Recorded at Sachal Studios Lahore, Pakistan and Abbey Road Studios, London, a collection of jazz classics fused with the traditional classical music of Pakistan and India
Physical release date May 17th; Digital release date April 12th
On May 17th, 2011 Sachal Music will proudly release Sachal Jazz: Interpretations of Jazz Standards & Bossa Nova. Recorded at Sachal Studios in Lahore, Pakistan, the album fuses some of the most famous jazz and bossa nova standards with the beauty and splendor of the Indo—Pakistan music. With interpretations of works by renowned composers such as Dave Brubeck, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Burt Bacharach, and Dave Grusin, the album creates a platform for the skilled and virtuosic music masters (”Ustads”) who would otherwise not have an outlet for their craft. The album will be distributed in the U.S. by Imagine Music.
The genesis of this unique project was the labor of love of Izzat Majeed. Establishing Sachal Studios in Lahore, Pakistan, Izzat provided the great musicians of Lahore with state-of-the art studios that created a genuine port of expression for dozens of musicians with no other outlets. In addition to offering an artistic center to a neglected community bereft of work and recognition, Sachal Studios went one step further by integrating classical south-Asian music with jazz, the most American of arts. In doing so, Sachal Jazz has created a discourse between the musical styles of the West and the East, which naturally transcends into a cultural exchange between two very different parts of the world. The project brings together some of Pakistan's greatest musicians to form the Sachal Studios Orchestra. With initial recordings in Lahore, the album was then brought to Abbey Road Studios in London for mixing and additional instrumentation. The ensemble, led by Izzat as Executive Producer, fuses together timeless jazz with traditional classical Pakistani and Indian music, creating an elevated new sound that challenges the confines of both genres.
From the spirited opener, Brubeck's “Take Five," to the closing reinterpretation of “Garota de Ipanema (Raga)" (The Girl from Ipanema), Sachal Jazz is an incredible example of how re-imagined instrumentation and sonic palettes can breathe new life and a new perspective on some our most recognizable and beloved music. Izzat utilizes the track “Mountain Dance" to highlight the sheer majesty of the sitar and the incredible musicianship of sitar player Nafees Khan. On the reworked “Misty," by Erroll Garner, Izzat portrays one of the most romantic compositions in jazz with melody lines from the sitar and the tabla with the lush rhythmic foundation of the “Ghara" or clay pot, ghungroos (ankle-bells), triangle, and tambourine. The album contains two reinterpretations of “Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema)." The first is true to the laissez-faire and feel of the original, with the Sachal Orchestra invoking a light airy feel with multiple percussive elements. The second interpretation, “Garota de Ipanema (Raga)" boldly emphasizes traditional Pakistani and Indian instrumentation and musical themes, creating an even more percussive and classically involved music.
Track listing: Take Five (Dave Brubeck / Paul Desmond); Desafinado (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonca); Mountain Dance (Raga) (Dave Grusin); Garota De Ipanema (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Vinicius De Moraes); Misty (Errol Garner); Samba De Verao (Marcos Valle Kostenbaden / Norman Gimble); The Guy's In Love With You (Burt Bacharach / Hal David); Garota de Ipanema (Raga).
