Search - Rudresh Mahanthappa :: Mother Tongue

Commissioned by the New York State Council on the Arts, the music on Mother Tongue presents Rudresh Mahanthappa's engagement with the varied languages of India. Often asked the question, "Do you speak Indian?" or "Do you speak Hindu?" Mahanthappa has created compositions that are directly based on melodic transcriptions of Indian-Americans responding to such questions in their native Indian tongues. The astounding results make up the core of this CD from one of the most original voices in jazz today. A 2003 and 2004 recipient of the Down Beat International Critics Poll Rising Star on the alto saxophone award, Mahanthappa came to New York in 1997. His performances with his trio and quartet, as well as his work with Vijay Iyer, his partner in musical advancement, has helped to put Mahanthappa at the forefront of the New York scene. He has received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and American Composers Forum for music that resulted in 2002?s critically heralded Black Water. There are few cities in the world that are known for producing some of the brightest minds in music. Right now in New York, there is no one making a bigger impact than Mahanthappa. Mother Tongue is the album that will introduce him to a wider audience. Each track embodies an unprecedented level of communication both through composition and improvisation. Mahanthappa's blazing yet thoughtful solos are elevated by the rest of the quartet consisting of Vijay Iyer (piano), François Moutin (bass) and Elliot Humberto Kavee (drums), a rhythm section that is clearly setting the pace for jazz in New York. In particular, "The Preserver," "Kannada," "Gujarati" and "Change Of Perspective" showcase this band's enchanting ability to paint thought-provoking musical paintings over remarkably different rhythmic and harmonic landscapes. Mother Tongue embraces jazz through Mahanthappa?s past. In the end, it will prove to be the path for his future.