| By the time Ranjanaa Devi, director of the Fine Arts Center’s Asian Arts & Culture Program, asked the Magic Triangle Jazz Series about co-producing Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Dakshina Ensemble, I’d already heard some music from their 2005 debut tour, and was suitably impressed. With a helpful push from FAC Director Willie Hill, Ranjanaa and I signed on for what was an extra concert in both our seasons. | |
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Dakshina is Rudresh’s cutting edge septet of Indian and American-based musicians playing original material in (mostly) raga form. The thirty-something alto saxophonist shares the spotlight with an amazing Indian alto saxophonist, Kadri Gopalnath. Steeped in traditional Carnatic music, Kadri is self-taught on the alto (which has no place in his chosen music). Taught by nagaswaram (double reed instrument) teachers, Kadri has developed a phenomenal technique and a totally unique sound on the instrument. |
I had met Rudresh in 2005 when he performed at UMass (a Magic Triangle Series/New WORLD Theater collaboration), as part of the Vijay Iyer/Mike Ladd production of “In What Language?” A fond memory of that visit took place the night before the UMass concert, when Rudresh and Vijay ventured to Hank Berry’s house in Leverett. The duo – formally known as Raw Materials – played (Vijay adapting well to Hank’s old upright), ate and made merry with about 25 of our friends (who had all chipped in for the privilege).
Rudresh is a talented, 21st century improviser. He’s smart in lots of things (math, economics, computers, music) and savvy, in an unassuming way. This tour – 8 performances in 7 cities – was produced by Asia Society, but there was no tour manager, Rudresh attended to the details. He was my point person on directions, backline and itineraries, and he made it easy; he was thorough, attentive to details and relaxed about it all. One thing Rudresh learned over the course of the tour was that it was better to have Kadri and his long-time collaborator, violinist, A. Kanyakumari, arrive closer to the actual sound check. I drove them to the venue.
Although Kadri knew literally nothing about jazz, he had the air of a jazz musician (confounding expectations, a little renegade). He did not have the career trajectory of a typical All India musician. When he would take his music exams as a youngster, the judges’ distain for his instrument changed to wonderment as he’d nail his exercises. For years, he had a day job, and would woodshed when not sleeping. Although he seemed like royalty to me, I recognized in him a flexible, non-chalance that I’d seen in many jazz musicians. He had a freelancer’s attitude.
Kanyakumari, however, was like no other musician I’d produced. A small, self-contained woman, she seemed out of place walking around the Quality Inn (or anywhere else in the States). I was told she had disciples throughout America who would bring her food wherever the band played. (Her religious practice had prescribed dietary laws. Sunday, the day of our concert, was the day she could eat anything.) Immersed in her music and religious practice, she had a far-away focus that was awe-inspiring.
As I drove them to Bowker Auditorium I was making chit-chat with Kadri (whose English is a little better than hers). As the conversation waned I heard a faint sound. The car radio was off and I was not being addressed. It was Kanyakumari in the back seat, praying, I think. Playing fewer notes than the saxophonists, she conjured the blues (intuitive, emotive, stripped to its bare essentials.)
Earlier upon arriving, Rudresh informed us our platform for Kadri and Kanyakumari, who sat cross legged the entire concert, was way too low. The production crew was able to find more and avert a major faux pas. But the concert went off without a hitch, and it was one of the most profound musical experiences of my life. Many others I talked to afterwards (both my jazzbo friends and Ranjanaa’s core Indian audience) agreed that this was transformative music of a very high order.
The music was a true hybrid: Indian-based, but jazz inflected. It was new music from deep within two traditions. As Budd Kopman wrote in his review of the Ensemble’s New York concert, “We were most definitely not in southern India, and yet we were not in uptown New York City either — we were in ‘DakshinaLand’.”
The UMass concert was Dakshina’s last in the tour. (Half way through, the band detoured back to New York to record. Look for the Pi Records release this fall.) The band was well oiled and in good spirits. All the musicians played masterfully. But credit most of all goes to Rudresh, who wrote music that everyone could sink their improvising chops into, and who built a beautifully-paced concert of provocative combinations. The concert – almost 2 hours without a break – passed in a flash.
I was especially impressed with the trap drummer, royal hartigan, who pushed the band and gave it bite. royal is an authority on West African drumming, and has studied deeply the percussion traditions of other great musical cultures. (He’s also a 1981 UMass grad.) I was amazed to hear from Rudresh that it had taken him a few gigs to get the feel just right.
Afterwards, we ate at the home of Dr.and Mrs. Seshu Desu, who had gone all out preparing a sumptuous Indian meal. They even made their teenage daughters wear saris. I (in the most polite way I could) stuffed my face. Kanyakumari ate like a bird.
Written by Glenn Siegel