Jazz Articles

Prasanna: All Terrain Guitar

by Glenn Astarita
August 31, 2016

As a solo artist, Prasanna (Raga Metal Conversations, Raga Bop Trio) doesn't record that often, but when he does, it's usually an impressive musical statement, incited by his ferocious licks and unique convergence of Indian Carnatic music with a Western muse. For example, check out his previous outing, which is an East-West tribute to Jimi Hendrix --Electric Ganesha Land (2006). With an all-star lineup featuring trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist Vijay Iyer, alto saxophonists, David Binney and Rudresh Mahanthappa performing on ...

Prasanna: Electric Ganesha Land

by C.S.Vallikanth
November 3, 2006

Prasanna Electric Ganesha Land Susila Music 2006

Hot on the heels of the genre bending South Indian Carnatic/jazz fusion album Be The Change, Prasanna here offers another staggering experiment. This time he fuses Carnatic music with many of the known variants, and sources, of rock music--from hard rock to heavy metal to blues to acid to bluegrass to grunge and pretty much everything in between. Shape shifting ad infinitum into soundscapes shimmering ...

Prasanna: Electric Ganesha Land

by John Kelman
October 25, 2006

Prasanna's Be the Change (Susila Music, 2003) was a remarkable combination of the South Indian Carnatic tradition with a fusion energy comparable to better-known guitarists like John McLaughlin. Electric Ganesha Land moves away from jazz, paying tribute to legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix. The lineup features Prasanna alone or with a number of Indian musicians playing traditional percussion instruments, and it is far from imitative.

Be the Change focused on Prasanna's strong compositional skills and rich harmonic language. Electric Ganesha ...

Prasanna: Be The Change

by C.S. Vallikanth
January 8, 2005

Prasanna Be the Change Susila Music 2004

At dusk the cock announces dawn; At midnight, the bright sun. ~ Zen Poem

Could there be an eternity beyond earthly opposites? Could a “This" and “That" cease to be? Could the unity of all opposites become a vivid experience? Could there be an endless dynamic interplay where opposites are at once unified, at once transcended? The Eastern mystics of yore called it ...

Prasanna: Be the Change

by Todd S. Jenkins
April 20, 2004

When the fusion of guitar jazz and traditional Indian music is discussed, either John McLaughlin or the late Shawn Lane will immediately come to mind. One can add to those ranks the marvelous talents of Prasanna, who has the added legitimacy of being a native Indian. On this entertaining album Prasanna has achieved a most impressive translation of sitar technique to the electric guitar, his fleet fingers painlessly pulling off the usual bends and shudders of the native instrument and ...

Prasanna: Peaceful

by John W. Patterson
March 1, 2002

After listening to Prasanna's Peaceful CD, I must say it is well named as it was ultimately relaxing in its widely meandering stroll through a myriad of styles. Prasanna injects soul and passion with grace into each composition. This raga rock, raga jazz, and even introspective raga acoustic guitar that delivers.I was waiting for this release long before Prasanna was finished it. It's a highly unique, guitar-driven gem and was well worth the wait. It is refreshing to ...