Sanjay Mishra w. Jerry Garcia: Blue Incantation

CD185 (Akar Music Inc., 2002)

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Sanjay Mishra: Blue Incantation

1. My Meditation
2. Monsoon (w. Jerry Garcia)
3. For Julia
4. Allegro
5. Clouds (w. Jerry Garcia)
6. Passage Into Dawn
7. Self Portrait
8. Bach in Time
9. Nocturne / Evening Chant (w. Jerry Garcia)
10. Before Summer Rain

Playing time: 47 min. Producer: Sanjay Mishra Distributor: City Hall Recording

Personnel: Sanjay Mishra (guitar, samples); Jerry Garcia (guitar); John Wubbenhorst (flute); Steve Zerlin, George Thomas (bass); Samir Chatterjee (tabla, percussion); Matt (hajini). Recorded between December 1994 and May 1995. All music written by Sanjay Mishra except "Bach In Time" (J.S. Bach). Two tracks, "Passage Into Dawn" and "Nocturne/Evening Chant," feature samples of Sanghamitra Chatterjee's voice. "Bach In Time" is Mishra's arrangement of the Gavotte and Rondeau sections of J.S. Bach's Lute Suite No. 3.

BLUE INCANTATION might be best known as one of Jerry Garcia's last recorded performances, but lovers of Eastern fusion and virtuoso guitar work will learn to appreciate this stunning recording for its additional charms. Sanjay Mishra is a thrilling guitarist who incorporates Indian folk music, Western classical composition and eclectic instrumentation into this beautiful collection of original material. Mishra's rapid-fire fret work is matched nicely with Samir Chatterjee's unique tabla playing, all of which result in a complex, hypnotic sound. Garcia is featured on four of the album tracks and is especially effective on "Monsoon," where he freely improvises over the sonic tapestry laid down by Mishra and friends. Garcia's performance adds an accessible, emotional layer that will appeal to those learning to enjoy the intricate richness of contemporary Indian music. Mishra also seems to benefit from the looseness of Garcia's performance. The radiant joy of "My Meditation" opens the recording with breezy assurance and sets the tone for Mishra's ambitious collaboration. This wonderful collection is an excellent introduction to Sanjay Mishra's work and a notable end to Garcia's long illustrious career.

Editorial reviews Included on Spin's list of the `10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear In '95' - ...a rich blend of Indian and (in light touches) North African music, and Garcia's trippy electric guitar, [that] isn't about celebrity wanking....BLUE INCANTATION has the weightlessness and solidity of music with real soul. Spin (01/01/1996) ...a lovely, supple style of guitar that belongs to no single guitar tradition...the expansive singing of Indian music: long melodic lines that flow together as meditations on modal scales... Option (01/01/1996) ...With his nylon-string guitar, Mishra issues pleasant extrapolations on themes with influences from India, Spain, a New Age sensibility and San Francisco....a poignant document of one of Garcia's last recorded side projects... JazzTimes (03/01/1996)