Search - Charlie Mariano :: Karnataka College

Hot rhythmic playing and singing

09/07/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Charlie Mariano is a veteran jazz saxophonist who is playing with the South Indian percussion group the Karnataka College of Percussion. Many of the tunes are the same as on Mariano's ECM recording. The tunes are from the South Indian tradition, and Mariano's improvisations are drawn from that system, rather than bebop jazz licks. He to some extent keeps his jazz sound on the saxophone, rather playing the nasal and heavily vibrato-ized sound that Indian woodwind players use.For me, the most exciting thing on this recording is the vocal work of R.A.Ramamani. She has a style has is based on Konnakkol, the singing of drum words which Indian percussionists use in learning drumming. However, she uses it in contexts that were not previously used in this music. In fact, that is the thrust of the Karnataka College of Percussion. They are putting together their music in new ways. Yet it does not sound like a fusion music, it sounds true to their tradition."