Jazz For Meditation (Verve 2007)

A sublime mix of Eastern influences and jazz instrumentation – mostly pulled from classic experimental sessions of the late 60s, and served up with an exotic flavor throughout! A good deal of these recordings were done at a time when Indian music was permeating the mainstream strongly – heard in small doses in the music of The Beatles and others, and in bigger ones from artists like Ravi Shankhar on a series of key American releases. The tunes here take that trend a step further – blending Eastern-style instrumentation with jazz-based flourishes – often in more laidback styles, as you'd guess from the "meditation" in the title. There's a really airy feel to most of the music here – and the sound is incredibly evocative – as sitars, tablas, gongs, and flutes come into contact with more familiar western jazz instrumentation. Titles include "Yaad" by Dewan Motihar Trio,"Blue Nile" by Alice Coltrane, "Song Before Sunrise" by Joe Harriott/John Mayer Double Quintet,"Karuna Supreme" by John Handy & Ali Akbar Khan, "Integration" by Amancio D'Silva, "The Shang" by Randy Weston, "Bamboo Flute Blues" by Yusef Lateef, "For Some We Loved" by Doroth Ashby,and "Hare Krishna Hail Krishna" by Tony Scott.

T r a c K l i s t:


01. ALICE COLTRANE: Blue Nile
(Alice Coltrane) Jowcol Music, 1970
02. DEWAN MOTIHAR TRIO: Yaad
(Dewan Motihar) Edition Swington, 1967
03. THE JOE HARRIOTT-JOHN MAYER DOUBLE QUINTET:Song Before Sunrise
(John Mayer) Preston Stevens Music Co.Ltd, 1968
04. JOHN HANDY & ALI AKBAR KHAN: Karuna Supreme
(Ali Akbar Khan) Hard Work Music, 1976
05. AMANCIO D'SILVA: Integration
(Amancio D'Silva/Don Rendell/Dave Green) Copyright Control, 2004
06. RANDY WESTON: The Shang
(Randy Weston/Min Xiao Fen) Black Sun Music, 1998
07. YUSEF LATEEF: Bamboo Flute Blues
(Yusef Lateef) Alnur Music, 1965
08. DOROTHY ASHBY: For Some We Loved
(Dorothy Ashby) Wiljean Music, 1970
09. TONY SCOTT: Hare Krishna - Hare Krishna
(Tony Scott) Ajay Music Co., 1968