HARISH RAGHAVAN - Calls For Action
Whirlwind WR 4749
Harish Raghavan -bass; Joel Ross - vibes; Kweku Sumbry - drums; Micah Thomas - piano; Immanuel Wilkins - alto sax
This is Harish Raghavan’s debut under his own name, but fans of the younger end of the NYC scene, especially as represented by Whirlwind, will already be familiar with his big-toned powerful attack and deep gutty sound, through his work with such luminaries as Walter Smith III and vibes sensation Joel Ross. In fact Ross here repays the favour and joins in, along with his regular altoist Immanuel Wilkins and a band of hip young players from the same scene. They share a common vocabulary that matches Raghavan’s very contemporary take on what you might call the avante-mainstream. Newe has a tumbling odd-number time feel with a complex melody dancing above the churning rhythm figures and some wide-open post-bop solos - Los Angeles has a hushed yet celebratory feel with traces of gospel in the melody, with the impressive Sumbry adding dropping funked-up bombs throughout - Sangeet showcases the light-toned Wilkins in a bright, Jarret-like dance. There’s a lot of music here over the 70 minutes and the pace, energy and complexity keeps at high levels throughout - the solemn, resonant bass intro to I’ll Go And Come Back is a delight, and while sadly The Meters is a bombastic multiple-time textural exploration rather than a tribute to the Cissy Strut crew, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago tribute Calls For Action is a stately triumph of deep bass,shimmering vibes and clear-toned sax developing into a dizzyingly virtuosic ensemble. Young gun Micah Thomas excels, but so does everyone really, and the solo interludes for bass are especially satisfying. The sheer amount of musical content can sometimes overwhelm the listener but its worth it.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR 4749
Harish Raghavan -bass; Joel Ross - vibes; Kweku Sumbry - drums; Micah Thomas - piano; Immanuel Wilkins - alto sax
This is Harish Raghavan’s debut under his own name, but fans of the younger end of the NYC scene, especially as represented by Whirlwind, will already be familiar with his big-toned powerful attack and deep gutty sound, through his work with such luminaries as Walter Smith III and vibes sensation Joel Ross. In fact Ross here repays the favour and joins in, along with his regular altoist Immanuel Wilkins and a band of hip young players from the same scene. They share a common vocabulary that matches Raghavan’s very contemporary take on what you might call the avante-mainstream. Newe has a tumbling odd-number time feel with a complex melody dancing above the churning rhythm figures and some wide-open post-bop solos - Los Angeles has a hushed yet celebratory feel with traces of gospel in the melody, with the impressive Sumbry adding dropping funked-up bombs throughout - Sangeet showcases the light-toned Wilkins in a bright, Jarret-like dance. There’s a lot of music here over the 70 minutes and the pace, energy and complexity keeps at high levels throughout - the solemn, resonant bass intro to I’ll Go And Come Back is a delight, and while sadly The Meters is a bombastic multiple-time textural exploration rather than a tribute to the Cissy Strut crew, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago tribute Calls For Action is a stately triumph of deep bass,shimmering vibes and clear-toned sax developing into a dizzyingly virtuosic ensemble. Young gun Micah Thomas excels, but so does everyone really, and the solo interludes for bass are especially satisfying. The sheer amount of musical content can sometimes overwhelm the listener but its worth it.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
