#Kashif Ali Dhani

[donospl]

MUZYCZNE REKOMENDACJE: EABS meets Jaubi „In Search of Better Tomorrow”

Astigmatic Records, 2023 EABS, niestrudzeni poszukiwacze przygód, ponownie udali się w nieoczekiwaną podróż, łącząc tym razem siły z pakistańskim zespołem Jaubi – zespołem, który także pozostaje w artystycznym kręgu wydawcy – Astigmatic Records. Relacja zaczęła rozwijać się przed kilku laty. EABS i Jaubi – jak wspomniałem – mają tego samego wydawcę. Podróże Latarnika (Marka Pędziwiatra),   do…

[burlveneer-music]

EABS meets Jaubi - In Search of a Better Tomorrow - jazz innovators from Poland and Pakistan collaborate on what may be the world fusion album of the year

A few years ago, a very interesting relationship began to develop. A bridge was built out of Jaubi's releases on Astigmatic Records and the increasingly frequent collaborations between musicians from Europe and Asia - out of Latarnik's trip to Pakistan resulting in the widely acclaimed album Nafs at Peace and Zohaib, Dhani and Ali's revisit to Poland, which has been recorded as the EABS meets Jaubi In Search of a Better Tomorrow longplay.

Wrocław and Lahore are almost 7,000 kilometers apart. And despite this immense distance that separates the EABS and Jaubi musicians, the two bands find a surprising amount of common ground that determines their musical explorations. These include both a strong attachment to locality and respect for tradition, a penchant for weaving in some hip-hop elements, and the basis of a love of improvisation and spiritual jazz. It was therefore only a matter of time before they joined forces. And so, they proceeded to build a (cross)cultural bridge between Poland and Pakistan. A bridge whose pillars are Hindustani ragas, polish jazz understood in a variety of ways, and brotherhood in sound. This merger's finale is surprising to such an extent that it is difficult to pigeonhole this collaboration in any way. They met through the Get Your Jazz Together programme, which was launched by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute to help build such bridges. The following day after Jaubi's premiere concert at the OFF Festival in Katowice, the musicians went to Monochrom Studio in Kłodzko Valley, where they spent a week making music together, exchanging ideas and compositions. The outcome of the collaboration surprised them all, materializing in rather dark shades. So how did this happen, given that the recordings were realized in picturesque natural circumstances mid-summer? It was only yesterday that the pandemic restrictions were lifted, the inflation is raging, Russia has invaded Ukraine and no one in our region can be sure of peace anymore, while Pakistan has faced the worst floods in years. So much upheaval has been delivered by the world in recent times that the experience of the past has left its mark even on a sunny present day. Against all odds, however, the musicians are seeking solace, hoping that the tomorrow that is yet to come will finally bring something better. Even after the darkest night, however, comes day. It is known to the group from Lahore, who, often challenged by life, have already sent prayers for peace through their previous album. This is also known to the band from Wrocław, whose musical paths are inextricably bound up with the difficult and painful history of their homeland, and who have already experienced the era of unearthing their foundations and cosmic escapism in the spirit of Sun Ra. Today, they are walking swiftly towards the sun, all together, a group of eight artists whose lives are separated by their place of birth – the cultural education they received and the musical tradition they grew up in – but who are united by that one phrase, melody or emotion which gave origin to each of the compositions collected on the album titled In Search of a Better Tomorrow. Members of EABS: Marek “Latarnik” Pędziwiatr - Grand piano, Fender Rhodes Mark II, Nord Stage 2, Moog Voyager; Marcin Rak - Drums; Paweł “Wuja HZG” Stachowiak - Bass guitar, Moog Little Phatty; Olaf Węgier - Saxophones: tenor, sopran; bass clarinet; Jakub Kurek - Trumpet; Members of Jaubi Ali Riaz Baqar - Guitar Kashif Ali Dhani - Tabla, Vocals Zohaib Hassan Khan - Sarangi Graphic design: Sainer Text: Filip Kalinowski Translation: Magda Marcinkowska Photo: Hubert Misiaczyk

[chez-mimich]

NOVARA JAZZ 2023 DIARY: CHAT BAKER , EABS MEETS JAUBI

Inizia con un incontro presso il Circolo dei Lettori, nel castello di Novara, il secondo weekend di Novara Jazz XX edizione, con la presentazione del libro di Jeroen De Valk dedicato a Chat Baker (Ed. EDT). Il volume curato da Francesco Martinelli, presente all'incontro/dialogo con Gianni Lucini, sembra dire parole definitive su una figura del jazz molto nota e molto amata anche in Italia, anche per il suo prolungato soggiorno nel nostro paese e non privo di qualche disavventura (come i 18 mesi passati in carcere per uso di sostanze stupefacenti). Ma, come ricordato da Martinelli, la figura di Chat come prototipo dell'artista maledetto è piuttosto lontana dalla realtà. Un festival anche fatto, quindi, non solo di “jazz suonato”e tuttavia la musica incombe e sul "main stage" del cortile del Broletto irrompe la Erios Junior Jazz Orchestra-Act 1, con i Boogiesti Anonimi. Segue poi il concerto principale, ovvero "EABS meets Jaubi", progetto nato dall'incontro di due gruppi, uno polacco e uno pakistano, che hanno prodotto quest’anno un originale lavoro dal titolo significativo: “In Search of Better Tomorrow”. Spesso ho fatto ricorso alla famosa definizione della bellezza di Isidore Ducasse, conte di Lautrémont, "Bello come l’incontro casuale di una macchina da cucire con un ombrello su un tavolo da anatomico“, per cercare di dare l'idea del fascino del jazz e, la formula della bellezza proposta dal grande poeta, sembra qui quantomai necessaria. Va tuttavia notato che, benché provenienti da culture assai diverse, le sonorità degli EABS e di Jaubi sembrano prendere origine da una volontà comune, quella di andare oltre qualsiasi barriera per trasformare le differenze da difficoltà in opportunità. A me pare però che a "volteggiar nell'aere"siano più le sonorità pakistane sostenute dall'inimitabile suono del sarangi (sorta di chitarra a 12 corde) di Zhoaib Hassan Khan e a far girare l’ago della bussola verso l’Occidente siano soprattutto le magnetiche bordate del sax di Olaf Więger. Completano la formazione Marek “Latarnik” Pędziviatr al piano e tastiere, Marcin Rak alla batteria, Pawel ”Wuja HZG” al basso, Jakub Kurek alla tromba e, dall’altra parte (quella pakistana) Kashif Ali Dhani, alla tabla e voce. Indubbiamente i ritmi esotici hanno un impatto predominante su sonorità per noi più consuete, ma di fatto il concerto è un'amalgama quasi perfetto di tante suggestioni che noi continuiamo a chiamare jazz come punto di riferimento generale, uno “spiritual jazz” dagli originalissimi connotati. Per restare in ambito di topografie reali, anche il nuovo orientamento del palco (nord/sud) rispetto alle precedenti edizioni, sembra una scelta azzeccata e meno dispersiva per chi ascolta, tutto ciò realizzato grazie ad uno staff, e non sono i soliti ringraziamenti di rito, che riesce nell’impresa quasi miracolosa, di allestire set e poi spostarli da un punto all’altro della città a velocità supersonica, considerando il programma molto serrato del festival con decine e decine di musicisti in luoghi quasi tutti diversi tra loro. Raccogliamo quindi le forze e prepariamoci ad un nuovo, intensissimo lungo week end.

[twistedsoulmusic]

What else can we say? Our definition of Nick Walters is fresh sounds and exceptional musical talent. That’s a given. He returns to his D.O.T. imprint with a limited edition 10″, featuring a selection of two ragas recorded in collaboration with Pakistani musicians Kashif Ali Dhani (tabla) and Muzamil Hussain (sarod). Highly recommended.

[luuurien]

Jaubi - Nafs at Peace

(Chamber Jazz, Hindustani Classical Music, Spiritual Jazz)

Chamber jazz unlike any other this year, Pakistan's Jaubi puts on a performance of passion and creativity on their debut record, Nafs at Peace. Combining Hindustani instrumentation with colorful jazz fusion and string work, Nafs at Peace is one of the most unlikely sound mixtures of the year.

☆☆☆☆

The number of instruments that find one another on Nafs at Peace is truly quite amazing. A sarangi, Moog synth, flute, and electric guitar are all within a few seconds from one another on Insia, the first major tune on Nafs at Peace that sets up everything after it. Every player in Jaubi is given a moment to themselves on Nafs at Peace, and it makes the communal nature of their spiritual jazz adventures glow even brighter. Despite the odds that they face approaching classical Hindustani music in this boundary-pushing, ecstatic fashion, almost every moment of Nafs at Peace is supremely confident and booming with joy. London flautist Tenderlonious and Polish composer Latarnik are key to the success of Nafs at Peace, egging Jaubi on to be as fluid and hearty as possible. Latarnik tends to take more of a background role, galactic synth work and world-building piano work building atmosphere more than individual musical moments, but Tenderlonious absolutely steals the show quite a few times throughout: electrifying highlight Insia is less reliant on the more prominent South Asian sonics on other songs, but it leads to this space-pad smoothness that lets Tenderlonious' flute work go all over the place. He's jumping octaves, toying with rhythm, all while keeping up with everyone else in the band. Kashif Ali Dhani's tabla work is an essential component to Jaubi's rhythm section, giving enough rumble to each song to keep it moving while also watery enough for the improvisational moments of their work to come out comfortably. It's a welcome change from the fuller drum kit sounds we normally hear, and speaks to what Jaubi is aiming to do on Nafs at Peace: connect the dots of all their musical heroes. Where classical music in general can be quite strict and conservative within its boundaries, Jaubi chose to use it more as a spiritual guide than a musical pathway. Through this, Zohaib Hassan Khan's sarangi work can speed up with the rest of the band and be just as untamed as any other instrument the band uses. On Zari in particular, Khan lets it all out, each note careening off the instrument as golden shine sluffs off the sides when he lets it really brighten up. Sometimes, they embrace expressive chamber jazz entirely: the seafoam-covered texture of Tenderlonious' soprano sax playing on this song so freeing that there's no other way the album could have ended. As each member of Jaubi has tackled drug addiction, divorce, and questioning of their own identity throughout the years, Nafs at Peace is a way for them all to finally purge all that confusion and mourning in the art form they know best. The mixing on Nafs at Peace is spotless, too, helping give Jaubi's masterful arrangement work a clean drawing board. These arrangements tend to be fairly minimal, so each instrument can be given a full amount of care and direction on where it lands best in the mix, but even so there's some things about the album I haven't heard done better this year: the low end on here is incredible, the bass and left-hand piano lines are crystal-clear and are present even when other instruments take control. The fact I remember every note of the bassline on the title track through the tornado of noise Tenderlonious is making is a feat in itself, but it doesn't even take into account how well the smaller additions are mixed in. Ali Riaz Baqar's guitar playing is rarely focused on, but his staccato melodic interplay on Mosty mixes so well with Khan's sarangi and Tenderlonious' flute that it doesn't need to be sent right to the center stage to work well. All of Jaubi are thoroughly confident and boundless musicians, and as they reach their own individual epiphanies throughout Nafs at Peace, you can hear exactly when they appear. Something clicks in their hearts, and the music soars, if even for a short moment. What really gets me about Nafs at Peace is how resolute a spot it places Jaubi in. While I have no insight into whether or not they feel more emotionally stable after the hardships they endured before and throughout recording the album, something tells me that at least they know where they stand musically and can move from there. Even with all the healing they have left to do, Jaubi can now be a place for them to convene and release their demons through thoughtful, faithful music. Incorporating so many different elements into their first work, Nafs at Peace doesn't bind them solely to the experimental sound they've nurtured here. They could move all the way over to dreamlike classical, or lose themselves in the tidal waves of noise and emotion their fusion sensibilities provide. Jaubi will always aim for peace and tranquility, wherever it chooses to be revealed.

[yasbxxgie]

Jaubi Lahore State Of Mind (Al Dobson Jr Remix) (cajon: Qammar Vicky Abbas, sarangi: Zohaib Hassan Khan, & tabla: Kashif Ali Dhani) Lahore State Of Mind 7″ (Astigmatic, 8/3/18)

New York, 1994. Nas released “Illmatic”, one of the most important Hip-Hop albums in the history of the genre, which undoubtedly has had a profound impact. Nasir Jones’ album is a bitter reflection about living in Queens, during the ‘90s. The iconic track, ‘NY State of Mind’ produced by DJ Premier, depicts life in the Ghetto, shooting, drug dealing, and survival, the brutal honesty delivered by this track has made it one of most important tracks about NYC.

Lahore, 2016. Drawing some parallels with ‘90s New York, Lahore, a city struggling with terrorism, poverty and a drug epidemic. In this bustling city, the experimental ensemble Jaubi, famed for fusing traditional Hindi music with Hip-Hop and Jazz, were sitting together with their instruments. In home conditions with one mic, faced with NAS’s classic and a desire to translate the story to reflect the struggle of living in the big Pakistani city. The result of combining the main theme produced by Dj. Premier with musicians talents is a spiritual journey through the streets of Lahore.

London, 2018. Social unrest, Grenfell Tower, and growing difficulties with knife crime. Here, Al Dobson Jr, one of the best music Producers in this part of the world decided to make a meta-remix of the Hindi-Jazz track ‘Lahore State of Mind’. The remix is a ‘deconstruction of reconstruction from deconstruction’. Isn’t that complicated as it sounds... Al Dobson Jr deciding to recreate Dj Premier’s steps, which used a sample from Joe Chambers “Mind Rain”, but using Jaubi’s samples instead.

Lahore State Of Mind by Jaubi

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Jaubi - Nafs at Peace - Pakistani quartet collaborate with Tenderlonious and Błoto‘s Latamik for a modern spiritual jazz set (Astigmatic Records)

JAUBI continue the Nafs journey, which commenced with the single “Satanic Nafs” (featuring the remix by legendary LA producers The Gaslamp Killer & Mophono) released in March 2021. Now JAUBI draw on the elements of North Indian classical music, Hip-Hop and modal/spiritual jazz in their debut LP entitled “Nafs At Peace”. The journey officially began back in April 2019 when London’s multi- instrumentalist and 22a Record label boss Ed “Tenderlonious” Cawthorne and Polish pianist/composer Marek “Latarnik” Pędziwiatr of EABS/Błoto, visited the group to record in Lahore. Together they channelled their personal struggles at that time into the two recording sessions allowing the musicians to find a spiritual path through this musical purge. Nothing whatsoever was written down during the recording sessions - no sheet music and no song titles, which allowed the six musicians to forget about their worldly issues. In many ways, the journey represents a struggle and an expression of gratitude and an acknowledgement that the musician's inspiration comes from a higher power. The album cover portrays the mother of JAUBI’s bandleader, tearfully praying to God to get her son through that dark period of his life. The first step of the journey can be heard on “Satanic Nafs” which refers to the lowest level of the Self which was released 26th March 2021 through Astigmatic Records. The album title ‘Nafs At Peace’ refers to the last purification step the self has been through. At this level, the Self no longer struggles because one has complete love of God, by becoming at peace and tranquil with God’s will. We hope all can achieve the stage of “Nafs At Peace” … Inshallah.

All songs composed by Ali Riaz Baqar except for 'Mosty' composed by Marek Pędziwiatr Ali Riaz Baqar - Guitar Zohaib Hassan Khan - Sarangi Qammar 'Vicky' Abbas - Drums Kashif Ali Dhani - Tabla, Vocals Tenderlonious - Flute, Soprano Saxophone Latarnik - Fender Rhodes Mark II, Grand Piano, Yamaha PSR-550, Korg MS-20, Moog Voyager, Hohner Clavinet Pianet Duo The Vox Humana Chamber Choir - Vocals on 'Seek Refuge'

[burlveneer-music]

Tenderlonious - Tender In Lahore - three ragas recorded with Pakistani group Jaubi in Lahore (22a)

‘Impressions’ is a pure raga (Raga Ba Khizer), the taala (rhythmic cycle) is Ektaal (12 beat cycle). It is similar to the raga that Tender first heard Ronu Majumdar play. This beautiful scale, that Tender would often practice back home, becomes the musical framework for rich improvisations. Joined by Zohaib Hassan Khan on the stringed instrument called sarangi - Zohaib is a 7th generation sarangi maestro and one of only 5 professional sarangi players left in Pakistan practicing this ancient art form. Kashif Ali Dhani provides the stunning backdrop on tabla, weaving in and out of complex rhythmic patterns. ‘Kirwani’ is composed by Dhani and is based on a raga that resembles the harmonic minor scale in western music, whilst ‘Shalamar Gardens’ provides a peaceful moment for reflection with Tender on soprano sax and Dhani on vocals. These three ragas serve as just a small taster for the recording sessions during our time in Lahore. The fruits of these sessions will be found on a new Jaubi album entitled ‘Nafs At Peace’, which is set for release on Astigmatic Records later this year… ‘Tender in Lahore’ features: Ed ‘Tenderlonious’ Cawthorne; flute & soprano sax members of Jaubi: 
Kashif Ali Dhani; tabla & vocals
 Zohaib Hassan Khan; sarangi
 also featuring: Marek Pędziwiatr; synth drone