Blueprint

'Blueprint', Suphala's stunning new album, is her third and most adventurous release. Suphala builds from the base of her world renowned tabla knowledge, with infusions of modern electronic sounds, top-flight songwriting, and a coterie of talented contributors. The tabla artist has already caught the ears of her fellow American musicians. Her last album, The Now, featured contributions from such stellar guests as Norah Jones, Vernon Reid and even Antonio Banderas, and was featured from the New York Times to the Times of India. Following up and expanding on the acclaimed 2005 effort, Suphala returns with another bevy of friends that includes such notables as vocalist Edie Brickell (on two songs), heavyweight producer King Britt and Reid once again as well as bansuri player Rakesh Chaurasia, Harper Simon, Mazz Swift, David Gotay and others. There was always music in Suphala’s life; she began studying classical piano at age four. But then she found her calling in the tabla, which won her over with it's beautiful sound and the freedom of it's improvisatory nature. Suphala is a protg of the great tabla masters Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, who are a constant source of inspiration to her. Suphala thrives on improvisation, and with her band regularly departs from the set material to explore new directions in a spontaneous setting. According to Suphala, the recording-s concept and title are rooted in the feeling that recordings are blueprints that musicians can recreate in an infinite number of ways in live music, a sentiment she echoes by collaborating with a diverse cast of players for each live performance. It’s this improvisatory, collaborative perspective that drew her to Edie Brickell. The closing track, “I Feel Awake Even Though This Is A Dream,” is an album standout that highlights the two musicians’ wonderful chemistry. Adding production chops to her many talents, Suphala produces primarily in her home based studio with her tabla, a computer, a keyboard and microphone. Yet from this barebones beginning, she fleshes the songs out with rich melodies, harmonies and of a virtuosic display of tabla playing and programmed beats. Then the composer and the guests’ collaborate to create a bit of magic. With Blueprint Suphala’s created a remarkable work -- marked by deft songwriting and arranging, and the conviction that the tabla can be the basis for music that can both inspire and entertain.