Home » Jazz Musicians » Prasanna

Prasanna

Sign in / sign up and request update access to the Prasanna page.


Tags

16
Album Review

Prasanna: All Terrain Guitar

Read "All Terrain Guitar" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


As a solo artist, Prasanna (Raga Metal Conversations, Raga Bop Trio) doesn't record that often, but when he does, it's usually an impressive musical statement, incited by his ferocious licks and unique convergence of Indian Carnatic music with a Western muse. For example, check out his previous outing, which is an East-West tribute to Jimi Hendrix --Electric Ganesha Land (2006). With an all-star lineup featuring trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist Vijay Iyer, alto saxophonists, David Binney and Rudresh Mahanthappa performing on ...

892
Extended Analysis

Prasanna: Electric Ganesha Land

Read "Prasanna: Electric Ganesha Land" reviewed by C.S.Vallikanth


Prasanna Electric Ganesha Land Susila Music 2006

Hot on the heels of the genre bending South Indian Carnatic/jazz fusion album Be The Change, Prasanna here offers another staggering experiment. This time he fuses Carnatic music with many of the known variants, and sources, of rock music--from hard rock to heavy metal to blues to acid to bluegrass to grunge and pretty much everything in between. Shape shifting ad infinitum into soundscapes shimmering ...

846
Extended Analysis

Prasanna: Be The Change

Read "Prasanna: Be The Change" reviewed by C.S. Vallikanth


Prasanna Be the Change Susila Music 2004

At dusk the cock announces dawn; At midnight, the bright sun. ~ Zen Poem

Could there be an eternity beyond earthly opposites? Could a “This" and “That" cease to be? Could the unity of all opposites become a vivid experience? Could there be an endless dynamic interplay where opposites are at once unified, at once transcended? The Eastern mystics of yore called it ...

182
Album Review

Prasanna: Be the Change

Read "Be the Change" reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins


When the fusion of guitar jazz and traditional Indian music is discussed, either John McLaughlin or the late Shawn Lane will immediately come to mind. One can add to those ranks the marvelous talents of Prasanna, who has the added legitimacy of being a native Indian. On this entertaining album Prasanna has achieved a most impressive translation of sitar technique to the electric guitar, his fleet fingers painlessly pulling off the usual bends and shudders of the native instrument and ...

444
Extended Analysis

Prasanna: Be The Change

Read "Prasanna: Be The Change" reviewed by Phil DiPietro


Prasanna Be the Change 2004

For this, his second solo project, the astonishing Indian (and currently Bostonian) guitarist Prasanna assembles two world-class bands, going south for Flecktones Victor Wooten, saxman Jeff Coffin and drummer Derico Watson; and west (or for him, further east) for seminal fusion bassist Alphonso Johnson, drummer Ralph Humphrey and multi-instrumentalist Andy Suzuki.

Right off, “Pangaea Rising" metaphorically merges and recalls the supercontinent of world-fusion, if you will, with emerging subsections akin to ...

1,132
Interview

Prasanna's Carnatic Convergence Concept Produces Potent Panethnic Potion

Read "Prasanna's Carnatic Convergence Concept Produces Potent Panethnic Potion" reviewed by Phil DiPietro


The music of India has long crossed over into western pop, rock and jazz styles. Every few years, the press will note a 'resurgence' in this trend, which in fact, appears to have continued steadily since the days of George Harrison's fascination with Ravi Shankar. Jazz has incorporated Indian influences for many years as well, and much has featured the work of guitarists as diverse as Sean Lane, Pat Martino, John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana, all of whom have made ...

272
Album Review

Prasanna: Peaceful

Read "Peaceful" reviewed by John W. Patterson


After listening to Prasanna's Peaceful CD, I must say it is well named as it was ultimately relaxing in its widely meandering stroll through a myriad of styles. Prasanna injects soul and passion with grace into each composition. This raga rock, raga jazz, and even introspective raga acoustic guitar that delivers.I was waiting for this release long before Prasanna was finished it. It's a highly unique, guitar-driven gem and was well worth the wait. It is refreshing to ...

Read more articles
129

Recording

Vijay Iyer, Prasanna and Nitin Mitta - Tirtha (ACT Music, 2011)

Vijay Iyer, Prasanna and Nitin Mitta - Tirtha (ACT Music, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

The interaction between jazz and the music of the Indian sub-continent has been percolating for some time now, since John Coltrane's professed admiration for the music of Ravi Shankar and Miles Davis incorporation of Indian instruments into his 1970's electric fusion bands. This group brings together three of the most talented Indian-American musicians on the contemporary music scene, with Vijay Iyer on piano, Prasanna on guitar and Nitin Mitta on tablas. The music that they combine to make is deeply ...

Photos

Music

Similar

Shawn Lane
guitar, electric
Alex Machacek
guitar, electric
Shakti
band / ensemble / orchestra

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.