Arun Ramamurthy Trio Stays True to the Raga and Finds the Heart of Jazz

“It’s just in D.” “Really?” the bassist asked, skeptical. “Yes, the whole piece.”

Not your typical exchange for a jazz trio, but part of the compelling challenge of Jazz Carnatica (release: October 28, 2014), the dialogue of South Indian Classical music and jazz begun by Indian-American violinist Arun Ramamurthy.

By staying true to the raga, the modes which form the melodic foundation for Indian classical composition, but finding the full sonic identity of a skilled ensemble, Ramamurthy’s trio discovers new aspects of millennia-old pieces and moments of organic conversation between two traditions, both based on a balance of rigor and freedom.

“My concept with these pieces is to stay true to the raga, to stay true to the spirit of the Carnatic compositions,” says Ramamurthy. “We may deviate from conventional song stuctures, and sometimes what we play suggests chord progressions, but my melody always stays in the raga.”

Yet sticking to the raga does not mean stumbling into sterile technical showmanship or pedantic strictness. Ramamurthy’s instrument soars and growls, sings and dances, in beautiful tandem with drummer Sameer Gupta and bassist Perry Wortman (along with several guest contributors like keys player Marc Cary, fiddler Trina Basu, and mridangam player Akshay Anantapadmanabhan). With the perfect pitch of Indian classical violin and the gritty lilt of American fiddle, Ramamurthy goes to evocative places of longing and joy, sentiments common in Indian devotional music—and in certain strains of jazz.

“We’re playing from within. I learned that approach from my gurus in India, and it is still very upfront in my head,” Ramamurthy reflects. “You can play in front of 20,000 people or a handful, in any setting. It doesn’t matter; you center yourself and play from within—and nothing gets in your way.”

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