 Sankaran has a superior voice, leading her listeners in and out of a trance, even with a wild jazz-scat to the accompanying Indian-tuned percussion, a vocal feat worth the price alone.
Autorickshaw – So the Journey Goes (Independent)
This Toronto combo is based on the sounds of India, but wired through contemporary jazz and funk, a hard concept to get your head around without hearing it, it’s such a unique blend. Just think of Indian music, then imagine it funky and grooving.
Most of Suba Sankaran’s vocals are Indian, except for a tremendous and quite different take on Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire. Yes, grooving to Cohen. Sankaran has a superior voice, leading her listeners in and out of a trance, even with a wild jazz-scat to the accompanying Indian-tuned percussion, a vocal feat worth the price alone.
The rest of the group, as well as guests such as Kevin Breit and George Koller, seamlessly blend two musical cultures, based on North American youth music and a new fascination with the intricacies of traditional Indian composition. Fusion at its best.
-Bob Mersereau |
