Max Clouth, Ishaan Ghosh and Vroni Frisch Mount a Dexterous Jam on ‘Naya Din’

India’s rising tabla exponent Ishaan Ghosh teams up with German artists Max Clouth on guitar and Vroni Frisch on bass for a free-flowing jam on “Naya Din,” filmed in Frankfurt.

Ghosh heard Frisch’s composition for “Naya Din” for the first time while touring Germany with Clouth’s act Ragawerk last year, in which Frisch plays bass. The trio broke off from Ragawerk for a separate run of shows and recordings, including “Naya Din.” Ghosh adds, “I was really amazed at how beautifully this composition integrates different time signatures together. That’s something very special to me as a percussionist – how we navigate the way from one time signature to another and it still blends in so beautifully.”

Clouth sums up that the trio was more “intimate” compared to Ragawerk’s quartet or quintet setup. He adds, “And I am playing acoustic guitar here, which also give the music a different, more delicate vibe. So I am really hoping that this music ‘Nayā Din’ give people joy!”

Mainz musician Frisch says she in turn appreciates working with artists like Ghosh and Clouth, who are from different backgrounds, and is “fascinated” by how well the guitar, bass and tabla complemented each other. Add in Clouth’s continued exploration of Indian classical music, and Frisch says she’s been able to experience and learn a lot from her collaborators. She adds, “Although I am also at home in pop music, my own compositions are written in modern jazz styles and I like to implement them with unusual lineups.” Ghosh adds, “It’s definitely a jazz-centric track, and it was a very happy challenge for me to fit in as an Indian percussionist, and to bring the texture of the tabla into it, and to see how I can explore newer avenues within my instrument so that it suits this particular composition.”

Intending that “new paths need to be explored,” Frisch created odd-meter patterns which are often found in Indian classical music and paired them with harmonics on the bass, plus “interesting and atmospheric chord sequences for the guitar solo.” Drawing from the “uncertain mood of optimism that you can feel at the beginning of every new day,” Frisch calls the mood of the song as “positive.”

Clouth’s own association with Ghosh goes back to 2008 when the German artist was learning from the Indian artist’s father, the tabla maestro Pandit Nayan Ghosh. “Naya Din” follows previous collaborations between Clouth and the younger Ghosh, including two tracks on the former’s 2018 album Kamaloka. As early as Jun. 20, Clouth, Ghosh and Frisch will perform in Frankfurt, joined by special guest, violinist Nandini Shankar.

Watch the video for “Naya Din” below.