microtonal guitarist David Fiuczynski, bassist François Moutin and drummer Dan Weiss, is emblematic of that direction.In addition to his own band, Mahanthappa leads or co-leads several ...
Continue ReadingMSG: Tasty!
by Mark Corroto
Jazz recordings cannot punch listeners in the nose--well, not literally. But when a recording hits as hard as MSG's Tasty!, it certainly feels like it. Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, a Guggenheim Fellow and distinguished Player, has been applying his punchy style, first in projects with pianist Vijay Iyer, but lately in creative endeavors such as Apex, with saxophonist Bunky Green and pianist Jason Moran, in duo with saxophonist Steve Lehman, and with his South Asian-influenced work in Indo-Pak Coalition ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa / Steve Lehman: Dual Identity
by Glenn Astarita
Alto saxophonists Steve Lehman and Rudresh Mahanthappa are prime forces and motivators for the new jazz; artists who can boast impressive resumes as leaders, and first-call session champions that assist with surging the modern jazz element into diagonally opposed schemas. Dual Identities is a fascinating glimpse of what happens when two saxophonists merge their respective styles into dense compositional soundscapes.With countering maneuvers, off-centered metrics and scintillating aerial assaults, the quartet primes for the kill on “The General." Here, ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa / Bunky Green: Apex
by Troy Collins
Apex is a cross-generational collaboration between ubiquitous 39 year-old poll-winner Rudresh Mahanthappa and undersung 75 year-old legend Bunky Green. Supported by an all-star rhythm section, the ideally paired alto saxophonists are joined by Mahanthappa's regular bassist François Moutin and stellar pianist Jason Moran, with newcomer Damion Reid and the renowned Jack DeJohnette alternating on drums. Encompassing a diverse range of material, Apex showcases the saxophonists' fervent interplay in collusion with an empathetic, highly responsive rhythm trio.A rising star, ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa / Bunky Green: Apex
by Mark F. Turner
Apex is an alto sax summit of huge proportions--a prodigious work of collaboration and stirring performances--boasting Rudresh Mahanthappa, one of today's rising stars, and Bunky Green, a lesser known master who has influenced innovators such as Greg Osby and Steve Coleman. Like another memorable 2010 release, Dual Identity (Clean Feed), which featured Mahanthappa and alto conceptualist Steve Lehman, the music here is another no-holds-barred outing between seminal artists. Though there's a 36 year age difference, Mahanthappa's fearless ...
Continue ReadingAlbum Review
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Steve Lehman: Dual Identity
by AAJ Italy Staff
Sono due tra i sax contralto più originali e significativi degli ultimi anni i titolari di questa band, Rudresh Mahanthappa e Steve Lehman, che si sono conosciuti [è forse un caso, ma piuttosto significativo] al Festival di Verona del 1999 e da allora intrecciano le rispettive carriere secondo coordinate che si distinguono per partner comuni - uno su tutti Vijay Iyer - e un approccio tagliente all'improvvisazione. Con loro in questo concerto portoghese del 2009 troviamo la chitarra di Liberty ...
Continue ReadingRudresh Mahanthappa: Apti & Real People
by Robert Iannapollo
Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak CoalitionAptiInnova2008 Anders Mogensen/Rudresh Mahanthappa/Kasper Tranberg/Jacob Anderskov/Carlo DeRosaReal PeopleBlackout2008 Over the past ten years alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa has succeeded where others have failed in fusing Indian musical traditions into modern jazz. His sinewy lines, while coursing along with the lissome grace of Indian improvisers, also reflect the harmonic edginess of players like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean. These ...
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