If cutting-edge music presages the course that society will takethen this release from Trio Tarana indicates that at some point we will be heading down the right path. Percussionist Ravish Momin leads a trio of musicians with diverse ethnic backgrounds with the stated purpose “of sharing their unique Asian-American musical concept and identity with different audiences, worldwide.” With Five Nights, recorded live at Washington DC’s beautiful Freer Gallery of Art amidst their excellent Asian collections, the band has exceeded its aim by producing a session that can serve as an example of cultural harmony to all people. The instrumentation is string-based but has Momin’s startling North Indian percussion at its heart. The combination of Jason Kao Hwang’s violin with Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz’s bass and oud exudes a wide sound palette that conveys lovely understatement and graceful lines, along with blistering solos. — Elliot Simon Continue reading →