Jazz / Rock, Jazz-Funk, Fusion, Jam Bands
Recorded: 5/11/02, Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
Alan Hertz Group Member, Artwork
Digs Rex Engineer
Eric Levy Group Member
James Lee Remixing, Mastering
Jamie Janover Guest Appearance
Kai Eckhardt Group Member
Ken Ray Layout Design, Design
Volume 3 is energetic and tasty. "Thursday" is a slice of Rhodes-fried groove that sounds like Steely Dan with Prince on vocals. "Stoked On Razaki" is a frantic exercise in speed-jazz that features Jamie Janover on his custom-made "Mini-Kit", adding more depth to the undulating rhythm. The whole thing ends with an instrumental cover of Madonna's "Material Girl" that spans 17 minutes. Without a doubt, this version explores every possible reach of this precious melody of the 1980's. Using the vocal lines as a road map, Haque urges the band into several sections of differing dynamics that range from thick and funky to tear jerking. You won't know whether to laugh or cry by the time Levy inserts a delicate keyboard solo into the sonic space that the band has wrestled out of this odd cover song.
Garaj Mahal is a four piece band, based in the United States, playing a fusion of jazz, Indian music, rock, and especially funk: Kai Eckhardt (bass), Fareed Haque (guitars), Alan Hertz (drums), and Eric Levy (keys). The band was formed in 2000 with the largely-fulfilled expectation that the technical virtuosity each band member has been known for would bring about great music. They are one of the modern low- to mid-profile bands that allow their music to be recorded live at shows, and distributed in torrents, and musical archives. In early 2007, Mahal's "Blueberry Cave" won in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Jam Album. |
