Description

1LP Vinyl – OTR 001

Re-issued on Outernational Sounds a half-century after its initial release, Rāga Jazz Style is a rare recording from the rich Bombay jazz scene. While its 1968 release date might suggest a pioneering work of Indo-jazz fusion, part of the recording’s intrigue is that it is not. Rather, it is one of the few surviving documents from a thriving fusion scene that dates back to the 1920s – few realise that jazz was being played in India before Coltrane was even born.

The album comprises eleven short pieces, each based on the melodic structure of a particular North Indian (Hindustani) rāga. The whistlestop tour of contrasting moods builds a film-like sense of momentum, and this variety is matched by contrasting musical textures – washes of sitar and tanpura drone are joined by saxophone, drums, tabla, flute, piano, and electric guitar. The music avoids claustrophobia despite this full instrument grouping, with Manohari Singh’s rich-toned saxophone sitting in the centre, subtly inflecting melodies that are rich yet unclustered.