Birds Of Paradox
private Birds Of Paradox (AUS,rec.2009,pub.2010)***
Birds Of Paradox basically is an improvisational group, which for a large part is jazz-based in style, while having a few of its first roots grounded in world music but while already having taken a distance from that. There are several moments of free improvisation too, heading towards free music, while still remaining connected with the sensibility of jazz.
The electric guitar (Ron Samworth) often picks a rhythm, at certain more free moments it scratches, rambles, and uses its instrument for a texturing effect. Occasionally I heard a small element of blues. The tabla percussion of course still shows its Indian origin and sensibility, keeping an open mind towards the open tunings and the mood provided for the general, improvisational and free tension. Neelamjit Dhillon besides tabla also provides jazz improvisations on alt sax and bansuri flute. I still sense or get the impression that most leading vision still comes from the erhu (Chinese violin) playing, of which Lan Tung seems to provide its contributions as if the erhu really is a jazz instrument, never the less still keeping with it a Chinese touch and such sort of a mood provocation.
The band remains more an improvisational than a compositional band, remaining longer within the mood-making improvisational processes. I still hope that some day they will also add a few extra challenges or members who can provide them the next step into more complex territories.
