Noshir Mody, a creative and stimulating fusion guitarist, has a wonderful tone and versatility. His originals are full of inventive ideas. Mody’s original music has been a source of inspiration and joy throughout his entire career. Stories From The Years Of Living Passionately, Mody’s latest album, features five of his most sophisticated compositions performed live by a quintet that includes Tsuyoshi Niki on soprano saxophone and Carmen Staaf as pianist, John Lenis as bassist, Yutaka Uchida as drummer. Stories From the Years Of Living Passionately features musicians who stretch out to sing the songs. Only one song is under 11 minutes in length, but they make each moment count. They are as vibrant as their song titles: “The Next Chapter,” Indian, and “A Pearl Discovers The Oyster”. Mody’s playing of the guitar, while sometimes reminiscent of Pat Metheny and Gabor Szabo, is very distinctive, thoughtful, and unpredictable. Niwa and Staaf have lots of solo space. The high quality of the improvisations, and the grooves that keep one’s attention always make it a great choice. Modern jazz lovers will find something to enjoy on this CD, whether it’s the tranquil and danceable “To Be In Your Thoughts”, the lovely melody of “Beckoned By Mercury”, or the 5/4 grooves of “A Pearl Discovers The Oyster”. Music brings out the best of musicians, and vice versa. This makes for a memorable set. Noshir Mody was born in Bombay, India and learned to play the guitar by himself. His unique approach to jazz was the first. His inspirations were Indian classical music, Al Di Meola’s Elegant Gypsy, Bollywood music, and jazz guitarist masters. After moving to New York in 1995 Mody became a jazz musician and started his own band. His open-minded and eclectic approach to music was clearly displayed in his EthniFusion rock ensemble and EthniFusion jazz ensemble. Noshir Mody’s solo recording In This World With You, as well as his trio set Union Of Hearts, showcased both his originals and impressionistic playing. Noshir Mody’s musical vision has been fully realized with Stories From The Years Of Living Passionately. This project features his compositions performed by a top-notch quintet. from http://www.noshirmody.com
