A Fascination With “Bombay”: Richard Bennett; Bombay Dub Orchestra

New York Swara—Richard Bennett

It is clear that pianist Richard Bennett fell into a time warp when he and his wife arrived in Bombay to study Indian music. Almost magically, however, the pianist discovered that he could recreate the magical melodic invention of the sitar by advancing every aspect of his right hand on the piano, while his left hand re-created the drone of the Indian veena which accompanies the sitar while playing an Indian raga. More magically he creates the sound of swans in one of the beautiful ragas in Hindustani music: “Hamsadwani”. The raga was actually borrowed or reinterpreted from the Carnatic (South Indian) raga and is unique in that it does not contain all the swaras or seven notes in the Indian scale, but rather has only five and is based, instead on the pentatonic scale. This lends itself more easily to the western instrument on which it is played and is as exquisite as it is unusual to hear, say the flute of the Indian flute maestro, Hariprasad Chaurasia, whose version is best known throughout the world.

Mr. Bennett’s enthralling sojourn continues and with it he discovered that each raga is a world unto itself. So also with “Raga Gunkali,” which is allied to the bucolic morning raga “Bhairavi,” unfolds with mystical purity through the notes of Mr. Bennett’s piano and through “Raga Miyan ki Malhar” which is over 400 years old in its contemporary form. It was composed by Raja Miyan, a 14th Century vocalist who the New York cognoscenti consider to be the “John Coltrane” of Indian classical singers.

Richard Bennett’s fascination with India brought him to Bombay, and here he discovered the great Indian tradition which unfolds as if it were the skin of an onion and as if it were myriad worlds that invariably inhabit the heart of Bombay.

Track List: The Swan Swoons -Raga Hamsadwani—part 1; The Swan Soars-Raga Hamsadwani—part 2; The Swan Surges –Raga Hamsadwani—part 3; The Book of Five Rings-Raga Gunkali—part 1; Samurai –Raga Gunkali—part 2; Here I Am-Main Yahaa Hoon; The Savage Garden -Raga Miyan ki Malhar—part 1; That’s How Brooklyn Sounds- Raga Miyan ki Malhar—part 2; Tone B; Nightfall –Raga Puriya—part 1; Nightfall – Raga Puriya—part 2; The Swan Reprise.

Personnel: Richard Bennett: piano, melodica; Arun Ramamurthy: violin; Gaku Takanashi: upright bass; Naren Budhkar: tabla; Michael Wimberley: drums;

Richard Bennett on the web: richardbennett.bandcamp.com

Label: Times Music | Release date: October 2013

About Richard Bennett: Whether exuberant and percussive or lyrical and transcendent, Richard Bennett is a virtuoso at the piano. Bringing an array of world music and jazz influences to his music, he blends together a sound that is all his own. In New York his bands have performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors, The Guggenheim Museum, The Rubin Museum, Brooklyn Museum of Art, and Central Park Summerstage. Internationally, he has toured over twenty countries as member of various jazz and blues ensembles. His compositions have been used forcefully for movies and dance, most notably “Fragments” for the Ailey II Dance Company and “Slope of Enlightenment” for Elisa Monte. In India he has headlined the Mumbai and Kalaghoda Festivals. His album “Raga and Blues” was released by “Mystica Music” in 2011. The follow-up CD “Rhapsody in Yaman” was released in 2012. His newest music “New York City Swara” was released by “Times Music” in October 2013.