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Badal Roy

Amerendra "Badal" Roy Choudhury arrived in New York in 1968 with a pair of tablas and eight dollars in his pocket. In three days he took a busboy job and then waiting positions in various Indian restaurants. Soon, instead of waiting on customers he was entrancing them with his drumming. Badal's passionate style of playing is free-flowing and always from the heart, and when Miles Davis heard him play, the superstar warmed to him and spread the word. Soon he received his big break: an invitation to record with John McLaughlin and Miles successively. Badal went on to record on Miles Davis's On the Corner, Big Fun, Agartha, Pangaea and others.

Badal was one of the first Indian musicians to effectively meld Indian music and instruments with jazz and funk. Today Badal Roy is the foremost exponent of tabla in jazz music. He has played with not only Davis and McLaughlin, but also artists as diverse as P-Funk, Herbie Mann, Dave Liebman, Don Cherry, Pharaoh Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Lonnie Liston Smith, Andreas Vollenweider, and Yoko Ono. He has been an integral part of Ornette Coleman's Prime Time since 1988 and is presently collaborating with Brazil s Duofel, an instrumental guitar duo.

Badal is also a key member of Michael Wolff's Impure Thoughts as well as a part of the Mile's Davis alumni group Children On The Corner Badal is currently in production on a project with drummer Mike Clark, producer/dj Kentyah and others. Be on the look out for more about this!

Photo Credit
Ale de Vries

Badal Roy: Keeping the Groove

by Chris Kompanek
July 17, 2009

India-born tabla player Badal Roy has spent the past four decades playing with some of jazz's greatest giants, including John McLaughlin, Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman. He has been playing with fellow On the Corner alum Michael Henderson, as part of the Miles from India tour. Backstage before a recent concert at the Iridium in New York City, he shared stories of Miles and the musicians who influenced him.All About Jazz: When did you start playing tabla?

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Album Review

Badal Roy / Perry Robinson / Ed Schuller: Raga Roni

by AAJ Staff
August 13, 2002

When jazz listeners think of the tablas, only a few players immediately come to mind--Badal Roy, Zakir Hussain, and possibly the late Collin Walcott (from the group Oregon). Of them, Roy's resumé within jazz circles is certainly the most significant, with timeless contributions to the groups and recordings of Miles Davis (e.g. On The Corner, Big Fun ), fellow Miles band mate Dave Liebman, Ornette Coleman's Prime Time, Pharoah Sanders, and clarinetist Perry Robinson, who was actually one of the ...

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Album Review

Badal Roy - Ken Wessel - Stomu Takeishi: Daybreak

by Glenn Astarita
September 1, 1999

The core of Daybreak features the imaginative teaming of guitarist Ken Wessel, the infamous Indian percussionist Badal Roy both members of Ornette Coleman’s “Prime Time”, and bassist Stomu Takeishi who has performed and toured with Henry Threadgill among others. Besides stints with famous bands, these gentlemen are highly regarded session musicians whom individually, can boast of fairly extensive and impressive resumes. On Daybreak the menu consists of jazz, world music and improvisation as the overall congenial disposition and uplifting groove ...

Performance / Tour

Who Knows? (richie Nagan, Perry Robinson, Mark Whitecage) with Special Guests Badal Roy & Muruga Booker at Witches Brew Sunday August 7th

Source: Mark Whitecage
July 18, 2011

WHO KNOWS? featuring RICHIE NAGAN—guitar, vocals PERRY ROBINSON—clarinets MARK WHITECAGE—alto sax

with special guests BADAL ROY—tablas MURUGA BOOKER—drums, percussion

Witches Brew Coffee House 311 Hempstead Turnpike West Hempstead, NY 11552 (516) 489-9482 SHOWTIME: 5:00-8:00 PM ADMISSION: Admission is free and they will pass the hat to raise funds for “100 years in paint 100 yards of canvas," — Master tabla player Badal ...
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Festival

Hartford International Jazz Festival: Danilo Perez, Badal Roy

Source: All About Jazz
October 12, 2008

Both Hartford International Jazz Festival opening-night concerts succeeded in demonstrating what makes this annual event special: world-class jazz infused with intriguing multi-cultural elements. Each performance was unique, but both shared a musical melting-pot mindset. Panamanian-born pianist Danilo Perez guided his trio through a tantalizing maze of Latin American and Afro Cuban sonorities. Pakistani tabla drummer Badal Roy orchestrated a series of Asian-influenced improvisations for a sextet that borrowed freely from rock 'n' folk forms. Perez began his set at the ...
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Performance / Tour

Alankar featuring Badal Roy at Satalla - Wednesday, July 13 9:30 PM

Source: All About Jazz
July 11, 2005

July 11, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] ALANKAR Badal Roy - tabla, percussion Ken Wessel - guitar Stomu Takeishi - bass Wednesday, July 13 9:30 PM at Satalla 37 W. 26th St. (Broadway/6th Ave.) info: 212-576-1155 www.satalla.com Alankar will perform at Satalla on Wednesday, July 13 at 9:30 pm. The ensemble features Badal Roy on tablas, Ken Wessel on guitar and Stomu Takeishi on bass. Alankar performs original music that combines jazz with ...
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Performance / Tour

Alankar featuring Badal Roy Live at Satalla

Source: All About Jazz
June 24, 2005

New York, NY - In its first New York City performance in over a year, Alankar is coming to Satalla on Wednesday, July 13 at 9:30 PM. Admission is $15 Alankar features Badal Roy on tablas, Ken Wessel on guitar and Stomu Takeishi on bass. Alankar performs original music that combines jazz with North Indian influences; mixing beautiful melodies, odd meters and deep grooves to create an exciting world-jazz fabric.

The group has an expansive musical background. Tabla master Badal ...
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