HARISH RAGHAVAN - CALLS FOR ACTION at JAZZ STANDARD, nyc, DEC 11

• photography by ©Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas

In-demand New York-based bassist/composer Harish Raghavan gathered his group of proficient young talents - Immanuel Wilkins on alto sax, Joel Ross on vibraphone, Micah Thomas on piano, and Kweku Sumbry on drums - to perform music from his debut album, Calls For Action, recently out on Whirlwind Recordings. The CD release party took place at Jazz Standard, a venue whose sound and ambience never disappoints.

The second set kicked off with the rampant “Seaminer”. Its attractive, sturdy groove served as a pillar for the conjoint melodic work of Ross and Wilkins, just before they blast off in expansive, busy solos. Thomas followed them with fleet-fingered playing, triggering prompt reactions from Sumbry, whose incessant syncopations could be heard throughout, working as an ample source of tension. Naturally, Raghavan substantiates these complex rhythmic tapestries, whether with patterned entanglement or groovy explicitness.

The assertive bass intro of “Los Angeles” anticipates the tune’s predominant balladic feel, which was posteriorly swallowed by the energy of “Newe”, a forward-thrusting piece characterized by improvised exchanges between piano, sax, and vibraphone. Also, there was no shortage of heat on “Sangeet”, a piece that Raghavan penned for his wife. It burst with polyrhythmic liveliness, contrasting with the ebbs and flows of “Calls for Action”, where the bandleader discoursed over a softer harmonic ground. The conclusion came with a brand new tune called “Prayer”.

Avoiding obvious choices, Raghavan’s music produces such an indomitable energy. None of it was wasted live.