Prasant Radhakrishnan - Jazz sax fusion with Indian classical music

Last week, had the pleasure of doing some work with Prasant Radhakrishnan, a very talented jazz saxophonist from San Francisco who fuses his talents into traditional Indian music. Prasant was doing some concerts in NYC and came up to Happy Valley. He is deeply steeped in Ramana Maharshi's teaching as his grandparents live just down the road from Ramanasramam, Ramana's ashram in Tiruvannamalai, and Prasant has spent much time there.

He is described as a "versatile saxophonist identified with both the South Indian Classical (Carnatic) and jazz disciplines. The unique vocal texture of his sound on saxophone, noted for its expressive complexity and rhythmic ingenuity, reflects Prasant’s continued study of tradition, constant innovation, and vast concert experience."

Prasant is the foremost disciple of “Padmashri”, Dr. Kadri Gopalnath, the originator of this fusion between jazz sax and classical Indian music. Prasant developed his music over the course of nearly a decade of intensive musical training under Padmashri in a traditional, but increasingly rare, format of complete immersion by living with his guru. He began giving concerts in 1998 and has accompanied Padmashri in hundreds of concerts, and has established himself, in his own right, as a unique and formidable voice in Carnatic music.

His first album, Swara Sudha, was released in 2000 and featured some of the most respected names in Carnatic music. He deepened his skills under the prestigious AIIS Senior Performing Arts Fellowship. His second critically acclaimed album, Duality (2004), displayed the technical innovations he had begun developing for his instrument on the Carnatic platform. He has since released three albums, a) East Facing (2007), continuing his effort of vocalizing the instrument, b) VidyA (2008) which was the eponymous debut album of his critically acclaimed Carnatic-Jazz trio and c) Kiravani: A Live Experience (2009) featuring an extensive main piece in the raga Kiravani.

Prasant's website is @ http://prasantmusic.com/. Would strongly recommend checking out "Meditations: Ragas on Saxophone", which plays to a background of Arunchala, the mountain on which, or at the foot of which, Ramana spent his entire adult life. Prasant has a unique payment system for this album in which you can "name your price", starting @ 0.

Prasant is really all about spreading his beautiful and unique music, message and vision and NOT about the money. He has plans to return to Happy Valley.