JOGED KAHYANGAN

This is Dewa's sixth solo album to date, and while he may well be a bona fide pop star in his home country with his band Gigi selling millions of records, he is still relatively unknown outside of his native Indonesia. With this, his second album for the international label Moonjune, surely that will soon change. The album title translates to 'Dances of Heaven', and if you are at all interested in jazz fusion that is the place to which you will be transported when listening to this. On this album he has been joined by Larry Goldings (organ, piano), Bob Mintzer (tenor and soprano sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Jimmy Johnson (bass) and Peter Erskine (drums) as well as singer Janis Siegel guesting on the one number with vocals.

The musicians didn't see Budjana's charts until the day of the recording, and the first take was the only rehearsal they had with the second or third take ending up on the album. Recorded in just a single day, this is pretty much a full live recording, which makes it even more incredible. Dewa has strong understanding of the use of space and harmony, as well as dischord, and combines all the elements to make an album that takes the listener by the hand as opposed to bashing them over the head. There are whole passages where Dewa is notable by his absence, letting the rest of the guys take his music on a journey and he joins in with wonderfully fluid Metheny/McLaughlin style at just the right moment. It is a wonderfully restful album, one where time and space disappears and is replaced instead by a world filled with harmony, delicacy, and restrained power. Every piece is a classic in it's own right, while the restraint of everyone involved in the vocal 'As You Leave My Nest' is superb.

The digipak opens up to provide three pages of notes, written by John Kelman, which definitely add to the overall experience. This is an essential album to anyone who enjoys wonderful music, whatever the genre. www.moonjune.com

Indonesian guitarist and composer Dewa BUDJANA has been active in the Indonesian music scene for more than twenty years by now. He is probably best known for his long tenure in Indonesian rock band Gigi, but has also established a name for himself as a solo artist in the last two decades. "Joged Kahyangan" is his sixth solo production to date, and was released through the US label Moonjune Records in 2013.

Positive and joyful jazz rock with a certain emphasis on jazz is what Dewa Budjana brings to the table on "Joged Kahyangan", an uplifting ride through eight compositions carefully exploring a joyful mood and atmosphere in smooth, elegant arrangements. Those fond of the softer side of jazz rock should be a prime audience for this production, an album to take note of if subtle but jubilant instrumental jazz rock sounds like an interesting prospect to spend some time investigating.

I heard about DEWA BUDJANA this afternoon when I received a copy of Surya Namaskar by the Indonesian guitarist with Jimmy Johnson and Vinnie Colaiuta, but before going with that album , decided to try Joged Kahyangan, because I wanted to listen his own style first, so I went my collection and found this album which I heard a long time ago but didn't remembered well.

The first thing I must say is that Dewa has a more traditional approach unlike other Indonesian players as who prefer to introduce typical instruments like Kendang percussion, as a fact he's well accompanied by competent musicians like Larry Goldings (keyboards), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Bob Mintzer (sax, clarinet, bass clarinet) and drummer Peter Erskine, who support Dewa with dexterity.

The music is soft and pleasant but at the same time complex and elaborate, flowing gently from start to end, but the most interesting feature is the capacity of Dewa to play complex passages in a style that reminds me of icons as John Mc'Laughlin and Pat Metheny with a touch of Tohpati (As in Majik Blue), but also the importance to allow the other musicians to perform lengthy sections in which he keeps away, avoiding over saturation and futile shredding when unnecessary.

It's hard to choose a favorite song, because the album sounds as a complete entity where every piece is like a chapter of a book that only makes sense in the context it was recorded, but idf somebody asks me, I would mention the complex Majik Blue, wghere Dewa shows us his skills with some strong sections, not as frantic as in the magnificent Erskoman where Peter Erskine surprised me with the solid drumming impressively supported by Jimmy Johnson in the bass

But I also was impressed by his capacity to play softer stuff like the incredibly beautiful As you Leave my Nest with Janis Siege in the vocals and Borra's Ballad, a soft piece where Larry Goldings adds some delicate organ touches to enhance the oneiric atmosphere, the perfect closer for a very good album.

Maybe because I was expecting something different, I won't go with the maximum rating, but anything below 4 solid stars, would seem unfair to me.

Now I can review Surya Namaskar, being more familiar with the sound of this talented guitarist and composer.

Really nice and smoothy album by Indonesian guitar player Dewa Budjana!

I got used to have Moonjune Records albums in a Jazz Fusion line and this kind of music really don't hold any water for me as I prefer something that was built and something with melody.

For my surprise Joged Kahyangan (2013) is one of this records! Dewa instead of trying to go on full Free Jazz do what you want wrote some really pretty melodies in a more traditional Jazz style, there's even a Vocal Jazz track on the album (As You Leave My Nest) with singer Janis Siegel.

This is the kind of album that is indeed a joy to listen to and you can enjoy it even while reading, but that doesn't make it a 'background music' album as Dewa is a great guitar player and the line up on the album is amazing.

Recommended! Please Moonjune, more of this kind of releases!