Art Claims Surrendered Lovers To Itself - Part One

 

Back in 2018, I had an opportunity to attend a concert in New York City given by the master of the Hindustandi Slide Guitar – Debashish Battachyra. I had picked up a CD of his that dated to the early 1990s because it looked so amazing:

I found the music placed me in a contemplative frame of mind and gave me a sense of well-being at a time in my life that was more tumultuous than I may have realized consciously. Having discovered his social media page, I began following his current activities and was surprised to see an announcement of a show in Manhattan that looked like I could get to. I'm pretty sure I was able to order a ticket online and drove the 60 some odd miles south on a weeknight in Oct to catch the show. It was held in an auditorium in a college on the upper west side of Manhattan and battling traffic proved challenging – including finding parking.

I got there so early I found myself waiting and wondering if the concert was going to happen at all – nobody was there or seemed to know about it. Gradually, attendees and performers arrived, yet the modest auditorium did not fill to the capacity it should have. With all the stress of getting there after a long day at work I had developed a headache and general sense of discomfort that goes with such stress. I also hadn't had much to eat which didn't help matters. Yet, as the music began I had the most amazing experience – my pain and discomfort from the day's stresses was LIFTED and by the time the performance concluded I was pain free and feeling FANTASTIC! The musicians included Debashish, his brother Subashish on tabla and daughter Anandi on vocals. Having been gifted a literally HEALING performance, I made sure to purchase two discs that night after the show:

Subashish's album is more modern in the sense of being reflective of the kinds of production qualities found in modern music today. Highly orchestrated, dramatic and in some ways cinematic in its presentation. The focus feels more on composition than instrumental virtuosity. The scope and depth of the music continues to be a source of fascination with each listen.

Anandi's album features a more streamlined approach with some refreshingly stripped down arrangements where the voice and instruments are featured and really shine! Her compositional approach is engaging and memorable. I can easily recall the pieces in my mind's ear in between spins of the disc itself. Both approaches are different enough from each other – and from the Hindustani Slide music – to provide enjoyable contrasting sonic experiences.

Since then I'd been on the lookout for a new release from Debashish himself. My patience was rewarded with a new recording titled The Sound of the Soul. From his Bandcamp page I chose the signed CD option (with the download available in FLAC format as well). The disc arrived within the week and features a warm and glowing word of recommendation from the great John McLaughlin on the inside panel of the disc cover. I can only echo the sentiment from such an esteemed admirer – the disc is essential listening for guitar music enthusiasts. I hope to hear this brilliant musician perform in person again. For now, the recordings sustain me and create a sense of well-being and hope for a troubled world.

It seems like 2022 was a year of unexpected musical miracles and a prime example was the release of the first Jeff Cotton solo album. It was surprising enough to see him surface on social media and in interviews the year before, but a whole album of music was a total shock! Although the absence of a drum kit drummer is notable in the sound, the overall music is so full of adventure, joy, musical surprises and that slinky slide guitar we all know and love – it's a feast for the ears regardless! I hope he releases more music as he has promised to do since I've had so much enjoyment from this first album. Maybe the Beefheart die-hards are the main target audience, but Cotton's music has a universal appeal that can't be denied. And he sure can sing too – not just Ella Guru!

Bringing the focus back to some classical musings – I was inspired to dig out the ONE version of Bruckner's 3^rd Symphony I found most tolerable if not enjoyable. The CD pictured above was purchased in a fit of desperation since other versions of his 3^rd really turned me off. For the life of me I can't recall why I took a chance on this one. Either it was a random purchase or I found a recommendation online. My money is on the former reason. Considering that the recording – of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra led by Hartmut Haenschen in 1991 – is fairly strident and brash yet still somehow suitable to the music, I can only imagine why other versions turned me off. If I recall, one of the tricky problems associated with Bruckner's music is how he would revise things so some recordings feature older scores while others feature revised scores. Or some such confusion. It had been awhile since I buckled in for the Bruckner 3^rd challenge and at least this version felt right. Listening to more of my classical CDs is likely to be a going thing since life's a bit tricky having classical LP spinning time in the house. No matter – I may be tempted to pull out that Bruckner cycle in that Jochum box I have sitting around to compare the 3^rd with. Still, I'm not parting with the Hartmut miracle disc. I'm so looking forward to exploring more classical vibrations in times ahead!

I'll wrap up part one here with a proper vinyl issue released last year of, essentially, the last official album put out by Robbie Basho in his lifetime – Bouquet. I was very interested in this new edition since the only other official release was on cassette back in the early 80s and the transfers I'd heard from internet sources were quite underwhelming to say he least. With the new vinyl reissue, the sound is superb. I'm not sure what the source was, but the result is on par with the vast majority of the items in Robbie Basho's catalog. The proceedings, musically, are a fascinating composite of several “bags” Basho had explored up to that point while pulling the most accessible elements together in one place. There are a number of vocal tracks mixed in with familiar themes from earlier albums. The liner notes included – composed by Glen Jones – address the notion that Robbie Basho was looking to find a wider audience for his art, even beyond the frustratingly broken promises of being connected to the Windham Hill roster. Yet, being a cassette only release was not the hip-culture move in those days that it is today. And with limited distribution it would have remained an obscure item were it not for the steadily growing interest in Robbie Basho's music over the last 20 – 30 years. As Glen Jones points out, if there is any cause for pause in this essential listening experience, it rises from a slightly overenthusiastic desire on the part of the artist to court the favor of his listeners, not unlike his fervent paeans to the various muses heard so earnestly in earlier releases. Still, Basho's raw visionary talent overtakes any awkwardly expressed devotion to an invisible “beloved” - it's not impossible to be even somewhat swept away in the river of sincerity that is very obviously the source of the inspiration. Quite simply, the new LP is the BEST version of Robbie Basho's last complete expression and is therefore essential for far more than the diehard devotees.

This concludes part ONE of a series …........ part TWO of which is already in the pipeline. Listen on, up and beyond!