Last Updated 10/15/2024 07:21 PM EDT
LOG IN
CART
Cart Items :
Sub Total :
artist
label
title
catalog #
any field
advanced
New Releases
Artists
Labels
Forthcoming
Best Sellers
Reviews
Jobs
soundclips
[All Countries]
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Europe
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Korea
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Romania
Russian Federation
Scotland
Senegal
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
UK
Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
World's Leading Terrorist State
World's Misleading Terrorist State
[All Formats]
Book
Cassette
CD
Clothing
Digital
DVD
MISC
VHS
Vinyl
[All Genres]
CLASSICAL
COMEDY
ELECTRONIC
EXPERIMENTAL
HIPHOP
JAZZ
Misc
ROCK
WORLD
artist
catalog #
label
title
any field
Tweet
Send Email
PRICE:
$14.50
$14.50
IN STOCK
01. BIRCHALL, NAT - Man From Varanasi
Your browser does not support the audio element.
02. BIRCHALL, NAT - Humility
Your browser does not support the audio element.
03. BIRCHALL, NAT - A Prayer For
Your browser does not support the audio element.
04. BIRCHALL, NAT - Dervish
Your browser does not support the audio element.
ARTIST
BIRCHALL, NAT
TITLE
Cosmic Language
FORMAT
CD
LABEL
JAZZMAN RECORDS
CATALOG #
JMAN 098CD
JMAN 098CD
GENRE
JAZZ
RELEASE DATE
3/16/2018
Nat Birchall
charts new paths toward spiritual communion, connecting jazz with classical Indian influences guided by the wistful flow of the harmonium.
Cosmic Language
sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer, and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian ragas. Here he takes influence from spiritual jazz forebears such as
Alice Coltrane
and
Yusef Lateef
and introduces the Indian harmonium to his band, where it takes the place of the piano. Making new connections to realize his transcendental ambitions, it's a logical next step in making music as spiritual cleanser. The idea for the album was spawned from a one-off performance at a meditation center, the Maharishi Golden Dome in West Lancashire. Seeking to bring a band set-up that was fitting to the quiet-minded setting, Birchall brought the harmonium with him. A small pump organ, it's an instrument he'd been in possession of for many years but hadn't previously used in his music. Building on the spiritual context of that show, and the associations of that instrument, it led naturally to the musical approach undertaken on the album. Both the album and the show which preceded it were recorded with the same tight-knit group of players which have featured on Birchall's previous albums. All members of the group are part of the same like-minded circle of Manchester-oriented jazz musicians. Birchall has always channeled wide-ranging ideas into music that's simple to understand, and this album is no exception. Album opener "Man From Varanasi" is an ode to
Bismillah Khan
, one of Birchall's heroes of Indian music who hailed from the northern Indian city named in the title. It also sees him taking cues from the Indian raga tradition which, as with most other traditional Indian music, is a foundation which underpinned Khan's music. Crucially, the ragas tap into the idea of music as a means of spiritual release. Birchall sees spiritual experience as an essential part of day-to-day life: instead of brightly-lit, occasional entertainment in lugubrious concert halls, he considers it an everyday, vital source of inspiration. At a moment where jazz-influenced music is undergoing creative renewal and wider appreciation, it's an important perspective that's found resonance elsewhere.
Customers who bought this title also bought these titles:
Other releases on JAZZMAN RECORDS