When the sitar met the saxophone

Ever since John Coltrane heard Ravi Shankar and began incorporating the sitar master’s concepts into his own sound, Indian music has maintained a steady influence on jazz. Drummer Dan Weiss works that influence into his repertoire in a wholly unique fashion, however, taking on the challenge of transcribing compositions for tabla — the Indian hand drums — onto a full drum kit.

“I try to get the flavor of the composition while maintaining a jazz sound,” Weiss says. “I’ve tried to create a different language for myself that would enable me to improvise and feel sound and rhythm in a different way.”

A rising star on the modern jazz scene, Weiss has played with the Village Vanguard Orchestra, legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz and Ravi Coltrane (John’s son) along with many of his most innovative peers. Since 1998, he’s studied with Indian tabla virtuoso Pandit Samir Chatterjee, whose influence, Weiss says, has been “vast, to say the least. It shaped a lot of who I am as a musician.”

Metro Philadelphia

Recent Posts

Senate races are roiled by campus protests over the war in Gaza as campaign rhetoric sharpens

By MARC LEVY Associated Press The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over…

53 mins ago

Union II Look to Bounce Back from First Defeat As They Welcome Huntsville To Philly

Marlon LeBlanc’s Union II side will be looking to recover from their first loss of…

56 mins ago

Eagles Rookie Minicamp: The new kids on the block are raring to go

The Philadelphia Eagles have received rave reviews for what many NFL pundits are calling "spectacular…

1 hour ago

Phillies Coast Past Giants in Rainy Saturday Night, 14-3.

It was a rainy, dreary day in Philadelphia on Saturday. That didn’t change as afternoon…

12 hours ago

Phillies’ Trea Turner to Injured List with Left Hamstring Strain

Following a strong effort scoring from second base on a walk/wild pitch in the fourth…

21 hours ago

Pitching depth protects Aaron Nola’s Rough Friday Night

Aaron Nola had a rough night on the mound Friday night. More specifically, a rough…

22 hours ago

This website uses cookies.