Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, V. Selvaganesh, Good People In Times Of Evil

Good People In Times Of Evil

Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, V. Selvaganesh

1 AGA OF THE LADIES 12:06 (Hellborg)

2 SAVITRI 6:52 (Hellborg)

3 LEAL SOUVENIR 10:53 (Hellborg)

4 BHAKTI RAS 7:34 (Hellborg-Khan)

5 WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE? 7:05

(Hellborg-Selvaganesh)

6 UMA HAIMAVATI 6:54 (Hellborg)

Jonas Hellborg Bass

Shawn Lane Guitar

V. Selvaganesh Kanjeera,

Udu and Vocals

Icon

Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, V. Selvaganesh

1 ANCHOR 15:04

2 MIRROR 23:20

3 VEHICLE 16:10

4 ESCAPE 04:06

Jonas Hellborg bass

Shawn Lane guitar

V. Selvaganesh Kanjeera and Konokol

V. Umashankar Ghatam and Konokol

V. Umamahesh Vocals

Personae

Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, Jeff Sipe

1 Time is the Enemy

2 Rag B/B

3 Personae

4 Heretics

5 Hell is Other People

6 Rice with the Angels

Jonas Hellborg bass

Shawn Lane guitar

Jeff Sipe drums

Namaste. There are the inevitable comparisons to be made between Hellborg and Lane's Indofusion and the various incarnations of Shakti. For example, it could be called "Shakti with a bass". But, of course it is really very different. In a good way, Lane's space guitar works amazingly well, sitting back and above the rhythm, giving an ethereal mystical sound to the east-oriented music. In perhaps a slightly less beneficial sense, the instrumentation and less obvious inclusion of blues shredding (admittedly a part of Lane's form of expression) imply a shallower understanding of Indian music, particularly in the Southern Carnatic style, than John McLaughlin.

However, the development of Hellborg and Lane's work does closely mirror the evolution of Shakti, with essentially the initial duo recording the alap-dominated, exploratory "Zen House" (Sipe took a minimal role), founding their Indian musical relationship, which parallels McLaughlin and L. Shankar, or even Hariprasad and Hussain on Remember Shakti's "Chandrakauns". Later more layers were introduced, with Shakti it was T.S. Vinayakaram and Zakir Hussain who made up the quartet. In Remember Shakti we have seen various electric midi guitars, electric mandolin, kanjeera (kanjira) and ghatam, other percussion, santur and vocals all introduced, adding layers of complexity, and now there is talk of a core, perhaps only the younger musicians Selvaganesh and Srivinas, taking the group forward. In Hellborg and Lane's version they have also discovered Remember Shakti's Selvaganesh, resulting in their release of "Good People In Times Of Evil", with a fleeting vocal appearance by Ustad Sultan Khan, and later brought in V. Umamahesh (vocals) and V. Umashankar (ghatam) for "Icon", before parring back down to a trio once more, this time with Jeff Sipe taking the drummer's hot-seat for "Personae".

"Personae" is not an album of Indofusion, but it does add to our understanding of where this wonderful relationship was going before it was tragically curtailed. I had the pleasure of meeting a jamming pal of Lane's in Mongolia (of all places!) once. He was cool and spoke volumes of how nice a guy Shawn was. That fits with other stories and explains why he was so popular.

"Good People In Times Of Evil" is simply amazing and has to be heard to be believed, thunderous grooves and joyous melodies - it is the "Natural Elements" of this set. "Icon" has the fullness of "Saturday Night In Bombay". Swirling vocal lines, telepathic Konokol and playing from an inner depth beyond our ken, but for which we as the listening, absorbing public, can only be grateful. "Personae" breaks the molds. Lane reaches out, must physically take off on a couple of tracks, touches other worlds: how prophetic. Sipe does add, but he is permanently in the shadow of the string section. Hellborg is masterful.

"Good People In Times Of Evil" is a must-hear album before you die, "Icon" at least before arthritis sets in. "Personae" is more in the vein of Tribal Tech and a bucket of other heavy modern jazz trios, whereas "Zen House" would expand your Hellborg/Lane Indofusion collection admirably. Phir melenge.