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KULJIT BHAMRA/ JACQUELINE SHAVE/ JOHN PARRICELLI Postcards from Home Keda KEDCD 27

1. Parc Floral
2. Dervish Dancer
3. Machair to Myrrh 1
4. Machair to Myrrh 2
5. Darker Sides
Sounds of Harris
6. Spinning Tweed
7. Moonlight on Loch Road
8. Beethoven's Air
9. Lullaby for a Lapwing
10. Song of the Shiants
11. Another Place
12. Escape to Tibet
13. Summer in le Marais
14. Guarana

Kuljit Bhamra - Tabla
Jacqueline Shave - Violin
John Parricelli - Guitar

 

At first sight, this album has very little to do with jazz. The only connection seems to be guitarist John Parricelli, who is well-known on the jazz scene. He is one of the three people who make up this unusual group. The line-up is completed by Kuljit Bhamra on the tabla (who is best known for composing, playing and producing bhangra music, as well as collaborating with musicians in many different styles). - and classical violinist Jacqueline Shave, leader of the Britten Sinfonia.

All three contributed compositions to this album, which is a fascinating example of three cultures coming together to make beautiful music. John Parricelli's contributions include Parc Floral, evoking a Parisian park where Trilok Gurtu was performing with his African group; Summer in le Marais which also refers to Paris; and Guarana, a jazzy Brazilian piece in several different time signatures.

Jacqueline Shave's compositions all refer to Scotland, although Machair to Myrrh imagines a magic carpet flying from the Hebrides to Morocco. Sounds of Harris consists of five pieces inspired by that Scottish island. Kuljit's three numbers are the swirling Dervish Dancer; Darker Sides, which refers to the commercial aspects of music-making; and Escape to Tibet, which invokes the Tibetan markets in Goa. Kuljit's tabla-playing gives this album plenty of rhythmic drive and, although this is by no means a jazz album, the drums can give the feel of jazz to such tracks as Guarana, which actually has quite a jazzy violin section.

So it isn't a jazz album but it brings together elements of jazz with classical and world music to make an intriguing mixture which is a delight to hear.

Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk

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