NEW MOON
Releases 2024!
New Moon is the second release from the Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Drawing from Carnatic ragas and rhythm structures, and coming to life in a freely improvising jazz trio, New Moon honors tradition while embracing a spirit of freedom and creativity. The 4-part New Moon Suite reflects on the inspiration of ancestors and family, and the lessons we take on our own personal journeys. It is the culmination of years of soul searching and exploration into my musical voice, and is my most personal compositional work to date.
Behind the music…
The Band
Arun Ramamurthy Trio (ART) brings a fresh approach to age-old South Indian Carnatic music. Boundaries are blurred in this organic and seamless integration of styles as the group expands on traditional forms in explosive, improvisational flights of fancy. The trio freely explores the kindred spirit of Raga music and Jazz, resulting in a deeply invigorating and spiritual listening experience. ART's collaborative sound is driven by the propulsive rhythm section of drummer Sameer Gupta & and electric bassist Damon Banks.
The Music
1 - "Walk As One" was written in response to the thousands who marched down the streets of Brooklyn after the unjust killing of George Floyd in 2020. How moving it was to witness the strength of this massive consciousness.
NEW MOON SUITE (2-5)
2-"Bangalore to Brooklyn" represents the journey my parents made as immigrants to the United States in 1970. This migration planted the seeds for my family's future, setting the tone for my brothers and I as we straddled divergent worlds.
3-"Meditation" is a dedication to my grandmother Ambuja Dindigal (or Aaji as we called her). The music pauses time to remember, and honor the gifts our ancestors have given us. Aaji was an inspiring and gentle soul who taught me to always trust myself, and strive to have a unique and personal voice. As musicians, we bow our heads in reverence.
4-"Mirrors" is an expression of the inner dialogue we face when confronted with life’s many decisions, and how we balance our upbringing with the contemporary world around us. This movement uses a rhythm cycle used in Arabic maqam called Jurjina, a 10-beat palindromic cycle which breaks down into a mirror image of itself 3-2-2-3.
5-The final movement "Amavasya" translates to new moon from Sanskrit, and represents new beginnings. It is a moment each month when the life process slows down, and we have the opportunity to reflect and try again. Our strength comes from our ability to learn and grow.
6-"Sri Valli" is a free interpretation of a traditional Carnatic song Sri Valli Devasenapathe by composer Papanaasam Shivan. The Trio explores different colors within the raga Natabhairavi,