TRENTON TIMES, May 23, 2003
By PATRICK O'SHEA
New Monsoon jams with a `world-rock' feel
Joe's Mill Hill Saloon next week will feature an evening of diverse musical
flavors, including Latin, Indian, African, jazz, jam-band rock, bluegrass,
funk . . .
And there's only one band on the bill.
"Our sound is quite unique on the scene because of our instrumentation,"
says Rajiv Parikh of the San Francisco-based septet, New Monsoon, which
makes stops in Philadelphia Tuesday and Trenton Wednesday as part of its
first East Coast tour. "I think it's a fresh new sound."
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Admitting it would be hard to put a definitive label on just what that sound
is, Parikh noted "people see us as a jam band with a world-rock kind of
feel."
Much of the rhythm behind that "feel" comes from Parikh's instrument of
choice - the tabla or Indian hand drum - but he's not alone. Percussionists
make up 42.7 percent of New Monsoon's lineup, with Brian Carey featured on
congas and timbales and Marty Ylitalo on a traditional drum kit.
"It's not something you hear everyday," Parikh says of the blending of
Eastern, Afro-Cuban and rock beats. "The rhythms we create go really well
together."
Rounding out New Monsoon are Bo Carper on acoustic guitar, banjo and dobro;
Heath Carlisle on vocals, bass and guitar; Jeff Miller on guitar; and Phil
Ferlino on keyboards. And Ylitalo sometimes comes out from behind his drum
kit to blow the digeridoo.
It's more than the instruments that define New Monsoon's sound, however.
It's also the alchemy of seven talented players adding their respective
musical tastes to the recipe.
"We have so many influences: (John) Coltrane, (Miles) Davis, Mississippi
John Hurt, Santana . . . everything," Parikh says.
While he was born in India and is classically trained, Parikh grew up in
California and says his musical leanings tilt more toward the "Western rock
'n' roll side" - and actually have New Jersey roots.
"My father attended Rutgers University in the late 1960s, then got a job in
California and never left," he explains. "Coming from India, he tried very
hard to incorporate the Western ways, so I grew up listening to bands like
Santana, Eric Clapton and Rare Earth.
"Later, I eventually discovered Hendrix, the Beatles, Led Zepplin and other
bands that influenced me more than Indian classical," he adds.
Adding to New Monsoon's East Coast connections are bandmates Carper,
Carlisle, Ferlino and Miller, who all hail originally from Pennsylvania but
didn't team up until they became "reacquainted" on the West Coast.
New Monsoon grew from a duo at its inception in 1997 to a septet by 2001,
when it released its first album, "Hydrophonic." Its second self-released
CD, "Downstream," came out in February. (For information and samples, visit
www.newmonsoon.com).
With clean, dual-guitar lines and swirling organ riffs often dancing over
pulsating percussion, the group's attack warrants comparisons to the Allman
Brothers - particularly on the instrumental takes, "Mountain Air" and "Bo's
Blues" - Santana and other jam bands. Add the tabla, some Hindi vocal
snippets, banjo, digeridoo and other elements, and the group's vibe "kind of
varies from song to song."
Especially in concert.
"With the instrumentation we have, we tend to feature different people at
different times during a performance," Parikh says. "There is definitely a
lot of improvisation. Every show is different every night."
