Drummer Sarathy Korwar makes a masterful mix of Indian percussion, jazz and dance ★★★★★

Sarathy Korwar grew up in India and moved to the UK as a teenager. As a young boy he was interested in Indian rhythms and associated instruments, such as the small and vicious tabla drums. And in London he continued his percussive quest: he became a gifted drummer and became addicted to jazz.

His entire history comes together in his music. On his magisterial, third album Kalak we hear Korwar as a driving but modest drummer: his rhythms make the tracks irresistibly groove, but Korwar never shows how good he is in the richly varied percussion. Korwar is primarily a bandleader.

In the opening track To Remember he bumps a heavy baritone sax alongside the rousing Indian vocals of Kushal Gaya, repetitive flutes, his own rhythms and a fat bassy synthesizer. You then know more or less what to expect: an uncontrollable mix of styles that ranges from spiritual jazz to Balkan beats and traditional Indian music. And in this, the dance floor excitement of the dance and the dub is palpable. After the compelling, compelling start of the album, Korwar takes a rest halfway through the album. In the top track Back in the Day, Things Were Not Always Simpler bleeped excited organs next to ghostly voices and those alienating whistle sounds, but there is also the regularity of a pumping bass and bass drum, so that Korwar also evokes memories of the Indian and Asian-British dance from the nineties, from predecessors such as Nitin Sawhney.

Of course it doesn’t matter where Korwar’s wonderful and enchanting ‘Indo-jazz’ comes from. The album is so strong because it opens up some new musical vistas. Views that you want to go straight to.