Icon: A Transcontinental Gathering

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Icon: A Transcontinental Gathering
Jonas Hellborg & Shawn Lane - 2003 - Icon.jpg
Studio album by Jonas Hellborg
Released 25 January 2003 (2003-01-25)
Recorded Air Edel Studios in London, England; Bardo Studios in New York City; The Dungeon in Memphis, Tennessee
Genre Jazz fusion, world fusion
Length59:19
Label Bardo
Producer Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg and Shawn Lane chronology
Personae
(2002) Personae2002		Icon: A Transcontinental Gathering
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

Icon: A Transcontinental Gathering is an album by bassist Jonas Hellborg, released on 25 January 2003 through Bardo Records. The album merges contemporary jazz-fusion and traditional Indian improvised music [2] [3] [4] and features guitarist Shawn Lane in his last officially released studio recording before his death in September of that year, [5] as well as the sons of ghatam player Vikku Vinayakram: Selvaganesh (kanjeera), Umashankar (ghatam) and Umamamesh (vocals), who also perform passages of konnakol, the vocal "scatting" often used as a memory device by Indian percussionists. [6] The album's name stands for a common cross-cultural ideal image, beyond vanity and self-identity, also present in this kind of musical communication. [7]

Jonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Anders Johansson, Ginger Baker, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Jeff Sipe, Mattias IA Eklundh, Public Image Ltd, and Buckethead.

Ghatam pot-shaped Indian percussion instrument

The ghaṭam is a percussion instrument used in the Carnatic music of South India. A variant played in Punjab and known as gharha as is a part of Punjabi folk traditions. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa.

Konnakol is the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian Carnatic music. Konnakol is the spoken component of solkattu, which refers to a combination of konnakol syllables spoken while simultaneously counting the tala (meter) with the hand. It is comparable in some respects to bol in Hindustani music, but allows the composition, performance or communication of rhythms. Sri Thetakudi Harihara Subash Chandran is a well-known proponent.

Contents

Track listing

All tracks written by Jonas Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh.

No.TitleLength
1."Anchor"15:02
2."Mirror"23:20
3."Vehicle"16:11
4."Escape"4:46
Total length:59:19

Personnel

Bassline

A bassline is the term used in many styles of music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic, traditional music, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, cello, tuba or keyboard. In unaccompanied solo performance, basslines may simply be played in the lower register of any instrument such as guitar or piano while melody and/or further accompaniment is provided in the middle or upper register. In solo music for piano and pipe organ, these instruments have an excellent lower register that can be used to play a deep bassline. On organs, the bass line is typically played using the pedal keyboard and massive 16' and 32' bass pipes.

Record producer individual who oversees and manages the recording of an artists music

A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performer's music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many, varying roles during the recording process. They may gather musical ideas for the project, collaborate with the artists to select cover tunes or original songs by the artist/group, work with artists and help them to improve their songs, lyrics or arrangements.

Shawn Lane American musician

Shawn Lane was an American musician who released two studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians including Ringo Starr, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Reggie Young, Joe Walsh, Jonas Hellborg and many others. After studying the piano, he mastered the guitar, which he played with exceptional speed.

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Trilok Gurtu is an Indian percussionist and composer, whose work has blended the music of his homeland with jazz fusion, world music and other genres.

Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.

V. Selvaganesh Indian musician

V. Selvaganesh is an Indian percussionist working in the Carnatic tradition and one of the leading kanjira players of his generation. He is also known as "Chella S. Ganesh."

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Thetakudi Harihara Subash Chandran is regarded by many as the foremost Carnatic percussion teacher. His students include top percussionists such as V. Selvaganesh (kanjira), N. Ramakrishnana (mridangam), Ganesh Kumar (kanjira). Shri SUbash Chandran is an outstanding player of the ghatam and acknowledged as the greatest living exponent of konnakol. He also performs on the mridangam, kanjira, and morsing. He is one of the few remaining exponents of konnakol or solkattu, the art of producing percussion music through one's vocal cords.

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References

  1. ↑ Tilland, William. "Icon - Jonas Hellborg". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  2. ↑ V, PV (1 Feb 2003). "Jonas Hellborg Icon". Billboard (pg. 43). Retrieved 2012-10-27.
  3. ↑ Prosser, Lee (12 Jan 2004). "ICON BY JONAS HELLBORG". Jazz Review. Retrieved 2012-10-27. Highly eclectic and imaginative, composer Jonas Hellborg paves the way for new jazz coming out of India.
  4. ↑ Santella, Jim (2 Apr 2003). "Hellborg/Lane/Selvaganesh/Umashankar/Umamahesh: Icon (2003)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
  5. ↑ Heath, Dick. "ICON - A TRANSCONTINENTAL GATHERING (WITH SHAWN LANE ,UMAMAHESH, SELVAGANESH,UMASHANKAR) Jonas Hellborg". Progarchives. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
  6. ↑ Bennun, Neil (5 Aug 2003). "Jonas Hellborg Icon review". BBC Music Reviews. BBC. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
  7. ↑ "Icon, Jonas Hellborg - Album Review". Bardo Records. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
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