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Chords & Notes
Samvedna, Sensitivity
(HMV, Rs. 65)
The earlier album of Vajpayee's poems, Nayi Disha, had music for two songs by ghazal singer-composer Jagjit Singh, and Samvedna, the latest ambitious, big-budget release by HMV, also has music by him.
While Nayi Disha had poems that were ruminations on life and death, reflecting on the Emergency and the later political developments make for the theme in Samvedna. Vajpayee does not use his verse to demolish political rivals.
This lavishly produced album has a preface by the superstar, Amitabh Bachchan. The script for this preface, by Javed Akhtar, analyses the birth of a poet in Vajpayee, despite leading such a busy political life. On the path of thought, every individual becomes lonely and this is true even of Vajpayee. And it is this loneliness that marks the birth of poetry. Amitabh's reverberating voice and Javed Akhtar's penetrating script serve as a good opening.
The album has six poems in all and prior to each of them, Vajpayee explains the context in which they were written. Undoubtedly, Vajpayee strikes one as a better poet and an orator than a prime minister. There are some warm memories that Vajpayee shares in this album and comes across as a sincere poet.
``Kya khoya kya paya'' is a song that takes stock of life. It is a simple song without much ornamentation and sounds like a chant. "Ek baras beet gaya" is a song written one year after the Emergency. It has some warm phrases on the violin. The effect of "Ek baras beet gaya" sung in counters gives the feeling of a year that has gone by in futility. "Chaurahe par" has an Arabic feel to it.
One striking feature about the tape is a style rich in violins, which is unusual for a Jagjit Singh tape. The violin ensemble surges in and out, reminding one of a Western music orchestra. Particularly in "Jeevan beet chala", there are some grand violin flourishes. "Door kahin" is by itself a good song, but the tune does not gel with the mood of the song. The rather sad sounding flute bit in the song, gives a sense of wandering at random.
``Kadam Milakar'' is a fast-paced song. Vajpayee remembers days after emergency when he went to the Raj Ghat with Jayaprakash Narayan and took an oath to stand united. "But that never happened. We never lived up to the promise. JP saw the party crumble and I'm guilty too," he confesses. This poem stresses the need to remain united and has a nationalist fervour to it. It is painted on a vast scape of trumpets and drums. Jagjit Singh succeeds in bringing in elements of period music.
Prabhat Samgiit, Volumes 1 & 2
(RAWA, Rs. 35)
RAWA has brought out two volumes of devotional music — Tvam Mamam Priya and Malik ho Mere. The artiste line up for this tape leads you on to expect a devotional album that does not tread the beaten track. But you don't even have to go beyond the first song to give up on that expectation.
The albums are ambitious in production in the sense that they have musicians such as Devaki Pandit, Arati Anklikar, and Suresh Wadkar. But what a waste of musical manpower! Music and lyrics by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar do not make any pathbreaking attempts. With such voices on hand, one supposes that any music director would be tempted to explore new possibilities. However, Sarkar seems to reverentially take on the worn out path of devotional songs.
If you are looking for albums of the Jai Matadi, Sherawali kind (minus the frenzy), which you can play in the bus and forget about it, munching peanuts, then this is perhaps the one.
DEEPA GANESH
The Chemical Brothers - Come with us
(Virgin Records, Rs. 135)
There is not a single dance floor that these brothers have not rocked with their musical talents. Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands walked into the music scene in 1992 and in 1994, they created a beat movement that changed the dance music scenario.
With rocking albums such as Surrender, Dig your own hole, and Setting Sun and smashing hits such as "Hey boy hey girl", "Out of control", and "Life is sweet", they made a mark in their musical style. With a concoction of styles of Techno, House, Rock, and Funk, they have been inspirations for groups such as Fat Boy slim and U2.
Come with us is their latest venture and they once again prove their excellence. The underlying aspect is that though most of their songs are dance numbers, each of them are so interpretative that it leaves the listener in a state of awe.
The album kicks off with the track, "Come with us". This song has a recurrent beat, which lasts through the song. The core being the techno inclusions and witty keyboard tricks that make it sound so amazing. A lingering wildness and mystery is what one experiences after listening to "It began in Afrika". The thumping beats and transcendent funk takes one on a thoughtful trip.
A mind-blowing track is "Galaxy Bounce". This is a lovely song for the fact that it starts on a very mellow note and then moves on to an upbeat mood, which is repeated throughout the song. Whilst the slow, mellow, tone gives you a divine feel, the hard techno beats seems like a personification of a digital world in a mad rush for the unknown. This could just be one of the many interpretations.
The high-toned guitar phrases in the track "Star Guitar" takes you through a journey of emotions. Beth Orton and Richard Ashcroft appear as guest vocalists in this album. Beth Orton has sung "The state we're in" and the lyrics coupled with his voice is sure to send a shiver down the spine. Richard Ashcroft has rendered "The test", and has a spiritual feel to it, but it would have rather sounded better had Beth Orton sung it.
``Hoops'', "Denmark", "Pioneer skies", and "My elastic eye" are the other splendid tracks which are so typical of the aggressive fuzz of The Chemical Brothers.
SWATHI KRISHNASWAMI
The Classic Lena Horne
In comparison with One for My Baby, reviewed in these columns not long ago and also an anthology of Lena Horne's music, The Classic Lena Horne is much more satisfying for fans of classic vocal jazz. It has little of the irritatingly plaintive singing that the earlier album had. (In fact, the two worst offending tracks on this count were also on that album!)
Apart from these two ("Stormy Weather" and "One for My Baby"), the most sentimental sounding piece is "Darn That Dream", but it is the string accompaniment much more than Horne's singing that gives it the sentimental feel. The majority of the numbers show Horne's voice in a bright, perky mood, matched well by good strong jazz instrumentation and solo improvisations.
"Come on Strong", "I Hadn't Anyone till You", and "Get out of Town", are lively pieces on which Horne's singing is set against big band jazz accompaniment, marked especially by trumpet and trombone solos. On other pieces, such as "Love Me or Leave Me" and "The Rules of the Road", the quieter sound of piano, bass and drum support and improvisation is more prominent, although there is no clear-cut distinction between numbers dominated by big band and small group orchestration. In fact, many of the pieces also have a string ensemble participating, though mostly not obtrusively, unlike on "Darn That Dream".
On the whole, this album does much to justify Horne's reputation as one of the great mid-century jazz-influenced vocalists.
The Very Best of Christmas Jazz
(Universal Music, Rs. 100)
Blending jazz and Christmas might sound far-fetched, but in fact jazz musicians have a long tradition of recording in the Yuletide spirit. Although on The Very Best of Christmas Jazz a few numbers on have a tenuous connection with Christmas and a couple of others are forays by jazz musicians into straight pop on the Christmas theme, most do combine Christmas and jazz well.
Ella Fitzgerald's lusty voice starts the anthology brightly with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". That other great jazz singer, Louis Armstrong, puts in a matching performance with "'Zat You Santa Claus" Joe Williams's virtuoso singing on "Let It Snow!" is backed by a big band featuring beautiful solos on trumpet and alto saxophone. The Count Basie band's offering "Good Morning Blues" is another great combination of virtuoso singing and big band jazz improvisation. Shirley Horn's husky voice on "Winter wonderland" is well supported by guitar, bass, drums, and solos on trumpet and a delectable piano, probably her own.
The instrumentals are even better showcases of Christmas jazz.
Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans, giants of modern jazz piano, are in top form with "A Child is Born" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". John Coltrane's beautiful soprano saxophone solos alternate with the pianist's and bassist's on "Green Sleeves", while Kenny Burrell's guitar stars on "Merry Christmas, Baby". Finally, the hoary "Jingle Bells" gets virtuoso treatment from Jimmy Smith on the Hammond B-3 electric organ, a staple instrument of gospel, blues, and jazz.
JAZZEBEL
Top albums of the week:
1. Dil Chahta Hai
2. Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein
3. Kabhie Khushie Kabhie Gham
4. Tum Aaye - Alks Yagnik/Hariharan
5. Jagjit Singh - Samvedna
6. A valentine's special
7. Shakira - Laundry Service
8. Enrique - Escape
9. Grammy Nominees 2002
10. Kannathil Muthamittal
11. Mansantha Nuvve
12. Friends
(Courtesy: Music World)
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