Permission M. WDR Big Band Köln, Charlie Mariano, Karnataka College of Percussion, Mike Herting :
Sketches of Bangalore (2001)***°
Another super project from the Karnataka College of Percussion who gained attention in Germany after an incredible recording with the German Krautrock (later ethno prog jazzrock) group Embryo during their travel in India (on Embryo's "Reise").
Karnataka College of Percussion (KCP),from Bangalore, India, is in fact a changing group of young musicians who received a professional intensive training in percussion instruments and South Indian vocal music. The group often was involved in recordings with very open project with professional musicians from the West (David Rothenberg,..and now this project) and the Middle East (Okay Temiz from Turkey). Most of these projects were Indojazz Fusion, like this one too.
On this project the WDR Big Band plays along as if they always did. Together with Charlie Mariano, alto sax, they succeed to go beyond usual Big Band Jazz. In fact it's the first time a Big Band and an Indian Ensemble ever played together. And it works really very well, very energetically. Several tracks are more quiet and Indian mood. Mostly both worlds are melted perfectly into a big ensemble for Indojazz fusion. Only on the last two tracks either one kind of music takes the lead. I personally preferred the perfect combination from the first 50 minutes of the cd, expecially the title track and the Indian singing combinations of Indian and Jazzy percussion on several other tracks.
More information on the separate groups at the following links.
* WDR BIG BAND KÖLN :
* CHARLIE MARIANO :
* KARNATAKA COLLEGE OF PERCUSSION :
with the Turkish percussionist Okay Temiz see further down.
* Contact Ramesh Shotham who did another Indo Jazz project on Permission music with Dave King,
"Crossing Roots" (2002)***
