Three song videos and complete credits at the end of the review. You can buy the album on iTunes.
Dil Hai Namazi features on vocals the most high profile name in all of Shankar Tucker’s debut album credits – Vijay Prakash. That the song turns out to be one of the best tracks in the album owes a lot to the man living up to his repute with a spectacular rendition of Manoj Yadav’s lines. Of course, that is in no way understating Shankar’s work in the backdrop – the slow, serene build-up, the interesting use of percussion (Gaurang Desai’s drums and Jomy George’s tabla which sounds very much like a mridangam at times), and of course Shankar himself with some clarinet solos. Shankar gets Job Kurian for the Malayalam folk song Aadiyillallo Anthamillallo that gets a swanky, mod treatment. Job’s rendition stays true to the folk base, while the composer attempts to recreate the folksy grooviness using a largely non-Malayali ensemble (the only Kerala-related instrument I saw in credits was the edaykka) and this contrast makes for a mighty engaging combo (not sure about this being a boat song though, as suggested in the full title). Nikhita Gandhi handles her end well behind the mic in Kashti while Tucker’s clarinet is engaged in an intriguing bout with the percussion (Jomy George’s tabla and Masala Coffee percussionist/vocalist Varun Sunil’s cajon mainly). Yaad is probably the only track from the album that was not composed for the album per se; the song appeared in the opening episode of Dewarists Season 4 that had Shankar Tucker collaborate with Maatibaani lady Nirali Kartik in Sikkim. A simple tune woven around Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry (something of a highland touch in that guitar) that takes a dark turn every so often. The singing is spot-on, and the arrangement nicely builds up towards a crescendo led by clarinet and tabla. Chal Chal Sakhi’s frenetic pace and complicated time signatures are handled wonderfully by all musicians involved, particularly by Ankita Joshi who pulls off an effortlessly nuanced singing. Shankar too is in brilliant form throughout the song, the best bit of the song happens between 2:19 – 4:44 where Ankita and Shankar present their respective improvisation bits in succession. The complex structure of the song makes it a not so comfortable listen overall, but the individual show of skills makes it more than worth your while.
The only problem with Ae Re Chanda is its four part division which gives the individual pieces an abrupt ending/beginning. But when you line them up to play consecutively the track makes for a wonderful listen over its nine minutes. Devendra Pal Singh (whom you might remember from this beautiful song from Coke Studio @ MTV Season 2, which incidentally also had Shankar) leads the proceedings with a pitch perfect rendition that traverses ragas (shades of abheri/bhimplas in part 3 and miyan ki malhar in part 4, I think) after Sandeep Mishra starts off things in style in the alaap that constitutes part 1. While Sandeep makes his presence felt in part 2 as well, Shankar takes over the support role from part 3, joined by Santosh Ghante’s harmonium in part 4. Also mention-worthy is the strings section (credits at the end) and the Carnatic percussion from Varun Sunil (mridangam & kanjira that I could discern). Dhuan Dhuan is another song that gets divided, this time into two parts. First part has carnatic violin exponent H N Bhaskar’s (whom you might also have heard in Raghu Dixit’s albums – Kodagana and Amma from Jag Changa for instance) masterful alaap that represents the rare occurrence of South Indian classical elements in the album, leading into a breezy vocal section handled by Shankar himself (man’s got a good voice), while HNB continues his excellent solos in the background. Amaidhi Thaedi too comes in two parts, though in this case the instrumental solo follows the vocal segment. Vocal segment which has Shaktisree Gopalan nailing the lovely tune that Madhan Karky’s Tamil lines are set, with an ambient arrangement supplied primarily by Rashee Kulkarni’s piano. The instrumental part (aptly titled Meditation) too has a similar ambient setting but with Shankar’s clarinet being the only instrument here, the effect is even more stunning! The final track is Udaan, a pensive tune that is given a simple guitar-led (Daniel Kenneth Rego, Puneet Gabriel) arrangement. On vocals is one of Shankar’s earliest collaborators, Vidya Iyer. Vidya’s singing here isn’t without flaws, but works for the kind of song it is.
Over four years since his first video came out, and two years in the making, Filament is an outstandingly diverse debut album from Shankar Tucker, aptly representative of his body of work thus far.
Top Recos: All songs!
Full credits (Thanks to Mahesvari of DesiYUP for helping with this)
Chal Chal Sakhi | Come, My Beloved!
Ankita Joshi – Vocals
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Guitar
Keshav Iyengar – Bass
Amit Mishra – Tabla
Varun Sunil – Cajon
Lyrics by Pt. Laghulaal and Nirali Kartik
Recorded at Cotten Press studios and Sound Forest Studios, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Ae Re Chanda | Suite for the Moon
- Alaap
- Exposition
- Improvisation
- Tillana
Devendra Pal Singh – Vocals
Sandeep Mishra – Sarangi
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet
Jomy George – Tabla
Varun Sunil – Percussion
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Guitar (Exposition, Improvisation)
Guiliano Modarelli – Guitar (Tillana)
Raashi Kulkarni – Piano
Andrei Matorin – Violin
Eric Lemmon – Viola
Amy Kang – Cello
Akshaya Tucker – Cello
Jake Charkey – Cello
Santosh Ghante – Harmonium
Lyrics by Viral Brahmbhatt
Recorded at Sound Forest Studios, Mumbai, Maharashtra & Michiko Rehearsal Studios, New York City.
Dil Hai Namazi | The Heart’s Prayer
Vijay Prakash – Vocals
Jomy George – Tabla
Akshaya Tucker – Cello
Shankar Tucker – Keyboards, Guitar, Clarinet
Gaurang Desai – Drums
Lyrics by Manoj Yadav
Recorded at Sound Forest Studios, Mumbai, Maharashtra & Michiko Rehearsal Studios, New York City.
Kashti | River Song
Nikhita Gandhi – Vocals
Jomy George – Tabla
Varun Sunil – Percussion, Cajon
Guiliano Modarelli – Guitar
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet, Production
Lyrics by Mughda Hasabnis, Kartik Shah
Recorded at Clementine Studios, Chennai
Dhuan Dhaun – Alaap
HN Bhaskar – Violin
Shankar Tucker – Production
Bub Muncy – Saxophones
Joe Herrera – Trumpet
Dhuan Dhuan | Lost in Smoke
Shankar Tucker – Vocals
Jomy George – Tabla
Varun Sunil – Percussion, Cajon
Guiliano Modarelli – Guitar
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet, Production
Lyrics by Viral Brahmbhatt
Recorded at Clementine Studios, Chennai
Amaidhi Thaedi | In Search of Peace
Shakthisree Gopalan – Vocals
Raashi Kulkarni – Piano
Guiliano Modarelli – Classical Guitar
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Electric Guitar
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet, Percussion
Lyrics by Madhan Karky
Recorded at Bodhi Music Studios, Chennai
Amaidhi Thaedi – Meditation
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet
Yaad | Rememberance
Nirali Kartik – Vocals
Jomy George – Tabla
Amit Mishra – Snare drum, Percussion
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Electric Guitar
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet
Lyrics by Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Recorded at Lotus Feet Studio, Mumbai
Aadiyillalo Anthamillalo | Kerala Boat Song
Job Kurian – Vocals
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Guitar
Jomy George – Dhol, Dholak, Eddekai
Varun Sunil – Shakers, Cajon, Percussion
Bub Muncy – Saxophones
Joe Herrera – Trumpet
Lyrics: Traditional Malayalam Folk Song
Recorded at Amrita University Media Studios, Kerala
Udaan | Liberation
Vidya Iyer – Vocals
Daniel Kenneth Rego – Guitar
Puneet Gabriel – Guitar
Shankar Tucker – Clarinet, Piano
Lyrics by Mugdha Hasabnis, Nirali Kartik
Recorded at Audio Garage Studio, Mumbai
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All Songs composed and produced by Shankar Tucker, except for “Aadiyillallo Anthamillalo”, a traditional Malayalam folk song.
All tracks mixed and mastered by Shankar Tucker except for “Aadiyillallo Anthamillalo”, mixed by Devang Raach.
Design by Namita Devadas
Photography by Stéphane Giner.
© P 2015 Shankar Tucker