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Rudresh Mahanthappa – 'Mother Tongue’

PI RECORDINGS: - PI14

Rudresh Mahanthappa: - alto saxophone;
Vijay Iyer: - piano;
François Moutin: - acoustic bass;
Elliot Humberto Kavee: - drums.

Recorded 2004

Rudresh Mahanthappa has been named Rising Star of the alto saxophone by the Downbeat International Critics Poll for three years running and this album demonstrates that he has certainly earned the accolade. The opening track sees him bursting out upon us in a gale of bebop rhythms and speed that occasionally echo Charlie Parker and exhibit a similar melodious fluency, but his ferocious attack is more evocative of Coltrane. Rudresh’s playing is technically superb, but always under control and his rigorous and razor-sharp enunciation raise the standard of the archetypal hard-bop sound of the band to a quite different level, at once more dense and passionate.

The basis for much of this music is not in fact be-bop at all, but a study in which the saxophonist asked questions of native speakers of some of the various languages spoken in India. The sounds of their responses were transcribed into melodies and used as a root source for his compositions. At the same time and it will be plainly heard in some of the tunes, he emulates double-reed instruments such as the nagaswaram, commonly found through Southern India. Not only does Rudresh exhibit this utterly unique approach to addressing the saxophone: he has evidently cultivated his own alto resonance and intensity and plays with fire & fervour and an inflexible lyricism that thoroughly avoids cliché.

This is a very powerful band, the undoubted innovation of its leader thoroughly supported and stretched by its rhythm section, the whole laying down a really funky sound that will have you asking for more. This is a top class issue that I am really pleased to have.

Reviewed by
ken cheetham
January 2006