Praful - Pyramid In Your Backyard
In
2003 Rendezvous Entertainement, the label launched by Dave Koz,
released Praful's second album "One Day Deep" in USA. This
album was 70 weeks in the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. The
reason was easily explained. It was often played on smooth jazz radio
stations. Many listeners had difficulties to categorize Praful's music
as smooth jazz. Certainly it is a crossover between world music and
electronics. Some would call it chill out music.
It's
symptomatic that smooth jazz is adapting more and more music
influences as long it's grooving and pleasing mellow. In Europe chill
out music is absolutely popular. Protagonists of this genre are Groove
Amada, Kevin Yost, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Micatone, Sidewinder, Atjazz, Mr. Gone,
Nicola Conte, Mo' Horizons, the list is long and endless.
Now
Praful is back with his new album "Pyramid In Your
Backyard". Praful describes the new album as "jazz meets
electronica" with many world-music elements. "I found the
title to be fitting because backyards are casual places often
cluttered with people's belongings, while the pyramid stands for
something deeper and spiritual. It is a symbol for a place inside us
all, but we don't always connect to it. That's just like my music.
It's casual and you can just hang out and have fun, but there is a
deeper meaning to the music if you tune into it."
Praful's
music is quiet interesting for American listeners because he
summarizes in his music the influences of his own life and European,
Indian and African cultures. For example Moon
Glide has a certain French touch by using the accordion and the
gliding structure of Parisian chansons. Melting accordion, harmonium
and saxophone in one song phrase is really impressing.
On
Says Kabir he is mixing North African
drums with electronica and Indian sing-sang (Sandhya Sanjana). Those
who are familiar with Germany's electronic music will recognize
elements of Can, Kraftwerk and Amon Düll.
How
can we place such music in the American music market? We had to add a
bit Brazilian music like Acredite and
Ponto De Partida. Katia Moraes is a fantastic singer and Praful
alienates her golden voice in his electonical witch's kitchen. If you
like such Latin groove try out samplers like Brazilectro, Bossa Mundo,
Barrio Latino, Brazil Remixed, Nu Brazil or Rio Lounge.
Praful
spent 6 months in an Ashram in India. Do you remember the Beatles and
Ravi Shankar? April Seven is somehow a
product of this period. Heavy-hearted bansuri, sitar and Indian drums.
Not easy to digest.
Eternity
is the pure contrast to April Seven. A
light Bossa featuring the singer Sudha. That fits into the smooth jazz
radio format if radio-edited. Could be Matt Bianco.
A
bit of Jethro Tull, Down To The Bones and Flamenco and you have Hand-Cart
Puller. That's hard dancefloor stuff.
You
can also find a lot of esoteric on this album like Naked,
Azul, Drop To
The Ocean, Wishful Walk and
We Live On. The album slows down
on the second half. Somehow there is also less tension. May be it's a
question of personal mood, which part one prefers at which time.
