"Ideas never become tangled"
Given that both jazz and Indian classical music are built on improvisational traditions, it's hardly surprising that intermittent attempts have been made to bring them together. (John Coltrane and the John McLaughlin-led Shakti immediately spring to mind.) Perhaps the surprise is that musicians haven't tried to marry the two more often.
In this ambitious - and successful - recording, the bride and groom are Paul Grabowsky's Australian Art Orchestra and Indian percussion-based ensemble Sruthi Laya, led by Karaikudi R. Mani. The 22-minute title piece is enjoyable but the real treats, to my adventure-seeking ears, are the final pair of tracks, where the players are given the chance to go our on a limb, both as improvisers and as an ensemble. The first of these, "Moras", is divided into sections where the Western and Indian players alternate before coming together at the end - and a dizzying climax it is too.
It's followed by "The Ferryman", which begins slow, dark and atmospheric and almost imperceptibly builds in power over 20 minutes. Although both of these pieces have moments of abstraction, they're underpinned by a firm sense of structure. Unlike the Art Orchestra's previous recording, an only partially successful fusion of Bach and jazz, this one's ideas never become tangled.
- Weekend Australian (Lynden Barber), June 2000
