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Indian Jazz Fusion Artists

 
JOHN ABERCROMBIE -- see COLLIN WALCOTT, DAVID LIEBMAN
RABIH ABOU-KHALIL While Abou-Khalil plays a Middle Eastern instrument (the oud), he features artists familiar to Classical Indian/Jazz Fusion lovers, including GLEN MOORE, GLEN VELEZ and CHARLIE MARIANO, who lend an Indian element to his fusions.
ALIEN CHATTER Eastern Classical tabla player Satnam S. Ramgotra combines forces with jazz electronica musician Rodney Lee in an interesting collaboration.
ANCIENT FUTURE Ancient Future is one of the longest-lived groups producing "world fusion" music, a word they themselves coined in 1978. Their music has grown to be quite sophisticated over the years, under the tutelage of such gurus as ALI AKBAR KHAN, and in collaboration with noted percussionist ZAKIR HUSSAIN and his student EMAM. Early member Mindy Klein now produces excellent Indian fusion on her own as MINDIA DEVI.
ANTIGRAVITY -- see WARREN SENDERS
JAMES ASHER
 Asher is a jazz drummer turned world beat musician. The albums listed below are those with distinct Indian influences; the numerous accompanists include GLEN VELEZ and PETE LOCKETT.
ASIABEAT
Founder and percussionist Lewis Pragasam of Malaysia has been blending Indian, Balinese and African music with jazz since 1979. His group integrates "bols" (the Indian solfege system) with western melodies and styles.
LOUIS BANKS
Banks, known as "The Godfather of Indian Jazz" (and composer of over 7,000 aadvertising jingles!), has played with (among others) ROY VENKATARAMAN (who appears on Call of the Mermaid), CHARLIE MARIANO, SILK, ADRIAN D'SOUZA, SHANKAR MAHADEVAN, ARTHUR GRACIAS, MILES FROM INDIA and SANGAM.
TAKIS BARBERIS
Takis Barberis is probably little known outside of his native Greece, which is a shame, because his music would have wide appeal if it were better known worldwide. Barberis sports incredible talent and amazing versatility, and is now among my three favorite jazz guitarist (along with John McLaughling and Pat Metheny). Most of his music is unmistakably influenced by the Indian Classical tradition, often with numerous Indian accompianists, including (on at least one album) TRILOK GURTU.
RANJIT BAROT -- see SANGAM, ROY VENKATARAMAN
ASHWIN BATISH This sitarist combines jazz, rock and Indian music into what's now commonly referred to as "World Beat" music.
BETWEEN
Germany's answer to The Paul Winter Consort, with many musicians on a variety of world instruments, including some from (surprise!) India. The Indian influence derives primarily from leader PETER MICHAEL HAMEL's work.
VISHWA MOHAN BHATT
Bhatt has numerous albums, many of which feature unlikely (for the genre) collaborators, including RY COODER, Taj Mahal, Jerry Douglas and BELA FLECK. V.M. Bhatt continues to collaborate with numerous musicians, among them COLONIAL COUSINS.
BHAVANI
This group, headed by RAMESH SHOTHAM, includes the omnipresent CHARLIE MARIANO.
CARLA BLEY
Bley's 3-record album Escalator Over the Hill features many familiar artists, including DON CHERRY, CHARLIE HADEN, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN and PERRY ROBINSON (not to mention rock giant Jack Bruce, and even Linda Ronstadt!). Only a few of the pieces contain characteristics of classical Indian music, notably All India Radio and Rawalpindhi Blues.
LEE BOICE
 Lee is a perennial performer on the New York City world fusion music scene. He has performed with INDOFUNK, and a public CD release is planned soon.
GEORGE BROOKS
 A sampling of Brooks' music reveals some of today's most beautiful and exciting examples of Classical Indian/Jazz fusion. His albums also include some of the best-known artists in this genre, including ZAKIR HUSSAIN, HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, FAREED HAQUE, T.H. (Vikku) VINAYAKRAM, LARRY CORYELL, USTAD SULTAN KHAN and KAI ECKHARDT.
BROWN INDIAN BAND
 Bassplayer Colin D'Cruz formed this group, which performs original compositions at music festivals worldwide. As of this update they had not yet produced a recording, but did have a piece available for download at their website.
DAVE BRUBECK
This famous jazz pianist featured some Indian-inspired pieces on the album listed below, which included famous artists Louis Armstrong, Charlie Mingus, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan, Carmen McRae and Thelonius Monk.
SERGIO BULGAKOV Sergio Bulgakov is an Argentine musician whose influences derive from Buenos Aires and India. His masterful sitar playing is interwoven with computer composition.
ANATHOLI BULKIN This world-class guitarist is also a world fusion man. Some of his recordings contain a hint of Indian influence. In addition to his own works, he also performs with SUBHASH DHUNOOHCHAND's The Cosmic Sound.
HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA
Chaurasia, a master of the Indian flute, was a student of Annapurna Devi, ex-wife of RAVI SHANKAR. He is a perennial accompianist, and has performed with MINDIA DEVI, ZAKIR HUSSAIN, ABBY RABINOVITZ, REMEMBER SHAKTI and ROY VENKATARAMAN
DON CHERRY
Another prolific indian-jazz fusion artist. Trumpeter Cherry was one of the three CODONA members (along with COLLIN WALCOTT and NANA VASCONCELOS), and has also played with TRILOK GURTU, L. SHANKAR, and JAI UTTAL.
BILLY COBHAM -- see MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, WOLFGANG SCHMID, PAUL WINTER CONSORT
Billy Cobham, a well-known jazz drummer who appeared on some of MILES DAVIS's influential albums, is "[c]onsidered the definitive fusion drummer [of] the 1970s" according to the All-Music Guide.
CODONA
A few pieces by Codona (the name is derived from the leading letters of the first names of its three members) have an Indian feel due to the presence of Sitar/Tabla player COLLIN WALCOTT. Trumpeter DON CHERRY has also worked with Indian/Jazz fusion artist extraordinaire L. SHANKAR. Percussionist NANA VASCONCELOS has collaborated with other indian-jazz fusion figures, notably JAN GARBAREK; he is also known for his work with the Pat Metheny Group.
COLONIAL COUSINS Jazz/funk/classical indian fusion with a pop rock style featuring well-known Indian musicians V.M. BHATT, TALVIN SINGH and U. SRINIVAS.
ALICE COLTRANE
Alice Coltrane was originally inspirated to incorporate classical Indian music into her piano and harp playing while studying under guru Sri Chinmoy, under whom {the Devadip} CARLOS SANTANA and {the Mahavishnu} JOHN MCLAUGHLIN also studied. Under guru Swami Satchidananda she became known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda. Some of her collaborations with Carlos Santana and PHAROAH SANDERS utilize Indian instruments (the drone of the tamboura is often present). Check out the title track from Journey in Satchidananda, and "Angel of Sunlight" from Illuminations. Coltrane is the wife of the late John Coltrane, and performers on the recordings listed here include CHARLIE HADEN and JACK DEJOHNETTE.
RY COODER
Ry Cooder has ben performing with musicians from every corner of the globe for many years. His explorations include forays into Classical Indian fusion with VISHWA MOHAN BHATT and JON HASSELL.
CHICK COREA -- see MILES FROM INDIA, MILES DAVIS, PAUL HORN
CORMACK AND ROSS
 Although released in 1996, the album Horse of Stone was recorded in 1974 and 1977. Tom Ross and Jody Cormack both studied extensively with Indian masters.
LARRY CORYELL
 Coryell has collaborated with OREGON members RALPH TOWNER, COLLIN WALCOTT, and with GLEN MOORE, STU GOLDBERG, HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, T.H. (Vikku) VINAYAKRAM, GEORGE BROOKS and L. SUBRAMANIAM. Coryell sat in with SHAKTI during some of their live performances.
COSMIC SOUND, THE -- see SUBHASH DHUNOOHCHAND
COSMOLOGY
Haven't heard these folx yet, but (like many other groups in this guide) they jammed with COLLIN WALCOTT.
CURANDERO
One of an increasing number of collaborations between the flamenco and Indian traditions. Their latest album features notables BELA FLECK and KAI ECKHARDT.
DARK
I know little about this group except that it features MARK NAUSEEF on drums, and L. SHANKAR is a guest on their album Tamna Voda.
DAVID DARLING
Darling played cello with the PAUL WINTER CONSORT in addition to his solo album Cycles, which features, among others, COLLIN WALCOTT and JAN GARBAREK. Darling went on to form a group named Radiance (another Paul Winter Consort offshoot) with oboist Nancy Rumbell and guitarist Jim Scott.
MILES DAVIS
Miles Davis features a minimal part for sitar on a few of his albums. His accompanists include JOHN MCLAUGHLIN (who collaborated with Davis on a number of albums), HERBIE HANCOCK, JACK DEJOHNETTE, DAVID LIEBMAN, COLLIN WALCOTT and BADAL ROY.
JACK DEJOHNETTE -- see ALICE COLTRANE, COLLIN WALCOTT, MILES DAVIS
MINDIA DEVI Talented flutist, bansuri player, gamelan musician, and composer who has studied with HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA and ZAKIR HUSSAIN. Mindia was also a co-founder (under former name Mindy Klein) of the group ANCIENT FUTURE.
SUBHASH DHUNOOHCHAND Subhash's band The Cosmic Sound is one of the more recent supergroups in this genre to arrive on the scene. Subhash, on tabla, has performed with Mahesh Vinayakram and V. Umashankar, both sons of legendary ghatam player T.H. (Vikku) VINAYAKRAM, V. Selvaganesh (one of Vikku Vinayakram's brothers), ANATHOLI BULKIN and a host of other talented young players.
DIGA RHYTHM BAND -- see MICKEY HART
DISSENDENTEN
This German trio, which incorporates much Middle East fusion, developed out of the group EMBRYO. They have performed both on their own and with the KARNATAKA COLLEGE OF PERCUSSION (see also COLLECTIONS).
DIVYA An Indian group which has recorded an album containing some very original electric compositions. Performers on Madras Cafe include ROY VENKATARAMAN, SHANKAR MAHADEVAN and FAZAL QURESHI. Co-founder SANDHYA SANJANA has since embarked on a solo career.
DIZRHYTHMIA
British band which, according to one reviewer, "Borders on spacey New Age and is somewhat overproduced." Nonetheless, their line-up includes master sarangi player USTAD SULTAN KHAN
ADRIAN D'SOUZA
Drummer Adrian D’Souza began performing in his native Bombay at age 5; he subsequently traveled extensively, touring for a while with LOUIS BANKS before settling down in New York City.
KAI ECKHARDT
Kai is a session bassist who is a popular choice among Indian-jazz fusion artists, including TRILOK GURTU, JOHN McLAUGHLIN, CURANDERO, and GEORGE BROOKS.
MARK EGAN
Jazz bassist heavily influenced by Indian music.
EKSTASIS
Ambient band featuring well-known fusionists BILL LASWELL, ZAKIR HUSSAIN and BADAL ROY.
EMAM
 Emam's group features ANCIENT FUTURE members Matthew Montfort and MINDIA DEVI, and eminent musicians ZAKIR HUSSAIN, FAZAL QURESHI, HABIB KHAN, GEORGE BROOKS and SIVAMANI.
EMBRYO
Embryo was a jazz/rock/ethno-fusion group from Germany featuring African and Indian musicians. PETER MICHAEL HAMEL was among the regular members.
FACING EAST
While billing itself as a world music ensemble (with such musical titles as Irish Rag), Facing East (featuring flutist John Wubbenhorst) demonstrates strong roots in the Indian classical music. Their melding of eastern and western styles is seamless, and the group is one of the better practitioners of Indian/jazz fusion out there right now.
  • Album: facing BELOVED (2003, Facing East Productions)
  • Personnel: John Wubbenhorst (flute), Subash Chandran (percussion), Ganesh Kumar (percussion), Jorge Zamorano (guitar), Steve Zerlin (bass)
ENZO FAVATA Favata's music is refreshingly different. While jazz and Classical Indian are elements, the music draws on numerous other styles and cultures (most notably Italian), evoking something akin to the sounds of Oregon and the Paul Winter Consort.
FLAIRCK Dutch folk/jazz/classical band led by composer/guitarist Erik Visser. As far as I know, the album listed below is their only recording with both Classical Indian and Jazz influences.
REINHARD FLATISCHLER AND MEGADRUMS
Like Mickey Hart's projects, Flatischler brings together a flock of famous, talented percussionists to perform a suite of compositions with a variety of flavors, including heavy Indian influences. The lineup inludes ZAKIR HUSSAIN, AIRTO MOREIRA and GLEN VELEZ.
BELA FLECK
Well-known banjo player who crosses over numerous genres; his album Tabula Rasa, which co-stars perennial Indian guitarist VISHWA MOHAN BHATT, is dedicated "to Pandit Ravi Shankar and Earl Scruggs." PAUL MCCANDLESS is featured on a number of the Flecktones albums, and Fleck has recorded with numerous other artists, including CURANDERO.
PETER GABRIEL -- see JON HASSELL, L. SHANKAR
SYLVAIN GAGNON
Full-fledged jazz fusion, mostly fused with the Karnatic style of South Indian classical music.
JAN GARBAREK
Garbarek collaborates with instrumentalists from throughout the world, often with Brazilian artists EGBERTO GISMONTI (guitar) and NANA VASCONCELOS (percussion). He has also collaborated with RALPH TOWNER, L. SHANKAR, TRILOK GURTU and ZAKIR HUSSAIN.
JERRY GARCIA -- see MICKEY HART, SANJAY MISHRA
GILBERTO GIL
 Gil is a prolific Brazilian vocalist, whose line-up on the below-listed album includes TRILOK GURTU.
DIZZY GILLESPIE
This famous veteran jazz musician teams up with BADAL ROY and well-known percussionist AIRTO MOREIRA on his his album Syllabus.
EGBERTO GISMONTI
Brazilian Gismonti is one of the ECM label's outstanding musicians; anyone familiar with their wonderful line of recordings will be associated with some of his voluminous work. He is accompanied at times by fellow ECM artists (and preeminent Indian fusion artists) L. SHANKAR, NANA VASCONCELOS, COLLIN WALCOTT, RALPH TOWNER and JAN GARBAREK, as well as having performed with OREGON.
STU GOLDBERG
Another jazz artist who collaborated with Indian-jazz fusion great L. SUBRAMANIAM (and jazz guitarist LARRY CORYELL) on his own album, and with JOHN MCLAUGHLIN with the latter's One Truth Band.
KADRI GOPALNATH
Self-described "Carnatic saxophonist."
STEVE GORN
Former sax player who now plays the Indian bamboo flute (bansuri) with PHIL SCARFF, NANA VASCONCELOS, BADAL ROY and WARREN SENDERS. He also appears on the albums of others, including RAY SPIEGEL.
ARTHUR GRACIAS
Gracias, a noted Indo-jazz guitarist, scored music for several films, and with his group Indojazz has performed with numerous accalimed jazz artists, including LOUIS BANKS, HERBIE HANCOCK and STEVE LACY.
TRILOK GURTU
Gurtu really gets around in the Indian-jazz fusion world; in addition to the performers (DON CHERRY, JAN GARBAREK, L. SHANKAR, RALPH TOWNER, and NANA VASCONCELOS) on the albums listed below, he has accompanied JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, performed with MICKEY HART's group, and became a permanent member (following the death of COLLIN WALCOTT in 1984) of OREGON, having also played on a solo album (Heresay, not an Indian-jazz fusion album) of Oregon's PAUL MCCANDLESS . Other notable jazz musicians with whom he has played include Pat Metheny and Joe Zawinul. He also collaborated with ZAKIR HUSSAIN, USTAD SULTAN KHAN, TALVIN SINGH, and BILL LASWELL as part of the band TABLA BEAT SCIENCE. Also check out EMBRYO, NGUYEN LE, MARK NAUSEEF, BARRE PHILLIPS, TAKIS BARBERIS, GILBERTO GIL, JONAS HELLBORG, PHAROAH SANDERS and WORLD MUSIC MEETING.
CHARLIE HADEN -- see CARLA BLEY, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, ALICE COLTRANE, DAVID LIEBMAN
PETER MICHAEL HAMEL
Best known for his work with Indian-jazz fusion group BETWEEN, composer/keyboardist/author Hamel boasts a number of solo projects and collaborations spanning a variety of styles. The albums listed below incorporate Indian scales.
HERBIE HANCOCK -- see MILES DAVIS, L. SUBRAMANIAM, ARTHUR GRACIAS
JOHN HANDY
Handy has recorded and toured extensively with omnipresent Indian-Jazz fusion artists L. SUBRAMANIAM, ALI AKBAR KHAN and ZAKIR HUSSAIN.
JOE HARRIOT
Innovative avant-garde jazz alto saxophonist who features Indian musicians. The first two albums listed below are among the earliest Classical Indian/Jazz fusion albums recorded, and featured JOHN MAYER. They have since been re-issued as a double CD.
MICKEY HART Mickey Hart, perhaps best known as drummer for former rock group The Grateful Dead, is a musicologist who has assembled unparalleled percussion ensembles encompassing musicians from throughout the world. TRILOK GURTU, ZAKIR HUSSAIN and T.H. (Vikku) VINAYAKRAM, three of Indian-jazz fusion's more prolific artists, appear on his albums, as does former Grateful Dead guitarist JERRY GARCIA and ubiquitous percussionists USTAD ALLA RAKHA, AIRTO MOREIRA and RAY SPIEGEL.
FAREED HAQUE Guitarist who's numerous albums contain Indian influences. Among the performers who have joined him on his recordings are KALYAN PATHAK, GEORGE BROOKS and RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA.
JON HASSELL
Hassell, like a number of people listed in this guide, spent some time studying Indian vocal technique (with Pandit Pran Nath), which he incorporated into his trumpet playing. His collaborations with famous musicians are numerous, including PETER GABRIEL, Brian Eno, RY COODER, NANA VASCONCELOS, The Talking Heads, and BADAL ROY.
RICHIE HAVENS Havens' single (as far as i know) contribution to the genre is a collaboration with COLLIN WALCOTT on two of the songs which appear on the album Richard P. Havens 1983.
JONAS HELLBORG
Hellborg, a bassist from Sweden, was heavily influenced by JOHN McLAUGHLIN, whom he joined in 1983 for a reforming of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. He has subsequently played with many of the Indian/Jazz fusion greats, including TRILOK GURTU, USTAD SULTAN KHAN, and BILL LASWELL.
ANTHONY HINDSON
Although Remember Shakti lays heir apparent to the Shakti name and personnel, among Indian/jazz musicians Anthony Hindson is one of today's finest exponents of the high-energy Indian fusion made famous by Shakti. It is probably no coincidence that three of Shakti's original members (ZAKIR HUSSAIN, L SHANKAR and T.H. (Vikku) VINAYAKRAM) appear with Hindson on his It's A Curious Life. His music, while true to the traditions of the genre, nonetheless breathe new life into the style. Excerpts can be heard at www.windinhare.com.
DAVE HOLLAND -- see ALICE COLTRANE, COLLIN WALCOTT
PAUL HORN
Jazz artist Horn has been a session musician with such legendary figures as Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Chick Corea, Buddy Rich, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell and RAVI SHANKAR. Among his New Age albums are the following, which contain Indian influences:
DAVID BRUCE HUGHES David Bruce Hughes is the exponent of a unique form of classical Indian/jazz fusion which he refers to as "RagaJazz." More about this style can be gleaned from his web page and audio clips from his recordings can be heard at his MP3 page at www.mp3.com/DavidBruceHughes/.
ZAKIR HUSSAIN
 This master tabla player, son of USTAD ALLA RAKHA and brother of FAZAL QURESHI, has performed with many of the artists in this guide, as well as a number of rock artists (e.g., Van Morrison, George Harrison, and Nova, an early Phil Collins band). He is a former member of SHAKTI and a current member of its reincarnation REMEMBER SHAKTI, continues to collaborate with Shakti/Remember Shakti members JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, L. SHANKAR, L. SUBRAMANIAM and T.H. VINAYAKRAM on many of their other albums. His recent collaboration, as part of the band TABLA BEAT SCIENCE, included USTAD SULTAN KHAN, TALVIN SINGH, TRILOK GURTU, and BILL LASWELL. See also MINDIA DEVI, REINHARD FLATISCHLER AND MEGADRUMS, JAN GARBAREK, MICKEY HART, PHAROAH SANDERS, WOLFGANG SCHMID, RAY SPIEGEL, AIRTO MOREIRA and EKSTASIS.
ILAYARAAJA
 A prolific classically-trained Indian composer, Maestro Ilayaraaja also plays guitar and harmonium.
INDO-BRITISH ENSEMBLE
  • Album: Curried Jazz (1969, MFP 1307)
  • Personnel: Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn, trumpet), Jeff Clyne (bass)
INDOFUNK
 Indofunk is one of a growing number of new groups fusing Indian music with a variety of modern sounds, including hip-hop. Trumpeter Satish's funky and distinctly jazzy inflections are an integral part of their unique sound. Their live performances have featured LEE BOICE.
INDOJAZZ -- see ARTHUR GRACIAS
VIJAY IYER Iyer leads numerous combos in the Bay Area and elsewhere. Three of his groups (the Vijay Iyer Trio, Spirit Complex, and Poisonous Prophets) are featured on his CD Memorophilia. Also among those who regularly join him is RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA.
STEPHEN JAMES
 Stephen James is a sarodist with a unique playing style. He studied with RAVI SHANKAR and has performed with a number of the artists listed in this guide.
PERCY JONES
L. SHANKAR joins Jones on his album Propeller Music. Jones also contributes to the music of JON HASSELL.
PREM JOSHUA
 Prem Joshua is a multi-intrumentalist, performing not only on winds (flute, sax) but also on strings (sitar) and other instruments. He is schooled in styles from India, Afghanistan, Greece and Turkey. His fusion incorporates jazz, Classical Indian, Middle Eastern and African percussion elements, emphasizing the bond between Indian and jazz rhythms.
KARNATAKA COLLEGE OF PERCUSSION -- see CHARLIE MARIANO, R.A. RAMAMANI
KHAN FAMILY
  • Album: European Jazz Ensemble Meets the Khan Family (1992, M.A Music 807)
  • Personnel: Ustad Zamir Ahmed Khan (sitar, tabla), Irshad Hussain Khan (tabla), Ustad Munir Khan (sarangi), Thomas Heberer (horns), Manfred Schoof (horns), Rainer Winterschladen (horns), E.L. Petrowsky (sax), Gerd Dudeck (sax), Stan Sulzmann (sax, flute), Philip Catherine (guitar), Ali Haurand (bass), Tony Levin (drums), Joachim Kuhn (piano), Rob Van Den Broeck (piano), Uschi Bruning (vocals)
ALI AKBAR KHAN This master sarod player appears with RAVI SHANKAR in classical performances; he also appears on an Indian-jazz fusion album with JOHN HANDY. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan tutored many students, including JAI UTTAL. Among his many other accomplishments, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan has established the Ali Akbar School of Music in California.
HABIB KHAN
This sitarist has performed with EMAM, PAT MARTINO, and DJ CHEB I SABAH. His album Ecstasy includes GEORGE BROOKS and ANCIENT FUTURE member Matthew Montfort
USTAD SULTAN KHAN
Noted sarangi expert who has appeared on numerous albums in this listing, including those by GEORGE BROOKS, DIZRHYTHMIA, DJ CHEB I SABAH, JONAS HELLBORG and ROY VENKATARAMAN. His recent collaboration, as part of the band TABLA BEAT SCIENCE, included ZAKIR HUSSAIN, TALVIN SINGH, TRILOK GURTU, and BILL LASWELL.
USTAD FATEH ALI KHAN -- see JAN GARBAREK
VOLKER KRIEGEL
This guitarist was reputedly highly revered in Germany for some time. This is the only album where he plays sitar as well.
JOLLY KUNJAPPU
 Indian-born Kunjappu resettled in Europe and collaborated with a number of western musicians of various genres, including the Rolling Stones, LARRY CORYELL and AIRTO MOREIRA.
STEVE LACY
Steve Lacy is perhaps best known for his solo works on the soprano sax, although he has collaborated with others, notably ARTHUR GRACIAS. His long career in jazz includes the following collaboration with Indian instrumentalists:
BILL LASWELL
Another who features the perennial Indian-jazz fusion artists L. SHANKAR, TRILOK GURTU, USTAD SULTAN KHAN, TALVIN SINGH, and ZAKIR HUSSAIN. Laswell, who was a member of EKSTASIS and TABLA BEAT SCIENCE, and has played with JONAS HELLBORG and well-known jazz artist Wayne Shorter, features noted beat poet William S. Burroughs on several of his albums. Laswell's label Axiom has a number of interesting recordings, including a number by his ever-changing group Material, under which name the following albums are found:
NGUYEN LE
This fusion guitarist hails from Vietnam, but was born and bred in France. His fretless guitar sounds remarkably similar to a Carnatic-style violin; his collaboration with TRILOK GURTU no doubt is a fine complement to his Indian fusion sound.
LES MISERABLES BRASS BAND
  • Album: Manic Traditions (1990, Northeastern NR 5004; 1994, Northeastern 5004)
  • Personnel: Frank London (trumpet), Jeanne Snodgrass (trumpet), Dave Harris (trombone), Vinny Nobile (trombone), W. Marshall Sealy (french horn), Matt Darriau (woodwinds), Marcus Rojas (tuba), Taki Masuko (percussion), John Arrucci (percussion)
DAVID LIEBMAN
A Miles Davis alumnus who played on JOHN McLAUGHLIN'S My Goals Beyond; also led the band "Lookout Farm" in the 1970s featuring BADAL ROY. His album Sweet Hands includes JOHN ABERCROMBIE, CHARLIE HADEN and BADAL ROY. He has performed with numerous jazz greats, including MILES DAVIS, and appears on the Miles Davis tribute album MILES FROM INDIA.
PETE LOCKETT
 Lockett's credits are expansive, covering a wide range of styles and percussion instruments. He has recorded and/or toured with an amazing array of world-class musicians, including NITIN SAWHNEY, and jazz great Bill Bruford. His credits extend as well to numerous movie and television soundtracks.
LOOPS
 Loops is a self-described "loose network of [Australian] musicians" for whom "Indian music has come to play a large part in their music making." The core trio, joined with various other musicians, features original compositions (incorporating jazz, rock and Indian flavors) and and jazz standards with an Indian "twist."
THE ALAN LORBER ORCHESTRA
Another one of the many groups listed herein with whom COLLIN WALCOTT has played.
LOTHLORIEN
Similar to Ancient Future but perhaps more versatile (IMHO), Lothlorien coaxes a blend of instruments from throughout the world into a sound perhaps more `New Age' than jazz, yet highly sophisticated. The presence of sarod and tabla lend a strong Indian accent to some of their pieces. I believe this group may now be defunct; don't confuse them with the modern progressive rock group of the same name!
  • Standard line-up: Jim Palmer (sarod, harp, guitar), Rebecca Dunnell (flute, recorder), Chris Weigers (bass), Larry LeMasters (tabla, santur)
  • Album: Lothlorien (1980, private release)
  • Personnel: Standard, plus Anton Denner (bassoon) and Diane Brown (tamboura)
  • Album: Spaces (private release)
JIM LOVELESS -- see ANCIENT FUTURE, MICKEY HART
MAHA (formerly SILK) -- see SIVAMANI.
SHANKAR MAHADEVAN
 Singer Shankar Mahadevan, a member of MYNTA, currently plays Hindi pop in a band which includes LOUIS BANKS. In the past he has recorded with DIVYA, TALVIN SINGH, and SIVAMANI.
RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA
 New York-based saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa is performing in numerous combos, and has appeared on numerous recordings, including those of VIJAY IYER and FAREED HAQUE.
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
This famous jazz/rock fusion band, led by JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, incorporated numerous Indian influences. The strings were tuned and played in South Indian (Carnatic) style, and Indian scales were used for some of the pieces. Their music has been covered by the New York City-based tribute band MAHAVISHNU PROJECT. The line-up included BILLY COBHAM. Only those albums with indisputably Indian influences are listed below.
MAHAVISHNU PROJECT
New York City-based tribute band covering the works of the legendary MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
MANGALAM When JOHN McLAUGHLIN handed over the guitar he used in Shakti to German guitarist Rikhy Ray, Ray started a group which continued in SHAKTI's musical footsteps. Ray has recorded with percussionist T.H. {Vikku} VINAYAKRAM).
CHARLIE MARIANO
Mariano, a sax and flute player with extensive training in Japan, Malaysia and India, has collaborated with many artists on numerous Indian-jazz fusion projects, including LOUIS BANKS, RABIH ABOU-KHALIL, R.A. RAMAMANI, BHAVANI, KARNATAKA COLLEGE OF PERCUSSION and the WORLD MUSIC MEETING.
ALAIN MARKUSFELD
French guitarist and pianist who incorporates Indian influences in his music.
PAT MARTINO
Guitarist Martino has been cited as one of the first to apply John Coltrane's modal style to the guitar. He collaborated with, among others, HABIB KHAN and ZAKIR HUSSAIN on his album Firedance.
MASALA
 Masala develops the ancient theory of Indian Raga into the context of European Ambient music, modal Jazz and some of the most innovative experiments with techno music.
MATERIAL -- see BILL LASWELL
JOHN MAYER
Mayer's tenure in the field of Classical Indian/Jazz Fusion is perhaps the longest of any person in this list. His collaborations with JOE HARRIOT are among the earliest "indo-jazz" creations ever, and Mayer continues to compose and perform in this genre with his band "Indo-Jazz Fusions."
PAUL MCCANDLESS -- see OREGON, PAUL WINTER CONSORT, TRILOK GURTU
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
Involved in numerous Indian-jazz fusion projects, most notably SHAKTI, REMEMBER SHAKTI and solo/collaborative efforts of its members L. SHANKAR and ZAKIR HUSSAIN. Also played on a number of MILES DAVIS albums, including Big Fun, on which a sitar helps to evoke an Indian aura. Some of McLaughlin's solo efforts contain Indian-jazz fusion pieces, especially "Peace One" and "Peace Two" on My Goal's Beyond. His John McLaughlin Trio included percussionist TRILOK GURTU. He is perhaps best known among jazz/rock fusion aficionados for his group MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, a seminal band of that particular genre. Among the musicians who performed on his albums are CHARLIE HADEN, BILLY COBHAM, BADAL ROY, DAVID LIEBMAN, JONAS HELLBORG, U. SRINIVAS, STU GOLDBERG and AIRTO MOREIRA. He participated more recently on the extraordinary MILES FROM INDIA project.
MEGADRUMS -- See REINHARD FLATISCHLER AND MEGADRUMS
MEGHA
I currently have no information regarding this ensemble other than that they are from Bangalore, India.
STEFAN MICUS
Another album for which i need more information. Micus plays a number of Asian percussion instruments; perhaps some are even Indian...
SANJAY MISHRA Indian guitarist who concluded an album with JERRY GARCIA just before Garcia's death.
GLEN MOORE -- see RABIH ABOU-KHALIL, OREGON, RALPH TOWNER, PAUL WINTER CONSORT
AIRTO MOREIRA
Airto Moreira is a busy session musician; he's gotten around quite a bit in the jazz world, including a famous stint with the jazz band Weather Report. The people listed in this guide with whom he's performed include REINHARD FLATISCHLER AND MEGADRUMS, MICKEY HART, ZAKIR HUSSAIN, T.H. {VIKKU} VINAYAKRAM, DIZZY GILLESPIE, L. VAIDYANATHAN, JOLLY KUNJAPPU, JOHN McLAUGHLIN and PRASANNA.
LISA MOSKOW Lisa Moskow is a veteran musician of the North Indian classical tradition and has spent most of her career performing in and composing for unusual ensembles.
MUKTA
Superb playing in the lyrical style associated with today's French jazz musicians.
  • Album: Indian Sitar and World Jazz (Warner France 3984 26688 2)
  • Personnel: Jean Chevalier (bass, clarinet, percussion), Simon Mary (bass), Brigitte Menon (sitar, tampura), Geoffroy Tamisier (trumpet, melodica)
MYNTA This talented group consists of Swedish and Indian personnel, including SHANKAR MAHADEVAN and FAZAL QURESHI (see also COLLECTIONS).
NADAKA
 Classical Indian/Jazz Fusion is alive and well thanks to folks like Nadaka, who retain all the best elements of its 1970's roots while adding touches which keep lend a contemporary sound. These albums are among the gems of recent recordings in this genre, and include Indian-Jazz perrennial T.H. {Vikku} VINAYAKRAM.
NATRAJ
East Coast band comprised of several jazzmen well-versed in Indian classical music styles, led by Phil Scarff, a jazz saxophonist and composer who studied North Indian classical music. His approach to the soprano saxophone emulates shehnai and sundri as well as bansuri. He performs not only with Natraj but also with WARREN SENDERS' Antigravity. STEVE GORN, flutist on Meet Me Anywhere, is also listed in this guide.
MARK NAUSEEF -- see also DARK
American-born Nauseef has performed with numerous luminaries in his lengthy career; those included in this guide include RABIH ABOU-KHALIL and TRILOK GURTU.
ONE TRUTH BAND -- see JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
MO NAZAM Pakistani-born guitarist Mo Nazam, who performs in Great Britain with his band Cosmosis, is a relatively recent entry into this genre.
OREGON
Along with SHAKTI, this was perhaps one of the finest groups for Indian-jazz fusion (as well as other worldly) music, thanks to sitar/tabla player COLLIN WALCOTT, who unfortunately was killed at an early age in 1984 in an automobile accident in Germany. At that point, TRILOK GURTU took his place, and joined PAUL MCCANDLESS, RALPH TOWNER, and GLEN MOORE, all of whom (with Walcott) got their start performing with the PAUL WINTER CONSORT.
KALYAN PATHAK
 Kalyan Pathak, along with his band Jayho Jazzmata ("Praise be to mother jazz" in Hindi), is currently creating some of the most sophisticated and beautiful jazz/Indian collaborations. He has played with, among others, FAREED HAQUE.
BARRE PHILLIPS
Phillips, a bass player, is one of the many ECM jazz artists who incorporates world influences in his music. The recording listed below owes some of its Indian influece to the presence of TRILOK GURTU.
LUCAS PICKFORD
 Pickford is another contemporary fusion musician who was influenced by, among others, John McLaughlin's efforts in this genre (Shakti and Mahavishnu Orchestra).
PRASANNA
 Prasanna is a talented young guitarist who is trained in the classical Carnatic tradition. His collaborations include playing with AIRTO MOREIRA.
FAZAL QURESHI
Another member of the master tabla-playing family that includes his father USTAD ALLA RAKHA and his brother ZAKIR HUSSAIN. I am unaware of any releases in this genre under his name, but the Jazz/Indian fusion artists with whom he's performed include DIVYA, EMAM, MYNTA, USTAD SULTAN KHAN and JAI UTTAL's Pagan Love Orchestra.
ABBY RABINOVITZ
Jazz flutist and composer, long-time student of Pandit HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA.
PRASANT RADHAKRISHNAN
 Radhakrishnan, originally a clasically (Carnatic tradition) trained saxophonist, later entered into the jazz realm, and has been involved in Indian/jazz fusion efforts with his band Elements.
USTAD ALLA RAKHA
Ustad Alla Rakha was mentor to numerous percussionists, including his sons ZAKIR HUSSAIN and FAZAL QURESHI, and also COLLIN WALCOTT. He appears on numerous classical Indian and Indian-jazz fusion albums, including those of MICKEY HART, VASANT RAI, L. SUBRAMANIAM and RAVI SHANKAR.
VASANT RAI
Rai, a sarod player (he also plays guitar, flute and piano!), in addition to Classical Indian performances with USTAD ALLA RAKHA, also produced the following Indian-jazz fusion albums:
RAINBOW -- see JOHN HANDY
R.A. RAMAMANI
South Indian classical vocalist and member of the KARNATAKA COLLEGE OF PERCUSSION (KCP). She has collaborated on two KCP albums with CHARLIE MARIANO, and has recorded with SANGAM.
REFORM ART UNIT
Free improvisation ensemble from Vienna founded by leader Fritz Novotny. Darjeeling was their debut album, taken from a completely free improvised concert. The group has since recorded with well-known jazz musicians Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton and Sunny Murray. Darjeeling, featuring Bangladeshi drupad sitarist Ram Chandra Mistry, can be ordered from Wiener Musikproduktion.
T.J. REHMI
 Self-described "musician, composer, producer, musicologist" Rehmi is active in a wide array of projects, and has collaborated with (among others) JOHN MAYER, TRILOK GURTU and DJ CHEB I SABBAH.
REMEMBER SHAKTI
The reincarnation of SHAKTI, including original members JOHN McLAUGHLIN, ZAKIR HUSSAIN and T.H. (VIKKU) VINAYAKRAM, still concocts some of the most interesting, talented and progressive Indian/jazz fusion around, although much of their original wild energy has been eschewed in favor of a mellower (some might say more mature) approach. Their albums include various guests, including renowned Indian flutist HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA and master Indian mandolinist U. SRINIVAS.
REORIENT
  • Standard Line-up: Baluji Shrivastav (sitar, percussion), Chris Conway (mandozither, tin whistle, guitar, kalimba), Linda Shanovitch (vocals), Ustad Fayaz Khan (tabla), Gerry Hunt (sax, guitar, oud, violin), Clive Bell (bansuri, ney, voice)
MIKE RICHMOND -- see STEVE GORN, BADAL ROY, RAVI SHANKAR, NANA VASCONCELOS, and COLLECTIONS.
STEPHEN ROANE
Bass player who collaborated with COLLIN WALCOTT on his "Siblings".
PERRY ROBINSON
In addition to playing with familiar Indian-jazz fusion artists BADAL ROY and NANA VASCONCELOS, Robinson also appears on CARLA BLEY's Escalator Over the Hill.
ROLAND AND DIE DADADOGS
Easily the most bizarre entry in this list. The title Eats Meats Wets is an obvious play on the name of an early Indian/western fusion album (East Meets West, by Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin). Roland Shaeffer's group is in the German fusion spirit of such groups as EMBRYO and his former band Guru Guru.
BADAL ROY
In addition to being a prolific Classical Indian tabla player, Roy produced a number of Indian-Jazz fusion albums on his own, and with many famous (and not-so-famous) jazz artists including ANCIENT FUTURE, PHAROAH SANDERS, GLEN VELEZ, DAVE LIEBMAN, STEVE GORN, JON HASSELL, NANA VASCONCELOS, L. VAIDYANATHAN, EKSTASIS and JOHN MCLAUGHLIN (see also COLLECTIONS). Gorn appears on MILES DAVIS' Big Fun and On the Corner, on PERRY ROBINSON's Kundalini and on DAVID LIEBMAN's Sweet Hands.
DJ CHEB I SABBAH DJ Cheb i Sabah's superb production (with the help of Larry Thrasher's masterful engineering) of Indian-influenced hip-hop music is perhaps the best I've yet heard of contemporary musicians whose creations contain very modern elements. His recording features USTAD SULTAN KHAN and HABIB KHAN.
PHAROAH SANDERS
Sanders' sax playing is very meditative, with lots of ethnic percussion, and borders on Indian-jazz fusion. The epitome of this sound is perhaps the song "Harvest Time" on Pharaoh, which is very raga-like. In addition to his solo works, he appears with other artists, notably ALICE COLTRANE. Notable Indian-jazz artist BILL LASWELL produced Sanders' Save Our Children, on which ZAKIR HUSSAIN and TRILOK GURTU appear.
SANGAM
Sangam is the name collaborators LOUIS BANKS, RANJIT BAROT, R.A. RAMAMANI and others gave to the efforts represented on this single release.
SANDHYA SANJANA Sandhya Sanjana, a co-founder of DIVYA, is an Indian vocalist who integrates Indian classical vocals with jazz and world music. Her accompianists include CHARLIE MARIANO, ALICE COLTRANE and USTAD SULTAN KHAN.
CARLOS SANTANA -- see ALICE COLTRANE, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
NITIN SAWHNEY
 Sawhney, who also appears with SHRI, is one of a number of musicians injecting very contemporary sounds (hip-hop, ambient, etc.) into this genre.
PHIL SCARFF -- see NATRAJ, WARREN SENDERS
WOLFGANG SCHMID
German bassist whose albums feature, among others, BILLY COBHAM and ZAIKIR HUSSAIN.
IRENE SCHWEIZER
TOM SCOTT
Scott, who studied and performed with RAVI SHANKAR, is a prominent session player who has performed with numerous artists, including L. SUBRAMANIAM.
WARREN SENDERS
Senders is an American bassist who studied North Indian singing. He applied his Indian training to a jazz ensemble, Antigravity, that he formed in India. There is also a branch of Antigravity based in Boston which features his wife Vijaya Sundaram on guitar, PHIL SCARFF on sax, Bob Pilkington on trombone, and Jerry Leake on tabla. Senders has played with, among others, STEVE GORN
SHAKTI
The arguably unequaled epitome of Classical Indian/jazz fusion. Guitarist JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, violinist L. SHANKAR, and percussionists ZAKIR HUSSAIN and T.H. VINAYAKRAM came together for an altogether too brief three albums to produce music in a class of its own. (A fourth album, The Best of Shakti, contained no new material). LARRY CORYELL sat in as a guest musician during some of their live performances. Three of its seminal members still tour and record as REMEMBER SHAKTI.
BUD SHANK -- see RAVI SHANKAR, L. SUBRAMANIAM
L. SHANKAR Shankar, a South Indian violinist, is not directly related to North Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, although he is the brother of violinists L. SUBRAMANIAM and SHAKTI and REMEMBER SHAKTI, Shankar performed separately with its members , ZAKIR HUSSAIN and JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, as well as with various other jazz artists, including DARK, JAN GARBAREK, TRILOK GURTU, JON HASSELL, and PERCY JONES. Shankar is an amazingly versatile performer, having played rock and roll with his own group "The Epidemics" (which includes his wife Caroline), and with, among others, Frank Zappa, PETER GABRIEL, George Harrison, and The Talking Heads; even Bruce Springstein shows up as a guest artist on one of his albums! Shankar also plays pure Classical Indian music, as well as Western symphonic music.
RAVI SHANKAR
 This world-famous North Indian sitar player (one of the finest musicians in the world) has dabbled in innumerous genres, including Indian-jazz fusion, especially with PAUL HORN. He's probably played with every known Indian musician, including USTAD ALLA RAKHA. Included among those on his Indian-jazz fusion albums are BUD SHANK, and TOM SCOTT.
SHANTI -- see ZAKIR HUSSAIN
PRAKASH SHETTY
Shetty is basically an arranger for music directors, but the album listed below is his own creation. One review compared his music to that of Weather Report.
  • Album: Hard Notes, Loose Change: New Directions (1994; Crescendo)
  • Personnel: Prakash Shetty (keys, bass), Derek Julien (guitar), Amit Roy (guitar), Shrikanth Shriram (bass), Veda (percussion), Pradeep Barot (sarod), Gerard Rodrigues (bass), Satyajit Talwalkar (tabla), Rajendra Vyas (swarlin), Nagraj (thavil), Milind Raikar (violin), Marco Hanuman (guitar), Milind Shirve (flute), Faiyaz (sarangi), R. Madhavan (violin), Raghu Kulkarni (tabla), Narayan Mani (veena), Geeta Jhavadeka (vocals)
RAMESH SHOTHAM -- see BHAVANI
SHRI
 Shri, a superb fretless bass player, incorporates hip-hop and other modern influences. Among his band members is NITIN SAWHNEY.
SILK -- see SIVAMANI
MARTIN SIMPSON This well-known American folk musician has one album with Indian influences featuring Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo.
TALVIN SINGH
Singh today is best known for his masterful fusion of Classical Indian with Hip-Hop. His recent collaboration, as part of the band TABLA BEAT SCIENCE, included ZAKIR HUSSAIN, USTAD SULTAN KHAN, TRILOK GURTU, and BILL LASWELL. Singh's album debut, "O.K." is an ambitious fusion of breakbeat/drum'n'bass, soundtrack atmospherics and of course Indian music. Guests on his solo album include SHANKAR MAHADEVAN, and he has also played with COLONIAL COUSINS
SIVAMANI Sivamani, along with LOUIS BANKS, is a primary member of the band MAHA, formerly known as SILK. He has performed with ZAKIR HUSSAIN, EMAM, TRILOK GURTU and CHARLIE MARIANO, and numerous jazz dignitaries (including Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson). The line-up on Beyond Barriers includes HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, SHANKAR MAHADEVAN and LOUIS BANKS.
RAY SPIEGEL Tabla player Ray Spiegel, a disciple of USTAD ALLA RAKHA, has appeared on albums by, among others, DIGA RHYTHM BAND and ZAKIR HUSSAIN. He performs with his own group Ray Spiegel Ensemble, which includes veteran musician STEVE GORN.
U. SRINIVAS
This most famous of India's mandolin players has played with, among others, JOHN McLAUGHLIN, REMEMBER SHAKTI, MILES FROM INDIA and COLONIAL COUSINS. His album Dreams features percussionist NANA VASCONCELOS.
STRUNTZ AND FARAH
  • Album : Mosaico (1980; Ganesh DRLS 4004)
  • Personnel: Jorge Struntz, Ardeshir Farah (guitar), L. Subramaniam (violin), Gregg Lee (bass), Ron Wagner (drums), Luis Conte (percussion)
L. SUBRAMANIAM
Violinist Subramaniam is from a South Indian violin-playing family which includes his brothers L. SHANKAR and L. VAIDYANATHAN. He has collaborated with a number of jazz artists, including LARRY CORYELL, BUD SHANK, STU GOLDBERG, HERBIE HANCOCK, JOHN HANDY, USTAD ALLA RAKHA, ANTHONY HINDSON, TOM SCOTT and STRUNTZ AND FARAH. SUNNY JAIN COLLECTIVE Indian-American percussionist Sunny Jain infuses his contemporary jazz collective with Indian-influenced rhythm, while lead guitarist Rez Abbasi lends additional Indian flavor with contributions on sitar guitar.
GABOR SZABO
Gabor Szabo, originally a Hungarian gypsy guitarist, became a noted jazz musician in the 1960's. Several of his works include Indian influences.
TABLE BEAT SCIENCE
Tabla Beat Science, a veritable Indian/Jazz supergroup, includes ZAKIR HUSSAIN, USTAD SULTAN KHAN, TALVIN SINGH, TRILOK GURTU and BILL LASWELL.
TABLA RASA
I know nothing about this group, except that they use a wonderful pun for a name.
  • Album: Tabla Rasa
  • Personnel: Dan Kennedy (percussion), Brad Ven Clev (percussion), Santi Owen (percussion), Time Witter (percussion)
TASA
 Another contemporary new group that continues to bring vitality to this genre...a sign that Indian/Jazz fusion is by no means moribund. Founder Ravi Naimpally and his cohorts are top-notch musicians!
GABRIEL TAVARES
Tavares, guitarist for the local (to me!) band Plastic Nebraska, features classical Indian musicians on the solo album listed below.
TIHAI
 Tihai is a collaboration between Italian acoustic guitarist Luca Calore and sound engineer Mattia Berti. Their sound covers a wide range of music, but ultimately is true to the classical Indian training Calore received under notables USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN, PANDIT VISHWA MOHAN BHATT, TRILOK GURTU and others. Indeed, members of this band are former or present students of these and other grand masters, such as USTAD ALLA RAKHA and HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, and their smooth, tight sound shows it.
TIME TRAVIL
 This ensemble features improvisations influenced by the early 1970's Miles Davis sound, including Hindustani rhythmic influences.
JUKKA TOLONEN
Some Indian influence on the song "East Meets West" from the album Mountain Stream.
  • Album: Mountain Stream (1980, Sonet SLP-2636 {out of print}; Sonet 818 [LP])
  • Personnel: Jukka Tolonen (guitar)
RALPH TOWNER
Another musician who gets around a fair bit when it comes to Indian-jazz fusion. Towner went from the PAUL WINTER CONSORT to OREGON, and since that time performed with a number of artists mentioned in this guide, including LARRY CORYELL, JAN GARBAREK, EGBERTO GISMONTI, and Oregon members TRILOK GURTU, GLEN MOORE, PAUL MCCANDLESS and COLLIN WALCOTT.
TRI ATMA
Spacey New Age/ethno-fusion band founded in 1977 by German guitarist Jens Fischer and Indian tabla player Asim Saha.
TRIO FRANCOIS CARRIER This Québec-based trio has been performing since 1990. The albums listed below contain meditative pieces with Indian influences.
JAI UTTAL Uttal is a master sarod player who studied under ALI AKBAR KHAN. He also plays keyboards and utilizes electronic sampling, and leads a band by the name of The Pagan Love Orchestra, which includes Geoffrey Gordon on percussion. If there is any doubt that masters are still keeping the flame lit, check out his 1997 release Shiva Station, which includes a little of everything - jazz, reggae, Baliwood, rock, bluegrass, and devotional music. STEVE GORN and FAZAL QURESHI are among the numerous musicians to have performed with Uttal.
L. VAIDYANATHAN
L. Vaidyanathan is the brother of better-known L. SHANKAR and L. SUBRAMANIAM.
NANA VASCONCELOS
This Brazilian percussionist, perhaps best known as a member of the Pat Metheny group, really gets around in the Indian Classical/Jazz fusion world. He was a seminal member of CODONA, and also collaborated with CODONA co-members COLLIN WALCOTT and DON CHERRY. He has performed with, among others, JAN GARBAREK, EGBERTO GISMONTI, STEVE GORN, TRILOK GURTU, JON HASSELL, PERRY ROBINSON, BADAL ROY, and U. SRINIVAS.
GLEN VELEZ
This world-renowned frame drum player has collaborated with RABIH ABOU-KHALIL, JAMES ASHER, REINHARD FLATISCHLER AND MEGADRUMS, and BADAL ROY.
ROY VENKATARAMAN
Indian guitarist who has played with, among others, LOUIS BANKS, HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA and DIVYA. Artists who appear on his album Lifelines (produced together with RANJIT BAROT) include HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, USTAD SULTAN KHAN and Randy Brecker.
T.H. {VIKKU} VINAYAKRAM
Vikku Vinayakram, along with Trilok Gurtu, is perhaps the most ubiquitous musician on the Classical Indian/jazz scene; among those listed in this guide, he has recorded with ANTHONY HINDSON, BILL LASWELL, NADAKA, SHAKTI, REMEMBER SHAKTI, L. SHANKAR, RAVI SHANKAR, AIRTO MOREIRA, HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, LARRY CORYELL, MILES FROM INDIA, GEORGE BROOKS and Rikhy Ray of MANGALAM. Vikku's sons Chella Ganesh and Selva Ganesh appear on Together.
COLLIN WALCOTT
Originally a member of the PAUL WINTER CONSORT, Walcott went on to form OREGON with PAUL MCCANDLESS, RALPH TOWNER and GLEN MOORE. While in Oregon he concurrently teamed up with DON CHERRY and NANA VASCONCELOS to form the group CODONA, and also released solo albums and collaborations with JOHN ABERCROMBIE, RICHIE HAVENS, DAVE HOLLAND, JACK DEJOHNETTE, STEPHEN ROANE, and others. He played tabla on many albums, including MILES DAVIS' On the Corner, COSMOLOGY's Ditto, and THE ALAN LORBER ORCHESTRA's The Lotus Place. Walcott studied tabla with USTAD ALLA RAKHA and briefly studied sitar with RAVI SHANKAR, with whom he has collaborated.
PETER WALKER
PAUL WINTER CONSORT
One of the earlier efforts at combining Western music with music from throughout the world, including lots of Indian influence thanks especially to the presence of COLLIN WALCOTT. Consort members Walcott, GLEN MOORE, PAUL MCCANDLESS, and RALPH TOWNER went on to form OREGON. The Paul Winter Consort has been (and continues to be) highly prolific though it has seen many personnel changes over the years, and has included BILLY COBHAM. It is primarilily the earlier recordings by this group which contain noticeable influences from Indian music.
WORLD MUSIC MEETING
This recording, with its interesting blend of world music, included TRILOK GURTU and CHARLIE MARIANO, among many other lesser known names.
DHAFFER YOUSSEF Arabian 'oud maestro whose music includes Indian instruments.