Josh Bennett – Echoes of You

Josh’s debut album takes you on an acoustic journey from blues to beserk – a true melting pot of music. Josh Bennett has finally released his first full length CD entitled Echoes of You. Josh’s music transcends time and space to transport the listener on a sublime journey through the realm of World Music. Stand out tracks on the CD include The Maid and the title track Echoes of You. This 13 track masterpiece has been put together by Josh and co-producer Tom Barnes, with Jay Dabgar (tabla), Richard Coates (keyboards), Andy Bevan (saxophone) and brother Tim Bennett (bass) joining him on a number of tracks. Best known as a guitarist and singer, Josh also performs on tabla, didgeridoo, dilruba (Indian violin) and is one of Australia’s leading exponents of the Indian Sitar. Whether picking up a storm with The Lawnmowers (at the cutting ‘hedge’ of bluegrass), exploring Indian raga with Dya Singh and The Silk Road Project, or taking music to the edge with Guitar Safari, Jaib Mai and the Supper Club, Josh always has a unique musical story to tell. As a Sitar player, Josh was the only non-Indian to perform at the 2008 and 2010 Saptak Music Festivals in Ahmedabad, India. Track Listing: 1 Gypsy and Tam 2 The Maid 3 For Mataji (part 1) 4 For Mataji (part 2) 5 Mingling Waters 6 Samosa Samba 7 Echoes of You 8 It’s Summer In Europe 9 Highland Blues 10 Closer Together 11 Um A Zero 12 Devil May Trade 13 Edelweiss All tracks written and composed by Josh Bennett except Um A Zero (Pixinguinha) and Edelweiss (Rodgers)
Josh Bennett – Echoes of You CD Review by Peter James Dawson
Josh Bennett is a man on a mission: to expand his brilliant natural talent into being skilled in as many styles of plucked stringed instruments as is possible in one lifetime. I fi rst saw Bennett play guitar and sitar with his mentor Chris Finnen at the McLaren Vale Singing Gallery in South Australia a few years ago and was mightily impressed with this young man. He has since toured extensively with the globetrotting Dya Singh World Music Group and spent many months in India studying with the sitar masters. Presently, Bennett is on tour with singer Parvyn Singh and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Clermont. ‘Echoes of You’ is a 13-track exploration of the several distinct types of music genre Bennett has mastered so far. From the meditative opening number ‘Gypsy and Tam’, Bennett’s touch is light and skilful, caressing the strings as a man would stroke his lover’s hair. ‘Mingling Waters’, ‘Echoes of You’, ‘It’s Summer in Europe’, ‘Closer Together’ and the lone cover ‘Edelweiss’ are rendered in the same contemplative mood. With the tempo increasing somewhat in ‘The Maid’, the fi rst of the four pieces with lyrics, the underlying Celtic feeling is melancholic, yet sweet. ‘For Mataji (Parts 1 & 2)’ takes the listener to India in this moody raga, with saxophonist Andy Beven adding soulful jazz overtones. ‘Samba Samosa’ is a silky Latin-jazz love song with some sexy Indian spice, while ‘Um A Zero’ gets quite funky. ‘Highland Blues’ and the 12-bar ‘Devil May Trade’ are both infused with blues, although the former has a Scottish edge. Encore, Mr Bennett… Encore!