RAGS & RAGAS BY CHARU SURI
ALTERNATIVE JAZZ ALBUM
“RAGS & RAGAS sees Suri take on fusion adventures like few other artists out there…making it an exciting listen each time”
“Ink it in as one of the top jazz albums of the year”
Featuring: John Patitucci, Steve Gadd, Joe Lastie, Berta Moreno, Charlie Sabach, Kobi Arad, Grammy®- winning Brent Fischer, Debé Gunn
Mixed and Mastered by Multi Grammy®-winning Lonnie Park
PRODUCED BY
Charu Suri, Devan Ekambaram, Kobi Arad, and Grammy®- winning Brent Fischer
PRODUCED BY
Charu Suri,
Devan Ekambaram,
Kobi Arad and
Grammy®- winning Brent Fischer
ABOUT THE ALBUM
______________
Can Indian ragas and jazz harmoniously coexist? That was the question that pianist, Charu Suri, who was born and trained in India, asked herself after being transformed by the melting pot of musical cultures in New Orleans. After listening to a concert given by Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charu’s life changed forever. She wanted to bring her heritage to jazz. Perhaps the very first album to fuse Indian ragas and New Orleans-style jazz, RAGS & RAGAS is a symphony of unity. As sparks of divine creativity reach out from the far reaches of India, this album becomes a conduit, bridging continents and cultures. In this work, she shows how various musical influences, from 7/8 Indian rhythms can blend with gospel beats and bebop and makam-based improvisations. In this sense, this is a truly fresh take on traditional Indian music, and on New Orleans-style jazz.
The album features some of music’s legendary players.
With the resounding bass lines of John Patitucci and the pulsating beats of drumming legend Joe Lastie from Preservation Hall, the ragas reaches out, forging a powerful connection that transcends boundaries. And the legendary Steve Gadd turns the first tune in 7/8, Bourbon Street Stroll, into something truly groovy, propelling and brilliant; his brushwork on Bhairavi Blues adds to Lastie’s New Orleans-style gospel beat. The marvelous “Parade” arranged by GRAMMY-winning composer, Brent Fischer, is a highlight of the album and is based on a popular evening Hindustani raga, Bhupali. A musical conversation beyond geographical bounds, the enchanting piano of Kobi Arad in Raga Rag No. 1 intertwines with the essence of Indian ragas, creating a tapestry of sonic beauty. The lyrical playing of saxophonist Berta Moreno takes the ragas to a more familiar, yet new, place; Charlie’s Sabach Oud virtuosity gives the album a truly exotic dimension.
With each note, “Rags and Ragas reaches out, beckoning listeners to immerse themselves in the transformative power of music, celebrating the unifying language that binds us all. This alternative jazz album shows us what can happen if we put aside all preconceptions as to what jazz is, and what it can do if we keep our minds and hearts open.
PRESS
______________
"RAGS & RAGAS sees Suri take on fusion adventures like few other artists out there...making it an exciting listen each time"
"Charu is among the few female composers from India to perform at Carnegie Hall."
"Charu Suri is a true trailblazer when it comes to composing music as she crosses musical boundaries and bends the musical spectrum on ‘RAGS & RAGAS’!"
Joe Lastie is kicking it, big time, all the time, and Suri’s piano work is majestically beautiful. We talk of the “Latin tinge.” Here we have the Indian tinge on a terrific Indo-American jazz tune.
