Pran (Greg Powers & Stuart Dempster)
Raga for the Rainy Season
Sparkling Beatnik Records (www.sparklingbeatnik.com)

The first album ever of classical Indian music adapted for trombone and brass didjeridu, finds two Americans, versatile trombonist Powers and harmonic echo-drone godfather Dempster recreating the style known as Dagar Bhani made popular by the Dagar Brothers and rudra vina master Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. The 3-part recital totals 69 minutes of a raga normally performed at the specific time of the calendar year. Mr. Powers wields great control of the trombone in what is a very challenging assignment. The 35-minute slow exposition in the alap section alone is worthy of only the most breath-centered persons. And the middle jor and concluding jhala sections offer advanced inventions at faster tempos. Mr. Dempster provides a tambura-like tonic for the first section but augments to a more rhythmic role in the latter sections.

(excerpt)

Percussion would have enlivened the affair, but the overall performance is chiefly relaxing, and contains an element I've never encountered before in recorded Indian recital, humor. Call me crazy but Powers and Dempster seem to be touching meditation and a gentle, pithy mirth all at the same time. Which makes this more like the serene timeless laughter of Buddha's blues for the Rainy Season. - Steve Taylor

Audio snippet courtesy of Sparkling Beatnik (you can purchase the CD here, too)

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