Drummer
Sunny Jain creates a rich palette on this debut release, blending jazz aesthetics with sounds drawn from his Indian-American heritage -- and even some rock-inspired beats for good measure. Guitarist
Rez Abbasi, tenor saxophonist Steve Welsh, and bassist
Gary Wang are on hand to shape the music with their strong personalities. This is, in fact, one of the first recordings to feature
Abbasi's fascinating exploration of the sitar-guitar, which he plays on a wild version of
Wayne Shorter's "Masqualero" and several other tracks. Welsh contributes to the sonic maze by altering his sax with electronic effects at just the right moments.
Jain's originals are among the key highlights: Both "Horizontal Pathway" and "Mango Festival" involve tempo and feel changes that take the listener on a bracing journey.
Jain also offers adaptations of "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" and "Aap Jaisa Koi," the latter a South Asian pop hit from the 1980s. Welsh weighs in with the title track and the lovely "MTA," and
Abbasi revisits his "Blu Vindaloo," from the Modern Memory album, at a significantly brighter tempo. ~ David R. Adler