Album:
Conversations
Artist:
L. Subramaniam and Stéphane Grapelli
Year:
1992
Line-Up: L.
Subramaniam – Violin, viola, violectra, tambura, surmandal,
percussion
Stéphane
Grappelli – Violin, piano
Joe Sample –
Keyboards, piano
Mark Massey –
Synthesizer, piano
Jorge Strunz –
Guitar
Jerry Watts –
Bass
Ron Wagner –
Drums
Frank Bennett –
Percussion
Frank Morgan –
Alto saxophone
Handel Manuel –
Piano
Niles Steiner –
Steinerphone
Manoochehr Sadeghi
– Santoor
Anthony Hindson –
Electric guitar
"Music
is a vast ocean and no one can claim to know it all. The more you
know, the more you realize how little you know. It is an eternal
quest"
-
Dr L Subramaniam
Conversations
is a collaborative album of French jazz virtuoso Stéphane Grappelli
and acclaimed Indian musician Dr. Lakshminarayana Subramanian of the
Carnatic tradition. It is a conversation between the west and the
east, between two violinists of different cultures, a musical
exchange and encounter like those of George Harrison and Ravi
Shankar, John McLaughlin and Shakti, and John Mayer and Joe Harriott.
Stéphane
Grappelli was born to an Italian father and a French mother in 1908
Paris, France. While learning his musical skills
in Conservatoire de Paris in the 1920’s, he was also accompanying
silent films as a pianist. Grappelli, who is known as the grandfather
of jazz violinists, had already worked with numerous well-known jazz
musicians and other musicians making him one the most respected
violin players outside the art music scene.
Lakshminarayana
Subramanian was born in 1947, Chennai, India to two prestigious
musicians. He took up the violin before the age of five in the
guidance of his father, Professor V. Lakshminarayana. At an early age
he also developed a passion for science and has acquired M.B.B.S at
Madras Medical College and a Master’s degree in Western classical
music in California Institute of the Arts. So not only is he a
qualified doctor of medicine, but he can play the Indian violin
leaving your mouth wide open and compose ethereal and soothing
musical pieces.
At
the beginning of the 90’s these Subramaniam and Grappelli decided
to join forces and record an album of very interesting musical
landscapes, “Conversations”. L. Subramaniam is very keen to mix
different elements of Western art music with the musical tradition
of his native India, which has led him on a various musical journeys
with many different musicians. On this particular album the
conversation between the two violins, one Western and one Indian, is
a most interesting experience: the violinists play together and
separately music full of rich sensations from which a stream of
pleasure and enjoyment resonates. The rhythm section is playing
rather minimalistic jazz-rock in the background, leaving the
spotlight to the amazing string orgy of Grappelli and Subramaniam. It
works perfectly.
The
songs on this album do not form a coherent whole for there are a few
tracks, which seem a bit out of place, like the display of
Subramaniam’s virtuosity on the Indian violin (Paganini Caprice 5)
and Grappelli on the piano (Tribute to Mani). However it does not
take away anything essential from the magic of the rest of the album.
Conversations is a vast musical soundscape which these diverse
musicians paint together to the pleasure of our ears. It’s about
the softness and delicacy of the Western violin and the curious
otherness and exotic appeal of the Indian.
Do
not take just my word for it, check for yourself:
Written
by Oz and edited by Παναγιωτης
