Search - Jai Uttal :: Footprints

The trend that surrounds Jai Uttal is for Western musicians to become at first enchanted with and then immersed in the music of East Indian regions. Uttal's gone further than many, though, in trying to interpolate Indian structures and instruments at the fore of his tunes, never raising the temperature on his music beyond a comfy warmth. He logged time with the Bauls, street musicians in Bengal, and the experience made his music into an odd mix--as Footprints, his 1991 debut, reveals. This reissue shows the breadth of Uttal's knowledge, incorporating his playing on a dozen instruments into a mix of tablas, bass, vocals, and, occasionally, the trumpet of Don Cherry. The music's not particularly multitraditional, throwing harmonium and percussion up against synthesized backgrounds that aid the music's watery, warm feel. "Madzoub" acts as a sort of centerpiece to the album, asserting an atmospheric energy that's not particularly heavy and surprises with its levels of detail--especially when considering how similar the timbres are on many of the tracks here. As its title hints, Footprints is a sonic travelogue that shadows Uttal--from the evening-sounding, contemplative "Taking the Dust" to the celebratory march of the CD's title track. --Andrew Bartlett