10th July 2020: Altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa tops DownBeat Critics Poll – see reaction to Hero Trio from DownBeat Magazine Hot Box

Congratulations to Rudresh Mahanthappa, who recently topped the prestigious DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll. You can see the full list over on the DownBeat website: here. 

Rudresh’s most recent release, Hero Trio, is unusual by the experienced altoist’s standards. The album is comprised solely of interpretations, on tunes from Stevie Wonder to Keith Jarrett. But there is ample space for Rudresh, Rudy Royston and Francois Moutin to jump off in supremely creative arrangements.

You can read DownBeat’s take on Rudresh’s album below.

“Inveterate experimentalist tackles the standards. Nice idea, though from the get-go, you know this ain’t gonna be your grandpa’s bebop when Mahanthappa drills down to a pedal tone on ‘Red Cross. The trio’s take on Keith Jarrett’s ‘The Wind-Up’ is a dazzler.”
DownBeat Hot Box

“They come on like a storm and each turn exudes both articulation and coordination.The boss’s flow becomes more sage with each year, chattering one sec, soaring the next.”
★★★★ DownBeat Hot Box

“These tributes burst with so much interpretive ingenuity, sparkling friction and caffeinated improvisational interplay that they demand considerable replay.”
★★★★ DownBeat Hot Box

“His arrangements for chordless trio allow for plenty of enjoyable scrutiny… Mahanthappa’s notions here retain all the muscle of the originals.”
★★★★ DownBeat Magazine