Hellborg/Lane/Selvaganish/Umashankar/Umamahesh: Icon
Hellborg has played with John McLaughlin and The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Public Image Ltd., and he cites as influences Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, and—interestingly—the original '60s power rock trio Cream. Interestingly, because Hellborg's bass style is reminiscent of ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce: power and full-tilt energy combined with astonishing finesse, and the ability to take the instrument places it doesn't ususally go.
His drive and the muscular, punkish bottom end anchoring the airy and intricate Indian percussion is a marriage heaven sent. The extended workouts—"Mirror" is a soaring twenty-three minute dream—include interludes of Shawn Lane guitar/Jonas Hellborg bass interplay not unlike the some of the live Clapton/Bruce workouts, with the time-stretching Indian beat floating behind it. Also included are interludes of call and response percussion, the kind of thing that stereo was made for, with the hollow, lilting India beat shifting from one speaker to the other and back again.
This dream-like, innovative, and facinating outing makes one wonder why Indian sounds haven't been incorporated more into western jazz and popular music. Maybe Icon is the beginning of a groundswell.
www.bardorecords.com
Track Listing
Anchor, Mirror, Vehicle, Escape
Personnel
Jonas Hellborg, bass; Shawn Lane, guitar; V. Umamahesh, vocals; V. Selvaganesh, Kanjeera, Konokol; V. Umashankar, Ghatam, Konokol
Album information
Title: Icon | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Barto Records
Post a comment about this album
FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
About Jonas Hellborg
Instrument: Bass
Article Coverage | Calendar | Albums | Photos | Similar ArtistsTags
Showcase
Contest Giveaway
